Vidushi Shashikala Dani | |
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Indian Hindustani Classical Musician
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Background information | |
Born |
Hubballi, Dharwad District, Karnataka State, India |
11 October 1960
Genres | Hindustani Classical Music, Indian Classical Music |
Occupation(s) | State Bank of Mysore(VR), Jaltarang Instrumentalist |
Instruments | Jaltarang, Harmonium, Sitar, Violin, Dilruba, Tabla |
Vidushi Shashikala Dani (Kannada: ವಿದೂಷಿ ಶಶಿಕಲಾ ದಾನಿ, Hindi: विदूषी शशिकला दानी}) is an Indian Hindustani Classical Multi-Instrumentalist. She is one of the few musicians and presently the only All India Radio graded female exponent of a unique Indian instrument, Jaltarang (Kannada: ಜಲತರಂಗ, Hindi: जलतरंग).
Jaltarang (or Jal Tarang) is a rare Indian Classical Instrument, a noted Indian melodic percussion instrument containing several porcelain bowls varying in size from big to small (left to right respectively), tuned to perfection by adding water to them. As it is played by striking the bowls with sticks, the gayaki is almost absent which is considered as the heart of khyal (Vocal) representation. Also, it is challenging to replicate the tones as there is no possibility of meend in this particular instrument.
Shashikala was born in Hubballi, a city in the district of Dharwad in the Karnataka State of India, to Rukmini and Dhondiba Warang. Born in a musical family, she started learning music at a tender age of 10 from her guru, her father Pandit D. R. Warang. She gave her first public performance at the very age of 17. She is a B.A. graduate, married to Shri Arun Dani, son of eminent Journalist, T.S.R. Awardee Lt. Shri Surendra Dani and having a son Sugnan. Being a B-High grade All India Radio and Doordarshan artist, she overlooks all the severe drawbacks of the instrument during her play. After being employed in State Bank Of Mysore for 33 long years, presently she is one among the countable number of Jaltarang artists, striving hard to preserve, develop and promote this unique instrument.