About -

Jayanti Sahasrabuddhe is an accomplished Hindustani Classical vocalist. Trained in the classical Indian Gurukul tradition, she is one of the leading disciples and also the daughter-in-law of renowned vocalist Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe.

Jayanti Sahasrabuddhe’s presentation of Ragas and her soulful bhajans are highly acclaimed by audiences of music. Her meditative, soulful voice mesmerizes her audience.

Musical training

Born into a music loving family in Mumbai, Jayanti’s grandmother learned from Padma Bhushan Krishnarao Ganesh Phulambrikar, also known as Master Krishnarao. Encouraged by her parents, Jayanti began her musical training on the harmonium at a young age under Pandit Purushottam Walawalkar. She started her vocal training at Sangit Mahabharati (founded by Pandit Nikhil Ghosh) with Vidushi Tulika Ghosh, daughter of Pandit Nikhil Ghosh, and learnt Tabla from Dr. Aneesh Pradhan. Her musical journey included a brief enriching phase of learning from Vidushi Shobha Gurtu, and was later accepted as a disciple of Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe in the Gurukul tradition.

Concerts

Jayanti has performed several concerts in India, United States, and the Bahamas

Some of her memorable concerts include:

• San Francisco based organization Basant Bahar’s first annual music festival accompanied by Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri on Tabla at Stanford University

• Brihan Maharashtra Mandal Convention in San Jose

• Concerts at the Foothill College Women’s month series for Asian Pacific Islander Heritage month

• Performed at Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri’s Guru Poornima celebrations

• Brihan Maharashtra Mandal Convention at Anaheim Convention Center

• Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Pune

• Kalabharati Karnatak Sangh, Mumbai

• Concert organized by Dr Sudhanshu Kulkarni in Belgaum

• California Arts Association in San Francisco

• Indian Classical Music festival in Nassau, Bahamas

• Concert celebrating the 80th birthday of Vidushi Laxmi Shankar

• Invited by Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and Mary Khan to perform at the 5th Annual birthday tribute Concert to Maestro Ali Akbar Khan at Ali Akbar College of Music

• Concert for the Asian Art Museum and Society for Art and Cultural Heritage of India

• Concert celebrating 60th birthday of Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe

• Invited again by Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and Mary Khan to perform for the 9th annual birthday tribute concert to Maestro Ali Akbar Khan

• Concert at the Bhavans Cultural Center, Mumbai

• Brihan Maharashtra Mandal Convention in San Jose

• Television concerts for Doordarshan, Mumbai and television and radio in San Francisco

• Singing the Indian and US National Anthems for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at SAP Center, San Jose

• Performed for the Consulate General of India, San Francisco at the India Community Center and at the San Francisco War Memorial

• Concert at the Indian Music Society of Minnesota

• Concert at the Z Space, San Francisco

• Concerts at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley

• Concert celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of Pandit Balwantrai Bhatt

• Concerts at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC

• Concert at The Music Circle founded by Pandit Ravi Shankar

Thematic Concerts

Jayanti has also presented many thematic concerts with narration. Some of them include Tarana, Ritu Sangeet, Songs of Kabir, Suno Bhai Sadho, Swaranjali—a tribute to Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe; Naad Ninaad—a presentation of compositions from the Bodas legacy; Reflections of Divine Love—themes of love and devotion for the Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India (SACHI) and the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; Melody of Lakes—a musical reflection on Udaipur paintings at the Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C.; Devi Shakti—ragas and compositions expressing Shakti (female energy) in Hindustani classical music; Look and Listen: Indian Art and Music- an online concert for the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C.; Sundar Shyam Hamare—a classical music program of Krishna bhajans; Ramrang—a tribute to Pandit Ramashreya Jha; and Colors of Divine Love—a musical journey with the poet-saints of India from the 13th to the 17th century.

Fundraiser Concerts

Jayanti has organized and performed for fundraiser concerts for the Akshay Patra Foundation, Sahaya International foundation, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy foundation (PSP), Care for Children fundraiser concert for the Art of Living Foundation and Akhil Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal.

Education

Jayanti graduated with Honors in Sociology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, where she was awarded the Pragji Purshottam Bhatia Memorial Scholarship. She subsequently completed a Master’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology, ranking first at the University of Mumbai. In recognition of her academic excellence, Jayanti received the Professor Kanhaiyalal M. Kapadia Sociology Award and also the K. M. Kapadia Sociology Award for achieving the highest marks in Sociology at the University of Mumbai. She was offered admission to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with a scholarship for studying Ethnomusicology, but ultimately decided to dedicate herself to studying music with her Guru, Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe in the Gurukul tradition. Subsequently, Jayanti also earned her Master’s degree in Music.

Vocal Support for Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe

Jayanti has provided vocal support to Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe in more than 200 prestigious music concerts across India, United States, Canada, and Europe.

These include the Tansen Samaroh in Gwalior, Sawai Gandharva Festival in Pune, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, Spirit of Unity concerts, Pandit Ravi Shankar’s 72nd birthday concert, Shankarlal Music Festival, Gandhi Jayanti celebrations in New Delhi, Vishnu Digambar Jayanti Samaroha in New Delhi, Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., Asia Society in New York, Ali Akbar College of Music in San Francisco, and the Voices of the World Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark.

She has provided vocal support to Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe in several thematic concerts, including Ritu Sangeet, Krishna Sandhya, Kabir Bhajans, Meera Bhajans, Tarana, and Songs of the Rains: Malhaar ke Prakaar. Jayanti also participated in a BBC project on Khayal: Classical Singing of North India, conceived by Professor Martin Clayton, which featured Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe’s singing and teaching.

Awards and Felicitations

Jayanti Sahasrabuddhe’s awards and felicitations include a silver medal from the President of India for her art at Shankar’s Children’s International Competition; an award at the Malhar Youth Festival, St. Xavier’s College; a two-year National Scholarship for Hindustani Classical Music from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Culture, Government of India; the Ganavardhan Award presented by Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj in Pune; an award from Basant Bahar, San Francisco, presented by Khansaheb Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, an award from the India Culture League, Mumbai; a felicitation at the Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple; a felicitation at the Bruhan Maharashtra Mandal Convention in San Jose; a felicitation at the Bruhan Maharashtra Mandal Convention in Los Angeles; and felicitations by the San Francisco Consulate General of India, Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok, and Ambassador Sanjay Panda.

Teaching

In addition to her performances, Jayanti Sahasrabuddhe actively contributes to the propagation of Indian classical music by conducting lecture-demonstrations, music workshops, and teaching many aspiring students of music in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world through both in-person and online sessions.

Jayanti’s next-door neighbor, the legendary Shri Manna Dey, was a major influence on her musical journey. As part of the National Cultural Talent Search Scholarship for Hindustani Classical Music, she was required to submit recommendation letters. Sharing the recommendation letter that Shri Manna Dey wrote to the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

To the Ministry of Culture, Government of India

My next door neighbor Jayanti is like a daughter to me. I have seen her grow into a fine disciplined woman. She has excelled in the field of academics and music as well. An M.A. of Bombay University and a very accomplished student of Indian Classical Music. Jayanti has been a constant source of inspiration to many in our vicinity.

She has been under the tutelage of very able music teachers over the last ten years and presently been learning from Mrs Veena Sahasrabuddhe and even performed with her on the same platform.

Jayanti deserves maximum encouragement from all concerned in any field she chooses to pursue.

God bless her.

Manna Dey