Bageshwari Qamar is the first woman shehnai player of
India. Bageshwari Qamar learnt Shehnai from Ustad Bismillah Khan. She
was crowned Shehnai Queen at Chandigarh in 1983, the year she made her
debut. Bageshwari has recorded a jugalbandi with Ustad Bismillah Khan
apart from solo cassettes. She represented India at the Bharat Mahotsav
at Russia in 1988.
Bageshwari Qamar is the daughter of Jagdish Prasad Qamar, the only
disciple of Ustad Bismillah Khan, who joined him as per the traditional
Gurukul system. Jagdish joined Ustad Bismillah Khan at the age of 10 in
1946. He lived and learned shehnai at the Ustad's house in Benaras.
