Toronto Gharana/People

Shantha Benegal

Her musical instruction has been in dhrupad singing, which she studied from dhrupadiya Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, veena. She also had khayal instruction from Pandit Murli Manohar Shukla in Bombay. She has a deep interest in other classical and light classical genres such as khayal, dadra, thumris, qawwalis, folk music, having had the good fortune to be taught by several visiting artists in the University of Washington's Ethnomusicology program: Ustad Yunus Khan of Agra gharana, sarangi Ustad Sabri Khan, sitarist Sujaat Khan of Inayat Khan gharana, and qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Shantha is a publicist in the University of Washington School of Music, Seattle, and is actively involved with the promotion of performing arts from South Asia. She presented a program called Music of India on KRAB FM for 13 years. She has performed in Bombay, Seattle, Vancouver BC, Portland, Houston, and San Francisco (where she accompanied Kathak dancer Urmila Nagar at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum in 1996.) She has served as a panelist or adviser in the Seattle Arts Commission, the Washington State Arts Commission, Seattle Folklife, and the Ethnic Heritage Council.
The photo is from left to right: Anne Penta, the late Prabha Rustagi and Shantha.

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	Shantha Benegal
	Her musical instruction has been in dhrupad singing, which she studied from dhrupadiya Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, veena. She also had khayal instruction from Pandit Murli Manohar Shukla in Bombay. She has a deep interest in other classical and light classical genres such as khayal, dadra, thumris, qawwalis, folk music, having had the good fortune to be taught by several visiting artists in the University of Washington's Ethnomusicology program: Ustad Yunus Khan of Agra gharana, sarangi Ustad Sabri Khan, sitarist Sujaat Khan of Inayat Khan gharana, and qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Shantha is a publicist in the University of Washington School of Music, Seattle, and is actively involved with the promotion of performing arts from South Asia. She presented a program called Music of India on KRAB FM for 13 years. She has performed in Bombay, Seattle, Vancouver BC, Portland, Houston, and San Francisco (where she accompanied Kathak dancer Urmila Nagar at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum in 1996.) She has served as a panelist or adviser in the Seattle Arts Commission, the Washington State Arts Commission, Seattle Folklife, and the Ethnic Heritage Council. The photo is from left to right: Anne Penta, the late Prabha Rustagi and Shantha.