Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar, the maestro from the Mewati Gharana, is an artist of international acclaim in the field of Hindustani Classical Music. An extremely popular artist, he is the inspiration for the young generation. With his magical singing, he has attracted the young generation towards the Indian Classical music. In a career spanning more than 25 years, he has assumed the mantle of a role model of dedication, hard work, patience and perseverance.
Blessed with an exceptionally sweet voice, his vocation in life was clear right from the age of 3. Born in 1969, Sanjeev started learning Hindustani Classical Music, from the tender age of eight. He has been groomed by his mother Smt. Shobha Abhyankar, Pandit Pimpalkhare ji and Padmavibhushan Pandit Jasraj ji. Though his aim had been to pursue a career in music since childhood, he has acquired a bachelor's Degree in Commerce.
Sanjeevji rendered his first stage performance in Mumbai , at the age of 11. Since then, he has traveled extensively all over the country, performing in all the prestigious conferences and art circles, several times. He has spread the fragrance of Indian Classical music in U.S.A. , Canada , Australia , Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
He has received many awards which include the President's award from the All India Radio in 1990, the prestigious F. I. E. Foundation National Award 1996, The coveted National Award 1998 as the best male playback singer , for the Hindi film 'Godmother', the title 'Sur Ratna', Rotary Vocational Excellence Award 2002 and Pandit Jasraj Gaurav Puraskar, to name a few.
He has several cassettes and compact discs by reputed music companies like HMV, Music Today, Sony Music, Times Music, Navaras Records U.K., Neelam Audio Videos U.S.A., Sona Rupa U.K., BMG Cressendo, Ninaad Music, Fountain Music & Alurkar Music , which have been highly acclaimed all over the world .
He has also given playback for films such as ' Maachis', 'Nidaan', 'Sanshodhan' , 'Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar' and 'Banaras'.
Sanjeevji's award winning performance in 'Godmother' as also his impassioned rendition of Marathi Abhangs and Hindi Bhajans reflect his easy grace and versatility.
By adding his own classical compositions, he has contributed to the already existing vast repertoire of Mewati Gharana compositions (Bandishes).
Besides performing in all the prestigious art circles throughout the country, he has performed in well known conferences such as Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Samaroh - Pune, Baba Harvallabh Samaroh - Jalandhar, ITC Sammelan and Doverlen Conference - Calcutta, Vishnu Digambar Paluskar Jayanti Samaroh, International Melody Foundation's Ustad Amir Khan Samaroh and Gunidas Festival - New Delhi, Swami Haridas Sammelan - Vrindavan, Pandit Motiram Sangeet Samaroh - Hyderabad, Lucknow Mahotsav, Ganga Mahotsav and Budhva Mahotsav, the Maha Kumbh Mela - Uttar Pradesh, Ustad Allauddin Khan Samaroh and Ustad Amir Khan Samaroh - Madhya Pradesh, Saptak Conference - Ahmedabad, Master Dinanath Sangeet Mahotsav - Goa, The Indian Fine Arts - Madras, Hindustani Kalakar Mandali Conference - Bangalore, Kalidas Samaroh - Nagpur , the prestigious Radio Sangeet Sammelan, Spirit of Unity Concerts for National Integration, and the Concerts organised by Sangeet Natak Academy and ICCR.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was born on October 13, 1948 in the city of Faisalabad, Pakistan. He was the fifth child and first son of Fateh Ali Khan, a musicologist, vocalist, instrumentalist, and Qawwal. Khan's family, which included four older sisters and a younger brother, Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, grew up in central Lyallpur. In 1979, Khan married his first cousin, Naheed (the daughter of Fateh Ali Khan's brother, Salamat Ali Khan); they had one daughter, Nida.
Khan began by learning to play tabla alongside his father before progressing to learn Raag Vidya and Bol Bandish. He then went on to learn to sing within the classical framework of khayal. Khan's training with his father was cut short when his father died in 1964, leaving Khan's paternal uncles, Mubarak Ali Khan and Salamat Ali Khan, to complete his training.
His first performance was at a traditional graveside ceremony for his father, known as chehlum, which took place forty days after his father's death.
