Musician-scholar Mrs. Neelam Kothari Patel has been awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Music by the S.N.D.T. University, Mumbai for her thesis on the “Changing Form of Thumri with Special Reference to the Changes in the Style of Presentation since Mid-19th Century”. She is the daughter of Late Mr. Prasenjit and Mrs. Pushpaben Kothari.

The research documents the various changes this beautiful genre of Hindustani Classical Music, has gone through over the period of decades both through the Historical and Analytical methods. The first few chapters study the basic characteristics of this singing style, which is identified as a Nrityageet, as it had and still has strong association with dance.  The songs in thumri deal with the various aspects of love, and have a woman’s perspective. Thumri’s less stringent approach towards the rules and regulations of classical music, and the presence of some very eminent traits of folk music, make it a semi classical genre. The study on the development of this form documents the genre’s journey through the past, and the changes that occurred at many junctures, due to political, social and religious forces. (Click here to read The Synopsis of the Thesis).

Mrs. Kothari Patel was a student of Shri Vividhlaxi Vidyamandir, Palanpur and started learning Shastriya Sangit and Nritya at the age of nine with Shri Panchakshari and later Shri D.B. Kunte. While at school and college she participated in many cultural programmes and events, representing Gujarat in cultural exchange programmes. She passed Visharad in Music with First division and simultaneously completed a seven year course in Bharatnatyam. After graduating in Economics and completing a course in Interior Design and Decoration from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai she worked as an Interior Designer for a while, before returning to her first love. She completed her Masters in Music from S.N.D.T. University, Mumbai, standing second in the University and was awarded Gana-Hira Paritoshik. She learnt thumri under Smt. Kaumudi Munshi, and started and completed her research under Dr. Neera Grover.

Presently based in Houston, U.S.A., where she teaches Indian Classical (Vocal) music and gives private concerts, Mrs. Kothari Patel has also sung for the small budget Hindi film ‘Madar-e-vatan’ as well as composed and sang a few of Shunya and Amar Palanpuri’s ghazals.