Chidanand Nagarkar 'Chita Anand'

Chidanand Nagarkar 'Chita Anand' (1919–1971) is an Hindustani classical vocalist. Known for contributions to Hindustani classical music, performance, teaching, and repertoire building.

His assignment as Principal of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan`s school of music in Bombay in 1946 was initially to get the operation functional and self-supporting, and eventually to shape it into a musical institution of lasting impact. When K G Ginde arrived there in the summer of 1951, Nagarkar had started to assemble a faculty which a few years later would include S. C. R. Bhat, C. R. Vyas, Alla Rakha, H. Taranath Rao. Brilliant as he was mercurial, this institution grew to be a centre of musical activity in Mumbai during the 25 years of his leadership.

Although his highly creative and expressive music was often reminiscent of Ustad Faiyaz Khan, it had an unmistakable stamp of his own distinctive individuality. Combining his thorough training with a supremely confident and flashy style, he developed an uncanny blend of classical restraint and emotional freedom.

The multi-faceted Nagarkar, apart from being a vocalist par excellence, also played the harmonium and the tabla with practiced ease. He had taken lessons in Kathak dance from Pandit Shambhu Maharaj, one of the foremost Kathak exponents of his time. As a composer he left behind a treasure of Ragas like Kaishiki Ranjani and Bhairav Naat (now popular as Nat Bhairav) and popular bandishes.