In 1971, after the death of Mubarak Ali Khan, Nusrat became the official leader of the family Qawwali party and the party became known as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan & Party.
Khan's first public performance as the leader of the Qawwali party was at a studio recording broadcast as part of an annual music festival organised by Radio Pakistan, known as Jashn-e-Baharan. Khan sang mainly in Urdu and Punjabi and occasionally in Persian, Brajbhasha and Hindi. His first major hit in Pakistan was the song Haq Ali Ali, which was performed in a traditional style and with traditional instrumentation. The song featured restrained use of Nusrat's sargam improvisations.
Early in his career, Khan was signed up by Oriental Star Agencies [OSA] of Birmingham UK to their Star Cassette Label. OSA sponsored regular concert tours by Nusrat to the U.K. from the early '80s onwards, and released much of this live material on cassette, CD, videotape and DVD.
Later career
Khan teamed with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ in 1985, with Canadian musician Michael Brook on the albums Mustt Mustt (1990) and Night Song (1996),[3] and with Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder in 1995 on two songs for the soundtrack to Dead Man Walking. He also contributed to the soundtrack of Natural Born Killers.
Peter Gabriel's Real World label later released five albums of Nusrat's traditional Qawwali, together with some of his experimental work which included the albums Mustt Mustt and Star Rise. Nusrat provided vocals for The Prayer Cycle, which was put together by Jonathan Elias, but died before the vocals could be completed. Alanis Morissette was brought in to sing with his unfinished vocals. Nusrat also collabrated with Michael Brook to create music for the song 'Sweet Pain' used in the movie Any Given Sunday. He also performed traditional Qawwali before international audiences at several WOMAD world music festivals and the single Dam Mast Qalandar was remixed by electronic trip hop group Massive Attack in 1998.
His album Intoxicated Spirit was nominated for a Grammy award in 1997 for best traditional folk album.
Khan contributed songs to, and performed in, several Pakistani films. Shortly before his death, he recorded a song each for two Bollywood films, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (in which he also sang the song onscreen) and Kachche Dhaage. He sang the title song of the film, Dhadkan. He also sang Saya bhi saath jab chhod jaye for Sunny Deol's movie, Dillagi. The song was released only in 1999, two years after Nusrat's death.
Khan contributed the song "Gurus of Peace" to the album Vande Mataram, composed by A.R. Rahman, and released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of India's independence. Rahman, who was a big fan of Khan could not do further songs with him. As a tribute, Rahman later released an album titled Gurus of Peace, which featured "Allah Hoo" by Nusrat. Rahman's 2007 song "Tere Bina" was also done as a tribute to Nusrat.
After his death, the song "Solemn Prayer", on which Nusrat provided vocals, was used on the Peter Gabriel song "Signal to Noise" (on the album Up), and on the soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese film Gangs of New York.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan holds the world record for the largest recorded output by a Qawwali artist—a total of 125 albums as of 2001.
Death
Khan was taken ill with kidney and liver failure on August 11, 1997 in London, England while on the way to Los Angeles in order to receive a kidney transplant. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest at Cromwell Hospital, London, on Saturday, August 16, 1997, aged 48. His body was returned to Faisalabad, Pakistan and his funeral was attended by the public.
Composition of Nusrat's qawwali party
The composition of Nusrat's ensemble — called a party (or Humnawa in Urdu) — changed over its 26 years. Listed below is a snapshot of the party, circa 1983:
1. Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan: Nusrat's first cousin, vocals 2. Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan: Nusrat's brother, vocals and lead harmonium 3. Rehmat Ali: vocals and second harmonium 4. Maqsood Hussain: vocals 5. Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: Nusrat's nephew & pupil, vocals 6. Dildar Hussain: percussion 7. Majawar Abbas: mandolin and guitar/chorus, handclapping 8. Mohammed Iqbal Naqvi: secretary of the party, chorus, handclapping 9. Asad Ali: chorus, handclapping. Nusrat's cousin 10. Ghulam Farid: chorus, handclapping 11. Kaukab Ali: chorus, handclapping
The one significant member of the party who does not appear on this list is Atta Fareed. For many years, he alternated with Rehmat Ali on vocals and second harmonium. He is easily identifiable in videos since he plays the harmonium left-handed.
