The Gaekwad Brothers
Shehnai and Jalatarangam artists
The Gaekwad Brothers, from Baroda, Ahmedabad, present a unique combination of two ancient instruments of India: shehnai and jalatarangam.
Jalatarangam is Sanskrit for “water waves.” Eighteen porcelain bowls of varying sizes are filled with water. These bowls are arranged in a semi-circle in front of the performer. The bowls are struck with two thin bamboo sticks; each bowl produces a different note.
The shehnai is an ancient woodwind—a long wooden tube that begins narrow at the mouthpiece and gradually widens, with a bell affixed to the end.
The Gaekwad Brothers, who belong to a lineage of shehnai players, inherited their passion for traditional music from their father, the late G. G. Gaekwad. Through their efforts in playing and teaching jalatarangam, the brothers are helping preserve a tradition that was in danger of disappearing forever.