View source for R. C. Mehta

{{short description|Indian singer and musicologist}}
{{EngvarB|date=December 2020}}
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'''Ramanlal C. Mehta''' (31 October 1918 – 18 October 2014) was an Indian musician and [[musicologist]]. In 2009, he was awarded the [[Padma Bhushan]], India's third-highest civilian honour.<ref name=T />

==Life==
Ramanlal was a [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Padma-Bhushan-for-4-Gujaratis/articleshow/4031580.cms|title=Padma Bhushan for 4 Gujaratis|first=Ankur|last=Jain|date=26 January 2009|work=[[The Times of India]]|location=[[Ahmedabad]]}}</ref> who was born on 31 October 1918 in [[Surat]] in the state of [[Gujarat]]. He retired in 1978, from the [[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda|MS University]] of [[Baroda]], after serving as Principal of the College of Indian Music, Dance & Dramatics / Faculty of Performing Arts for several years. He died after a fall in 2014 at the age of 95.<ref name=T>{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Vadodara/Professor-Ramanlal-Mehta-dies-at-96/articleshow/44877947.cms |title=Professor Ramanlal Mehta dies at 96 |date=19 October 2014 |website=The Times of India |access-date=18 December 2017 }}</ref>

==Musical career==
He was trained in [[Hindustani classical music|Hindustani classical vocal music]] by Kanchalal Manawala and later followed the [[Kirana Gharana|Kirana]] style of Ustad [[Abdul Wahid Khan|Abdul Waheed Khan]]. He was with [[All India Radio]] for 9 years (1945–1953) prior to his taking up principal-ship of the Baroda Music College.<ref name=T />  A vocalist of the [[Kirana Gharana]] Style, he developed his own style in [[Khyal]] and [[Thumri]] and gave several vocal concerts of [[Hindustani Classical Music]] in music circles, at music conferences and over [[All India Radio]]. He composed and produced more than fifty musical dramas and features  over A.I.R., [[Bombay]], Ahmedabad  and [[Baroda]] (1945–1953).

==Academic==
Mehta worked in music education in India for over 45 years, serving as an expert member at national and state institutions and universities.  He founded the Indian Musicological Society in 1970 and later served the society as honorary General Secretary.<ref name="IMS">{{cite web|url=http://www.dovesong.com/positive_music/archives/world/India/IMS.asp|title=Introducing The Indian Musicological Society, Bombay & Baroda|year=2010|work=DoveSong|publisher=RisingWorld Entertainment|access-date=11 February 2014}}</ref>  He served as editor of the ''Journal of the Indian Musicological Society'', since its 1970 inception, retiring in 2005.  He also served as an expert member on the Central Music Audition Board (MAB) of [[All India Radio]]. On his suggestion, the first-ever conference on distance education in Indian Classical Music was organised by [[Ustad Alauddin Khan]] Sangeet Academy. He also published a collection of papers presented as ''Distance Education in Music''.<ref name="IMS"/>

==Author and critic==
He wrote and published on various aspects of music.  His publications include :
*(1) '''Agra-Parampara, Gayaki Aur Chizen''' (Hindi) Pub. By the M.S. University,
*(2) '''Sangeet Charcha''' 1963 (Guj.) (Music Criticism)
*(3) '''Guajarati Geya Kavita''' (Guj.) 1954 (Song Form in Gujarati Literature)

Mehta also published several research papers in scholarly journals.

==Awards and honours==
Prof. Mehta is the recipient of many awards, which include :
*An honorary degree of Doctor of Music by the Akhil Bharatiya Ghandarva Mahavidyalaya Mandal (1967)
*State Award for Music by the Govt. of Gujarat (1978)
*Emeritus Fellowship of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Govt. of India (1983)
*Sarangadeva Fellowship – by Sursingar Samsad, (1988)
*''SRA – ITC'' award for Distinguished and lifelong services to the cause of Hindustani Music (1990)
* “Shrestha Sangeeracharya” Award by Pt. [[Bhatkhande]] Institute of Music and Musicology, Raipur (M.P.)( 1993 )
*Swar Sadhna Ratna award by Swar Sadhana Samiti - Bombay (1995 )
*Kaka Hathrasi Sangeet Sanmaan by [[Kaka Hathrasi]] Puraskar Trust – [[Hathras]] (U.P.) (2001)
*Centenary Celebration honour for Life Time Contribution to Music by [[Bangalore Gayana Samaja]] – [[Bangalore]] (2005)
*[[List of Sangeet Natak Akademi fellows|Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]] (2008)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sangeetnatak.com/sna/fellowslist.htm |title=SNA: List of Akademi Fellows:: |access-date=11 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029184341/http://www.sangeetnatak.com/sna/fellowslist.htm |archive-date=29 October 2010 }}</ref>
*[[Padma Bhushan]] (2009)<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2015 | access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref>
*Pt. Omkar Nath Thakur Award (2010) by the [[Government of Gujarat]].
*Sangeetvikas Award (2011) instituted by ''Samakalika Sangeetham'', a Journal dedicated for Indian Classical Music, for the book, ''Indian Classical Music & Gharana Tradition'' (Read Worthy Publications (P) Ltd, New Delhi)
* An honorary degree of Doctor of Literature awarded by [[Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya]], Khairagarh. (2014)

==References==
*The latest biographical note on R. C. Mehta written by Dr. Bhalchandra Panchakshari, Retired Reader, [[Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya]], Khairagarh was published in Hindi periodical “'''Sangeet Kala Vihar'''”, July 2006 issue, pages 13, 14, 15 & 16.
<references />

==External links==
*[https://archive.today/20130414205714/http://www.getcited.org/mbrx/PT/3/MBR/10083661 Works by R.C. Mehta]
*[https://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy051/2003323232.html Bhatkhande Memorial Lecture Series] - Edited by R.C. Mehta

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}
{{SangeetNatakAkademiFellowship}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehta, R C}}
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:Hindustani singers]]
[[Category:Indian musicologists]]
[[Category:Indian music educators]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]]
[[Category:People from Vadodara]]
[[Category:People from Surat]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian musicians]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Gujarat]]