This snapshot is non-representative in one respect: harmoniums were usually the only instruments. Only rarely were instruments like mandolin or guitar used.
Legacy and influence
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is widely considered to be the most important qawwal in history. In 2005, Nusrat was awarded the "Legends" award at the UK Asian Music Awards. TIME magazine's issue of November 6, 2006, "60 Years of Asian Heroes", lists him as one of the top 12 Artists and Thinkers in the last 60 years. Alexandra A. Seno of Asiaweek wrote:
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's voice was otherworldly. For 25 years, his mystical songs transfixed millions. It was not long enough .... He performed qawali, which means wise or philosophical utterance, as nobody else of his generation did. His vocal range, talent for improvisation and sheer intensity were unsurpassed.
Jeff Buckley cited Nusrat as a major influence, saying of him "He's my Elvis", and performing the first few minutes of Nusrat's hit "Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai" (including vocals) at live concerts. Many other artists have also cited Nusrat as an influence, such as A.R. Rahman,Sheila Chandra, and Alim Qasimov.
Films Documentaries
* Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: le dernier prophète (1996). Directed by Jérôme de Missolz. * Nusrat has Left the Building... But When? (1997). Directed by Farjad Nabi. (This 20-minute docudrama focuses on Nusrat's early career.) * A Voice from Heaven (1999). Directed by Giuseppe Asaro. New York, NY: Winstar TV & Video. (This 75-minute documentary, available on VHS and DVD, provides an excellent introduction to Nusrat's life and work.) * Samandar Main Samandar (2007). A documentary aired on Geo TV detailing Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's career. * The King of Qawalli (2009). A short film aired on Dawn News about Nusrat's life and career.
Concert films
* The JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance (1990). Video 14 (of 30) (South Asia IV). Produced by Ichikawa Katsumori; directed by Nakagawa Kunikiko and Ichihashi Yuji; in collaboration with the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka. [Tokyo]: JVC, Victor Company of Japan; Cambridge, Massachusetts: distributed by Rounder Records. Features a studio performance by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party (two Urdu-language songs: a Hamd, and a Manqabat for Khwaja Mu`inuddin Chishti. Filmed in Tokyo, Japan, September 20, 1987, for Asian Traditional Performing Arts). * Nusrat! Live at Meany (1998). Produced by the University of Washington. (87-minute recording of a January 23, 1993 concert at Meany Hall, University of Washington in Seattle, during Nusrat's residency at the Ethnomusicology Program there.) * Live in Concert in the U.K. (DVD, vols. 1-17) [OSA]; recorded between 1983 and 1993; first thirteen listed below: o Live in Concert in UK (DVD vol. 1) o Live in Concert (DVD vol. 2) o Live in Concert (DVD vol. 3) o Live in UK (DVD vol. 4) o Live in UK (DVD vol. 5) o Live in Concert (DVD vol. 6) o Live in UK (DVD vol. 7) o Live in UK (DVD vol. 8) o Live in UK (DVD vol. 9) o Live in UK (DVD vol. 10) o Live in UK (DVD vol. 11) o Digbeth Birmingham 12 November 1983 (DVD vol. 12) o Digbeth 30 October 1983 (DVD vol. 13) * Akhiyan Udeek Diyan (DVD) [Nupur Audio] * Je Tun Rab Nu Manauna (DVD) [Nupur Audio] * Yaadan Vicchre Sajan Diyan Aayiyan (DVD) [Nupur Audio] * Rang-e-Nusrat (DVD, vols. 1-11) [Music Today]; recorded between 1983 and 1993 (same material as the OSA DVDs) * VHS videotapes, vols. 1-21 [OSA]; recorded between 1983 and 1993 (same material as the OSA DVDs) o Luxor Cinema Birmingham (VHS vol. 1, 1979) o Digbeth Birmingham (VHS vol. 2, 1983) o St. Francis Hall Birmingham (VHS vol. 3, 1983) o Royal Oak Birmingham (VHS vol. 4, 1983) o Private Mehfil (Wallace Lawley Centre, Lozells Birmingham, November 1983) (VHS vol. 5) o Private Mehfil (VHS vol. 6, 1983) o Natraj Cinema Leicester (VHS vol. 7, 1983) o Live In Southall (VHS vol. 8) o Live In Bradford (VHS vol. 9, 1983) o Live In Birmingham (VHS vol. 10, 1985) o Allah Ditta Hall (VHS vol. 11, 1985) o Harrow Leisure Centre (VHS vol. 12) o University Of Aston (VHS vol. 13, 1988) o Aston University (VHS vol. 14, 1988) o WOMAD Festival Bracknell (VHS vol. 15, 1988) o Live In Paris (VHS vol. 16, 1988) o Poplar Civic Centre London (VHS vol. 17) o Imperial Hotel Birmingham (VHS vol. 18, 1985) o Slough Gurdawara (SHABADS) (VHS vol. 19) o Imran Khan Cancer Appeal (VHS vol. 20) o Town Hall Birmingham (VHS vol. 21, 1993)
