Lalmani Misra received training in Dhrupad and Dhamar under Shankar Bhatt and Munshi Bhrigunath Lal. He also studied Khayal singing with Ustad Mehndi Hussain Khan, a disciple of Ustad Vazir Khan of the Rampur Seni Gharana. Misra's training extended to other instruments, including the sitar under Shri Shukdev Roy, and the tabla under Swami Pramodanand.
Misra was appointed to the post of assistant music director in Shehanshahi Recording Company, Calcutta, at the age of twelve. He worked on several films during the next two years. The interactions he had with the cast and film crew members of these films pushed him to develop an interest in orchestration.
Adult career
Misra returned to Kanpur in 1940 after his father's death. In Kanpur, he administered educational initiatives to teach music to children. He opened several "Bal Sangeet Vidyalaya" – music schools for children. He established the institution "Bharatiya Sangeet Parishad", and a music college known as "Gandhi Sangeet Mahavidyalaya".[1] He also modified syllabi on a student by student basis, in both academic and informal situations. Around this time, he also started an orchestra society.
Creating Raga-s
Dr. Pushpa Basu documented the following Raga-s in her book:[2]
Madhu Bhairava: Hexatonic Raga of Bhairava Ang performed in early morning
Shyam Bihag: Penta-heptatonic Raga of Kalyan Thaat and Ang, performed in late evening
Madhukali: Penta-heptatonic Raga blending Madhuvanti, Multani and Ramkali, played in early evening
Sameshwari: Penta-heptatonic Raga blending Rageshri and Kalavati, played in early evening
Baleshwari: Hexa-hexatonic Raga blending Bageshwari and Bilaskhani Todi, played before noon
Jog Todi: Hexa-heptatonic Raga blending Jog and Todi, played any time due its light nature
Anand Bhairavai: Revived through research. Kind of Bhairavi called Madhyam-Pradhan (subdominant centric), which shuns Rishabh (supertonic)
Sources and links
Nada Rupa, Sharma, Dr. (Miss) Premlata, Ed. College of Fine Arts, B.H.U., Varanasi: 1961. Special Issue with Supplement, Vol I, No. 1, January 1961
Sangeetendu Pandit Lalmani Ji Misra: Ek Pratibhavan Sangeetagya, Tewari, Laxmi Ganesh. Swar Sadhana, California, 1996.