Pandit
Laxmi Ganesh Tewari (born 8 September 1938) is a renowned
Hindustani vocalist from
India. He is an exponent of the Gwalior
gharana (tradition) of vocal music. After studying with Dr.
Lalmani Misra at
Banaras Hindu University in
Varanasi, he pursued education and teaching opportunities in America. At
Sonoma State University since 1974, his career has combined performance, scholarship and teaching.
Early life and education
Born in 1938 in Kanpur,
Uttar Pradesh, India, Tewari studied at Banaras Hindu University with Dr. Lalmani Misra, Pandit Madhav Vaman Thakar, and professor B. R. Deodhar, earning a doctor of music degree in 1967. He moved to the United States to study at
Wesleyan University, where he earned a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology in 1974.
Academic career
Tewari has been on the faculty of Sonoma State University in California since 1974. Today he is one of the leading ethnomusicologists with an exemplary body of work on Indian, Buddhist, Arabian and Gamelan music. He has also made numerous recordings of his music; chief amongst them is his rendering of
Sameshwari, a
Raga created by Dr. Lalmani Misra to preserve the notes of
Samagana of
Sama Veda period. He has conducted field research in India, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Thailand, Fiji, Ghana, and Zimbabwe. In addition to his books and recordings, Tewari's articles have appeared in
South Asia Research,
South Asia Journal, and
Asian Folklore Studies.
Books by Laxmi G. Tewari
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