OBITUARIES / PASSINGS / Gangubai Hangal

Gangubai Hangal, 96, an Indian classical singer who battled caste and gender prejudices to establish a career that spanned more than seven decades, died Tuesday in Hubli, India, after being briefly hospitalized for respiratory problems.

With her powerful, deep voice, Hangal was often described as more gifted than most male singers of her time, and people had trouble matching her strong vocals with her small frame.

She was one of the most well-known singers of Khayal, a style that belonged to the Hindustani, or North Indian, school of classical singing.

She was born March 5, 1913, in the southern state of Karnataka and trained under Sawai Gandharva, a respected guru.

Born into a family of boatmen, considered low caste in Hinduism’s complex caste structure, Hangal battled that prejudice as well as the notion that singing wasn’t an appropriate profession for a woman of her generation.