Smita Bellur was initiated into Hindustani classical vocal music in the Khayal Style, at the age of twelve by her guru late Shri. P. R. Bhagwat, a renowned musician and recipient of the Sangeet Natak Academy award.After the demise of Shri. Bhagwat, she started learning from ‘Sangeet Ratna’, late Pt. Arjunsa Nakod, a doyen of the Gwalior – Kirana Gharana, training under him for few years.
Smita is a ‘Senior Diploma’ in classical vocal music from Prayag Sangeet Samiti – Allahabad, has been under the guidance of late Pt. Rajabhau Sontakke (disciple of the legendary Sangeet Martand Pt. Omkarnath Thakur) for higher education in music. She has also been taught by Pt. Bhalachandra Nakod.
Currently, she is getting ‘taleem’ from ‘Gaan Saraswati’, ‘Sangeet Kaumudi’ Vidushi Dr. Alka Deo Marulkar.She aslo gets trained in Sufiana Qawwali music by Ustad Nazeer Ahmed Warsi and Ustad Naseer Ahmed Warsi of Hyderabad, grandsons of Padmashri Late Ustad Aziz Ahmed Warsi, legendary Qawwal of yesteryears.
She has also founded a NGO Nadanubhava Foundation® – an organization that promotes Hindustani Classical and Sufi music that has successfully done more than 70 programmes. She also runs ‘People for Raaga’ and ‘Anhaad Naad Sufi Sangeet’. Smita has also been involved in the nationwide co-operative of performing artistes, ‘Sangeet Sankalp’ as one of the founder members of its Bangalore chapter.
She teaches several students through the Shankar Mahadevan Academy and also in guru-shishya parampara.
Sufism and Sufi music training:
She aslo gets trained in Sufiana Qawwali music by Ustad Nazeer Ahmed Warsi and Ustad Naasir
Ahmed Warsi of Hyderabad, grandsons of Padmashri Late Ustad Aziz Ahmed Warsi, legendary
Qawwal of yesteryears.
She has been initiated into Sufism by Dr. Ejazuddin Ashrafi and currently she also seeks guidance on
matteres of Tasawwuf from her Murshad Hazrat Akhtar Ali Shah of Saigaon Latur.
Press Comments
“Sufi strains in motion” – Deccan Herald, May 2013
“Timeless tunes wins hearts” – Deccan Herald, May 2013
“She plays music for the soul” – The New Indian Express, Oct 2012
She is a MS (Quality management), and BE by qualification and also freelances as a music journalist.