Namrata Gaikwad

Mrs. Namrata Seema Gaikwad_John (Shehnai & Sundri exponent) Born in a traditional family of shehnai & sundri exponents in Maharashtra, Namrata is the first youth professional lady artist to play shehnai & sundri in the world. Her great grandfather was Late Shankarraoji Gaikwad, well known as "SanayeeSamrat" the monarch of  Shehnai. Her grandfather Late Surmani Prabhashankar Gaikwad, enriched the tradition further by adopting the banarasi baj (style) on the wind instrument Shehnai. Her father Dr. Pramod Gaikwad is the first artist to do a PHD in Shehnai. She was groomed in the tradition by her parents Smt. Seema Gaikwad & Dr Pramod from the early age of six. She has learned a bit of vocal from her mother Smt. Seemaji, maternal grandmother Smt. Chandardeviji & the musicologist Pt. Vasantraoji Maratheji.Namrata's first guru is her mother Smt. Seemaji & Dr. Pramod. In the quest of her excellence she received training from her maternal grandparents Late Pt. Anantlalji & Smt. Chanderdeviji, her maternal uncles Pt. Dayashankarji who are the shehnai maestros, Pt. Ashok Kumar ji & Pt. Vijay Kumar ji in pure banarasi gharana. Now she is taking her training under Pt. Sanjeev Shankar ji, Pt. Anand Shankar ji & Pt. Ashwani Shankar ji, well known as 'Shankar Brothers', and also by Ustad Usman Khan ji, Vocalist Pt. Vasantrao Marathe Ji, Vocalist and Musicologist Dr. Pt. Vikas Kashalkar ji

Namrata had already started accompanying her father, grandfather, 

uncle and brothers in a very young age. She has performed in many 

prestigious concerts in India & abroad, to name a few dance India taste 

India, Penang & Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, accompanied her father & 

bothers in Sawai Gandharv festival, Pune, Sangeet Sankalp festival, All 

India Radio, habitat centre, Delhi & Lucknow. NCPA, Mumbai (twice) to 

name a few.