Classical singer Pandit Chhannulal Mishra dies at 89

• Pandit Chhannulal Mishra, one of the greats of Hindustani classical music, passed away in  Mirzapur on October 2. He was 89.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences and remarked that Mishra dedicated his life to art and culture and played a key role in taking the musical tradition of the Banaras Gharana to new heights.

• He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2010 and Padma Vibhushan in 2020.

An illustrious career spanning over six decades

• He was born in Hariharpur village, Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh in 1936.

• Mishra was initiated into music by his father, the late Pandit Badri Prasad Mishra. 

• He was later trained in the Kirana gharana style under Ustad Abdul Ghani Khan, and was further mentored by renowned musicologist Thakur Jaidev Singh, who helped refine his understanding of the deeper nuances of Indian classical music.

• Mishra grew up to be a doyen of Hindustani classical music, contributing immensely to such styles of the form as Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Chaiti, Kajri, and Bhajan.

• He was an exponent of the Banaras gharana and the Purab Ang tradition of Thumri.

• Mishra was known for his rare gift of turning his performances into a conversation with the divine and his masterful command over various music styles.

• He was an immensely knowledgeable artist, with an illustrious career spanning over six decades.

• His deeply moving renditions include ‘Sawan Jhar Lagela Dheere Dheere’, ‘Kaise Sajan Ghar Jaibe’, and his powerful sohar renditions — traditional folk songs that celebrate the joy of childbirth. 

• Mishra mostly stayed away from lending his voice to movie songs. However, he brought classical richness to some tracks like ‘Saans Albeli’ and ‘Kaun Si Dor’ for the 2011 film ‘Aarakshan’.