| Rajashekhar Mansur | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Rajashekhar Mansur |
| Born | January 1, 1942 |
| Origin | Dharwad, India |
| Genres | Khayal, Bhajans, Thumris |
| Occupations | Hindustani Classical Musician |
| Instruments | Vocal |
| Years active | 1975–present |
Pt. Rajashekhar Mansur (born in 1942) is a Hindustani Classical vocalist of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. He is the son of Hindustani vocalist Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur.
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Mansur was born to singer Mallikarjun Mansur.[1] At the age of 16, Rajashekar performed Rag Malkauns in his college gatherings and received tuition from his father. Within a couple of years, he won the gold medal in the Sangeet Visharad exam and went on to take first prize in the AIR Youth Music Competition.
He completed his M.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Wales on a British Council Scholarship.
Mansur taught literature and linguistics for nearly 35 years and retired as a Professor and Chairman of the English Department, Karnatak University, Dharwad. At the same time, he continued to pursue music, giving vocal support to his father and also performing independently at various prestigious music festivals and on the radio.
He is now Top Grade Vocalist in the AIR. He has performed extensively in many prestigious music festivals throughout the country. The Karnatak Government has recognised his contributions to music by awarding him the Rajyotsava Award (1997). He was nominated as the chairman of Karnatak Sangeet Nrutya Akademi (2005–2008). He is also the recipient of Karnatak Kalashri Gaurav Award (2009). His music has been preserved in the archives of Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalaya in Bhopal.