Like every year, Padma Awards for the year 2020 announced on the eve of Republic day. Out of 141 awards, seven awards are to Indian Classical music and dance artists.
The Padma Vibhushan award was announced to Pandit Chhannulal Mishra, the legendary Hindustani classical singer from Banaras and a noted exponent of the Kirana gharana and especially the Khayal and the ‘Purab Ang’ – Thumri.
Ace singer Pandit Ajoy Chakravorty has been nominated for Padma Bhushan. Pt. Chakravarvorty an exponent of Khyal genre, also renders lighter forms such as Thumri, Tappa, Bhajan, Kirtan, Folk, Film/Non-Film and modern songs, in several different languages.
Besides several prestigious awards including the Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, he also was awarded honorary citizenship in New Orleans, after performing with jazz musicians at Preservation Hall, the birthplace of jazz music.
Following artists are nominated for Padmashri awards for the year 2020 :
Smt. Indira P. P. Bora, Assam – Guru Indira P. P. Bora is an internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer and cultural icon with immense experience of dance performances across the world. An exponent of Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi and Sattriya dances; she has been conferred with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1996.
Guru Indira P. P. Bora, one of the pioneer Sattriya female dancers have contributed significantly to the recognition and patronage of Sattriya dance as a classical dance form of India. Her choreographic creations based on the poems and songs of eminent artists and poets like Rabindra Nath Tagore, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Jyotiprasad Agarwala, Bishnu Rabha and Parbati Prasad Baruva in Bharatnatyam style are very unique and popular. She is also a fellow of Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India and paneled artiste of ICCR. She has been selected for ‘Guru Gopinath Desiya Natya Puraskaram, 2019’ by the State Govt. of Kerala for her role in popularizing Sattriya – the Indian classical dance form of Assam.
Ms. Lalitha & Saroja Chidambaram (Duo) – Also knoen as Bombay Sisters, C. Saroja and C. Lalitha, have been singing since 1963 when they started with light classical music, subsequently progressing to classical Carnatic music. They sing in multiple languages including Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi. They are also known for promoting young musicians through endowments and scholarships.
Dr. Purushottam Dadheech – A well-known choreographer and educator of Indian classical dance, Dr. Dadheech is known for his pioneering work in the field of Kathak. He has been awarded the Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contributions to Performing arts. Dr Puru Dadheech is considered as the backbone and the father of the education system of kathak.
Sitarist Shri Manilal Nag He received the Sangeet Natak Akademy Award in 2001 and also the Senior Fellowship Award from India’s Ministry of Culture in 2005 and an Honorary Gold Medal from the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, in 2008. The Government of West Bengal awarded him the Allauddin Puraskar in 2012 and the Banga Bibhushan in 2015, as well as the Sangeet Mahasamman Award. He has also received the ITC Sangeet Samman, Doverlane Sangeet Samman, Koser Award from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh, Sangeet Ratna Award from Mumbai, and Vitasta Award from New Delhi.
Shri Sheik Mahaboob Subani along with his wife Smt. Kalee Shabi Mahaboob (Duo) are Indian classical music nagaswaram artist. They render popular Carnatic ragas and kritis on nagaswaram.
Famous Playback singer Suresh Wadkar and other dancer and musician like Srilankan Dance legend Dr. Vajira Chitrasena, Shri Madhu Mansuri Hasmukh (Folk singer), Dr. Shanti Jain (Folk Music), Ustad Anwar Khan (Mangniyar Folk singer), Guru Shashadhar Acharya (Chhau) and Shri Madan Singh Chauhan, a Music teacher, gazal and sufi singer from Chhatisgarh are also from the various music and dance will also be conferred Padmashri.
Padma awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year. This year the President has approved conferment of 141 Padma Awards including 4 duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one). The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushan, 16 Padma Bhushan and 118 Padma Shri Awards. 33 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 18 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 12 Posthumous awardees.
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