Lalith J Rao | Kedar | ऐरी इन नैना में erii in nainaa mein | चतुर सुघर chatur sughar | 1985

To mark the passing of Lalith J. Rao (November 6, 1942 – June 3, 2026).    • Lalith J Rao   00:00 ऐरी इन नैना में नींद ना आवत 09:24 दरस बिना नैना नीर बहावत 00:00 ऐरी इन नैना में नींद ना आवत दरस बिना नैना नीर बहावत 09:24 चतुर सुघर बैंया तुम पकरत हो बलमा वे तो नवेली नार का जाने हित की सार गंवार । तुम तो महाज्ञानी अति प्रवीण सब विध जानत हो पहचानत हो वे तो अपने घर की लाड़ी लड़ात लाड़ली को लीजो मनाय कर प्यार सरस गरवा लाये लाये From her 1985 album Lalith J. Rao – Raga Bihag, Raga Kedar, Thumri His Master's Voice – PSLP-1373 Released: 1985 Harmonium – Baban Manjrekar Sarangi – Sabri Khan Tabla – Balkhrisna Iyer Cover Photographs – Jayesh Sheth *** To mark the passing of Lalith J. Rao (November 6, 1942 – June 3, 2026). Lalith J. Rao was one of the last major exponents of the Agra gharana and among the few musicians of her generation to devote herself almost entirely to a single tradition. Over six decades, she performed, taught, documented, and recorded a large body of Agra repertoire at a time when many musicians were increasingly drawing upon multiple gharanas and styles. Born in Bangalore, she showed unusual musical promise from an early age. A disciple of Rama Rao Naik, she gave her first public performance at the Bangalore Sangeet Sabha at the age of 12. In 1957, she won the Sur Singar Sansad's All India Classical Music Competition in Mumbai and became one of the youngest participants in the Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan. Music, however, was not initially her profession. After completing her studies in India, she obtained a Master's degree in Electrical Communication Engineering from the University of New Brunswick in Canada. Following her marriage to Jayavanth Rao in 1967, she moved to Delhi intending to pursue an engineering career. Instead, encouraged by her husband, she returned to music full-time, setting aside years of specialised academic training. After a brief period of study with Dinkar Kaikini, she came under the guidance of Khadim Hussain Khan. Friends and well-wishers advised her against the decision, arguing that the Agra gharana was a demanding, predominantly male tradition and that the ageing ustad belonged to an earlier generation. She remained unmoved. The more than decade-long taaliim she received from Khadim Hussain Khan gave her access to a vast body of Agra compositions and shaped the music for which she later became known. Having spent years away from active performance, she effectively rebuilt her musical career from the ground up. A return appearance at the Sur Singar Sansad, more than two decades after her youthful success there, proved a turning point. Thereafter she performed widely across India and abroad, presenting khayaal, dhrupad, dhamar, thumri, tarana, hori and other forms associated with the Agra tradition. She was a Top Grade artiste of All India Radio and remained active in concert performance for decades. Alongside performing, she devoted considerable energy to documentation. In the mid-1970s she helped establish 'Sajan Milap', dedicated to the music of her guru, who composed under the pen name 'Sajan Piya'. Between 1989 and 1991 she served as chief coordinator of the Ford Foundation archival project at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy. In 1993 she recorded nearly 500 traditional Agra compositions for the Ethnomusicology Department of the University of Washington, creating an important archive of the tradition. A serious voice crisis in the early 1990s temporarily threatened her performing career, but she gradually recovered and resumed both concert activity and teaching. In later years she settled in Bangalore, where she trained numerous disciples and continued teaching almost until the end of her life. With her passing, Hindustani music loses one of the last musicians to command such a large body of traditional Agra repertoire. *** Recordings are shared for research, reference, and wider access, in line with fair use principles and YouTube’s policies. This channel is not monetised and has no commercial intent. If you are a rights holder and have any concerns, please get in touch; a comment here will be seen and addressed promptly, and a copyright strike should not be necessary. Corrections, additions, and identifications (raag, bandish, lyrics, artistes) are welcome.