Laxmi Ganesh Tewari


Pandit Laxmi Ganesh Tewari is a Hindustani vocalist from India. He is an exponent of the Gwalior gharana 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

Personal recordings

Documentary recordings from field research