Shobha Gurtu

Having been designated the heir to influential Indian classical vocalist Begium Akhtar, Shobha Gurtu has moved listeners for more than six decades with her husky yet melodic voice. The Times Of India portrayed this master of the thumri style as "expansive, spontaneous, yet laidback". Her mother, well-known professional dancer Menakabai Shirodkar, supplied Shobha’s first lessons, after which she pursued classical Indian music under Ustad Nathan Khan and light classical and popular music under Ustad Gamman Khan. Dozens of Indian recordings preceded the lifetime achievement award conferred on Gurtu by the Maharashtra government in the early-1990s. Shobha Gurtu (CMP, 1990) became her initial release to reach international markets, while her most recent appearances have come as guest vocalist on albums by her son, Trilok Gurtu.