14 Facts About Gita Sarabhai

Gita Sarabhai was among the first women to play the pakhavaj, a traditional barrel-shaped, two-headed drum.

Gita Sarabhai promoted exchanges between Indian and Western music, particularly for bringing Ahmedabad to New York City.

In 1949, Geeta Gita Sarabhai founded the Sangeet Kendra in Ahmedabad, whose mission is to document and promote classical and popular Indian musical traditions.

Gita Sarabhai was a part-time faculty of music at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

Geeta Gita Sarabhai is the daughter of Gujarati industrialist Ambalal Gita Sarabhai, who played a key role in the struggle for Indian independence.

Ambalal Gita Sarabhai supported Mahatma Gandhi as early as 1916, notably by providing him with financial aid, and it was at Ahmedabad where Mahatma Gandhi established his first Ashram.

For eight years, Geeta Gita Sarabhai trained in vocals, percussion and music theory of Hindustani classical music.

Gita Sarabhai learned to play the pakhavaj with masters Govindrao Burhanpurkar, Kumari Chitrangana, Kumari Poorva Naresh and Rasoolan Bai.

Gita Sarabhai decided to better understand the Western musical tradition to understand its influence.

Gita Sarabhai was a musician with a fine knowledge of India's traditional music which she worked to preserve.

In 1946, Geeta Gita Sarabhai went to New York to study Western music.

Gita Sarabhai was interested in the influence of Western music on traditional Indian music.

Gita Sarabhai was going to study Western music and she had contemplated the Juilliard School.

Tapes are extant that show that Gita Sarabhai was one of the first Indian women to have composed on the Moog synthesizer, under the tutelage of Tudor in 1969.