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (Devanagari: बड़े ग़ुलाम अली ख़ान, Shahmukhi: بڑے غلام علی خان, Urdu: بڑے غلام علی خان) (c. 1902 – 25 April 1968) was an Indian classical singer. He belonged to the Patiala Gharana of Hindustani classical music.,[1] and is considered to be an important representative of the Hindustani music tradition in the early and mid 20th century.
Early life and background
Bade Ghulam Ali was born in Kasur, Punjab, British India. His father was a famous singer, Ali Baksh Khan, in a West Punjabi family of musical heritage.
At the age of seven, he learned sarangi and vocal from his paternal uncle Kale Khan, who was a singer, and after his death he trained under his father.
Singing career
Khan started his career by playing sarangi. He became popular after his debut concert in Kolkata.
Khan amalgamated the best of four traditions: his own Patiala-Kasur style, the Behram Khani elements of Dhrupad, the gyrations of Jaipur, and the behlavas (embellishments) of Gwalior. His voice had a wide range, spanning three octaves, effortless production, sweetness, flexibility and ease of movement in all tempi.
After the partition of India in 1947, Khan returned to his home in Pakistan, but returned to India later to permanently reside there. He did not approve of the partition, stating: "If in every home one child was taught Hindustani classical music this country would never have been partitioned." In 1957, he acquired Indian citizenship and lived at various times in Lahore, Bombay, Calcutta, and Hyderabad.
He was reluctant to sing for films, but sang two songs based on ragas Sohni and Rageshree for the 1960 film Mughal-e-Azam, in which his voice was represented as Tansen's by the music director Naushad. To dissuade Naushad, he demanded a high price, reportedly Rs. 25,000/- per song, when the rate for popular playback singers such as Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi was below Rs. 500/- per song.
Khan was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Padma Bhushan in 1962.
Khan was married to Ali Jiwai, who died in 1932. Khan's son, Munawar Ali Khan (1930–1989), was a classical singer. His grandson, Raza Ali Khan, is also a Hindustani classical singer.
Khan died in Hyderabad at Basheerbagh Palace in 1968, after a prolonged illness which left him partially paralyzed in his last years. He continued to sing and perform in public with the support of his son Munawar until his death.
The legacy
Today, the Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Yaadgar Sabha, founded by his disciple Malti Gilani, keeps his music and memory alive. It aims to promote Hindustani classical music and organises many concerts to this end. Its primary aim, however, is to provide medical aid to ailing musicians. The Sabha organises a Sabrang Utsav every year in the memory of the maestro. Under his pen name, Sabrang, Khan left numerous compositions.
Discography
* Mehfil - Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan - Times Music * Golden Milestones - Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan * Classical Vocal - Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan * Sab Rang
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Aye Na Baalam & Yaad Piya Ki Aye
Kishori Amonkar (Marathi: किशोरी अमोणकर) (born 1932) is an Indian singer who performs in the classical genre khyal and the light classical genres thumri and bhajan. Amonkar trained under her mother, classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar of the Jaipur gharana (musical tradition of Jaipur), but experimented with a variety of vocal styles in her career. She is considered one of the preeminent representatives of Hindustani classical music.
