Bageshwari Qamar

**Bageshwari Qamar** is India's trailblazing shehnai virtuoso, known for breaking gender barriers in a traditionally male-dominated field. As the daughter of Ustad Bismillah Khan's disciple Jagdish Prasad Qamar, she learned the instrument through her family's deep musical roots and later trained under the legendary Khan himself. Crowned "Shehnai Queen" during her 1983 debut in Chandigarh, she gained recognition for her solo work and a historic jugalbandi (duet) recording with Bismillah Khan. Her global influence includes representing India at Russia's 1988 Bharat Mahotsav, cementing her status as a cultural ambassador for Hindustani classical music.

Recent releases like *Icons of Indian Music - Bageshwari Qamar (Hindustani Classical)* and her collaborative album with Ustad Bismillah Khan showcase her mastery of the shehnai's devotional and ceremonial repertoire. Despite societal resistance to female shehnai players early in her career, Bageshwari's persistence has made her an enduring symbol of artistic dedication.

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