Life and career
In the early 1940s, Amonkar began to receive vocal lessons in Hindustani classical music from her mother Mogubai Kurdikar and later received training from tutors of several gharanas. Amonkar became interested in film music and sang playback for the movie Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne, but returned to classical music because of bad experiences in the movie industry. Amonkar lost her voice for two years in the late 1950s for unknown reasons.
Amonkar's work in light music has informed her classical singing and she modified her Jaipur gharana performance style by applying features from other gharanas. She has created many compositions for a number of ragas. Amonkar's students include Manik Bhide, Meena Joshi, Suhasini Mulgaonkar, Mira Panshikar, and her granddaughter Tejashree Amonkar.
Kishori Amonkar had two sons with her husband Ravindra Amonkar. She is sometimes described as "temperamental". Amonkar lives in Mumbai.
Recognition
Amonkar received the national awards Padma Bhushan in 1987 and Padma Vibhushan in 2002. She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1985 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for 2009.
Devaki Pandit (Marathi: देवकी पंडित, Hindi: देवकी पंडित) is a playback singer from Maharashtra, India. She is also a trained classical singer.
Besides Marathi, she has also sung songs in Hindi. Career
Devaki was introduced to music at the age of two, and is a third generation musician from the Pandit household. She received her initial music training from her mother Usha Pandit.
She gave her to her first stage performance at age nine. In 1977, at the age of twelve she recorded her first song - a balgeet (translation: a song for children) for Polydor Records.
In 1986, she recorded her first playback song for the Ardhangi which went on to win her the Maharashtra State Award for "Best Female Playback Singer".
Gurus
After initial guidance by her mother, Devaki trained under Vasantrao Kulkarni for 10 years, Jitendra Abhisheki for twelve years and from Kishori Amonkarfor four years. For the last eight years, Devaki has been receiving instruction from Babanrao Haldankar.
Awards and recognitions
* Kesarbai Kerkar Scholarship - the only person to receive it twice consecutively * 1986 - Maharashtra State Award for "Best Female Playback Singer" (Film Ardhangi) * 2001 and 2002 - Alpha Gaurav Puraskar * 2002 - Maharashtra Government Award for "Best Female Playback Singer" * 2002 - Mewati Gharana Award * 2006 - Aditya Birla Kala Kiran Award
Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (Marathi: पंडित भीमसेन गुरुराज जोशी, Kannada: born February 4, 1922) is an Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition. A member of the Kirana Gharana (school), he is renowned for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music (bhajans and abhangs). He is the most recent recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, awarded in 2008
Early life
He was born into a Kannada Brahmin family in the town of Gadag in northern part of Karnataka state. His father, Gururaj Joshi, was a school teacher. Bhimsen is the eldest in a family of 16 siblings. Some of the siblings still live in their ancestral home in Gadag. Bhimsen lost his mother when he was young, and his step mother raised him.
Musical Training
Until the first half of the 20th century, Khyal was principally taught in the Guru Shishya (master-disciple) tradition. Bhimsen's guru Sawai Gandharva was the chief disciple of Abdul Karim Khan, who along with his cousin Abdul Waheed Khan was the founder of the Kirana Gharana school of Hindustani music. Search for a Guru
Pt. Joshi heard a recording of Utd. Abdul Karim Khan's Thumri "Piya Bin Nahi Aavat Chain" in Raag Jhinjhoti when he was a child, which inspired him to become a musician. In 1933, the 11-year-old Pt. Joshi left Dharwad for Bijapur[disambiguation needed] to find a master and learn music.[3] With the help of money lent by his co-passengers in the train Bhimsen reached Dharwar first and later went to Pune. Later he moved to Gwalior and got into Madhava Music School, a school run by Maharajas of Gwalior, with the help of famous Sarod player Utd. Hafiz Ali Khan. He traveled for three years around North India, including in Delhi, Kolkata, Gwalior, Lucknow and Rampur, trying to find a good guru.[5] Eventually, his father succeeded in tracking him down in Jalandar and brought young Bhimsen back home. Bhimsen Joshi is also popularliy known as Anna (elder Brother) or Bhim-Anna.
Pt. Sawai Gandharva
In 1936, Pt. Rambhau Kundgolkar (alias Sawai Gandharva), a native of Dharwad, agreed to be his guru. Bhimsen Joshi stayed at his house in the traditional guru-shishya (teacher-student) tradition, gleaning knowledge of music from his master as and when he could, while performing odd-jobs in his house. Another renowned vocalist from the Kirana Gharana, Gangubai Hangal, was a co-student of Bhimsen during this time. Joshi continued his training with Sawai Gandharva till 1940.
Career
Pt. Joshi moved to Mumbai in 1943 and worked as a Radio Artist. He first performed live at the age 19. His debut album, containing a few devotional songs in Kannada and Hindi, was released by HMV when he was 22.
Hindustani Classical Music
Bhimsen's music has been hailed by both the critics and the masses. His performances have been marked by spontaneity, accurate notes, dizzyingly-paced taans which make use of his exceptional voice training, and a mastery over rhythm. He was ever the wanderer, engendering brilliant phrases and taans more intuitively than through deliberation. Never the one to be controlled by the rigours of theory, he sailed high, sometimes floundering, nevertheless reaching out to the stars. He makes occasional use of sargam and tihaais, and favours traditional compositions of the Kirana gharana. Over the years he has specialized in a few ragas, which he usually performs. Some of Pt. Joshi's more popular Raags include Shuddha Kalyan, Miyan Ki Todi, Puriya Dhanashri, Multani, Bhimpalas, Darbari, and Ramkali. Other than Utd. Abdul Karim Khan, Pt. Joshi has been influenced by many musicians, including Smt. Kesarbai Kerkar, Begum Akhtar and Utd. Amir Khan. Pt. Joshi's own style emerged over the years after assimilating various elements from what he liked in different musical styles and Gharanas.
Devotional Music
In devotional music, Pt. Joshi is most acclaimed for his Kannada, Hindi and Marathi Bhajan singing. His commercially successful CDs Daaswani and Enna Paliso included Kannada Bhajans, and Santawani included Marathi Abhangs.
Patriotic Music
Pt. Joshi is revered in India for his work in the Mile Sur Mera Tumhara music video (1985), which begins with him. Pt. Joshi was also invited to sing for the Bharat Bala production of the Indian National Anthem music video (2000).
Playback Singing
Joshi has sung for several films, including Basant Bahar (1956) with Manna Dey, Birbal My Brother (1973) with Pt. Jasraj and Nodi Swami Naavu Irodhu Heege. He also sung for films Tansen(1958)[citation needed] and Ankahee(1985).
Sawai Gandharva Music Festival
Pt. Joshi organized the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival as an homage to his guru, Pt. Sawai Gandharva, along with the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal in 1953, marking Pt. Gandharva's first death anniversary. The festival has been held ever since, typically on the second weekend of December in Pune, Maharashtra and has become not only a cultural event for the city, but an annual pilgrimage for Hindustani Classical Music lovers all over the world. Pt. Joshi conducted the festival annually since 1953, until his retirement in 2002.
Students
Pt. Joshi has taught many students, several of whom have gone onto commercial success.
* Pt. Madhav Gudi * Shrikant Deshpande * Pt. Vinayak Torvi * Upendra Bhat * Shrinivas Joshi, Pt. Joshi's son. * Pt. Rajendra Kandalgaonkar * Anand Bhate
Personal life
Pt. Joshi's family arranged his marriage at his early age to a girl named Sunanda Katti; she was his cousin. They had four children together; two sons and daughters.Later, Pt. Joshi married Vatsala Mudholkar with whom he had two sons, Jayant and Shrinivas, and one daughter, Shubhada. Sunanda died in 1992 and Vatsala passed away in 2005. Elder son Jayant is a painter and younger son, Shrinivas is a vocalist and composer and has issued a few commercial recordings. Pt. Bhimsen Joshi has been a very private and down to earth person. He likes to lead a very quiet and simple life.
Awards and Recognitions
* 1972 - Padma Shree * 1976 - Sangeet Natak Akademi Award * 1985 - Padma Bhushan * 1985 - National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer * 1986 - "First platinum disc" [8] * 1999 - Padma Vibhushan * 2000 - "Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar" [9] * 2001 - "Nadoja Award" from Kannada University [10] * 2002 - Maharashtra Bhushan [11] * 2003 - "Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram" by Government of Kerala[12] * 2005 - Karnataka Ratna * 2008 - Bharat Ratna * 2008 - "Swami Haridas Award" [13] * 2009 - "Lifetime achievement award" by Delhi government[14] * 2010 - "S V Narayanaswamy Rao National Award" by Rama Seva Mandali, Bangalore
Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki (Devanagari: पंडित जितेंद्र अभिषेकी; 21 September 1929 – 7 November 1998) was an Indian vocalist, composer and scholar of classical, semi-classical, and devotional music. While he distinguished himself in Hindustani music, he was singlehandedly responsible for the revival of the Marathi musical theatre in the 1960s with his beautiful compositions.
Early life and background
Abhisheki was born in a priestly Padye brahmin family in Mangeshi, Goa. His family was traditionally attached to the Mangeshi Shrine of Lord Shiva in Goa. His father, Balawantrao aka Bikambhat, was a nephew and a disciple of Master Deenanath Mangeshkar, and the temple priest and a Kirtankar. Balawantrao taught Jitendra the basic principles of Hindustani classical music.
Abhisheki then went to Mumbai and sought advanced training in vocal music from Pandit Jagannathbua Purohit and Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan of Agra Gharana, and Gulubhai Jasdanwala of Jaipur Gharana.
He developed a distinct style of rendering khayal, and was also well-known for his renditions of Marathi Natyasangeet and devotional songs.
Career
After a degree in Sanskrit literature, Abhisheki joined All India Radio (AIR) at Mumbai for a brief period, when he came in contact with several musicians and also got an opportunity to display his musical talents by composing several pieces for some radio programs.
Around this time, Abhisheki received a scholarship from the Indian Government for advanced training in Hindustani classical music under Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan.
He composed vocal as well as background scores for 25 Marathi plays. After receiving a Homi Bhabha fellowship in the late sixties, he taught at a music school run in the USA by sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Abhisheki maintained his ties to his homeland of Goa through his association with the Kala Academy, counseling and guiding students from that state.
Legacy
Besides son Shounak Abhisheki, the following are Pandit Abhisheki's well-known musical disciples:
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt also known as V. M. Bhatt (born July 12, 1952) is an Indian slide guitar player. Bhatt is the creator of the Mohan Veena. He performs Hindustani classical music and won a Grammy Award in 1994.
It is for his Grammy winning album A Meeting by the River with Ry Cooder and other fusion and pan-cultural collaborations with Western artists like Taj Mahal, Béla Fleck and Jerry Douglas, that Bhatt is best known, although exposure such as an appearance on the 2004 Crossroads Guitar Festival, which was organized by Eric Clapton, does allow for this side of his playing to reach a larger audience.
He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998 and the Padma Shri in 2002.
Folk musician Harry Manx, who studied with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt for five years, plays a Mohan Veena. Counting Crows' Bassist Matt Malley also plays a Mohan Veena and is a student and friend of Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
Personal life
Vishwa Mohan is married to Padma and lives in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, with his two sons and his wife. His elder son Salil Bhatt is a renowned Mohan veena player (and also a player of the Satvik veena), while his younger son Saurabh Bhatt is a well known composer.
His nephew, Krishna Bhatt, plays the sitar and tabla.
Select discography
* 1992 - Guitar A La Hindustan, Magnasound (India) * 1992 - Saradamani, Water Lily Acoustics * 1993 - Gathering Rain Clouds, Water Lily Acoustics * 1993 - A Meeting by the River (with Ry Cooder), Water Lily Acoustics * 1995 - Bourbon & Rosewater (with Jerry Douglas & Edgar Meyer), Water Lily Acoustics * 1995 - Mumtaz Mahal (with Taj Mahal & N. Ravikiran), Water Lily Acoustics * 1996 - Saltanah (with Simon Shaheen), Water Lily Acoustics * 1996 - Tabula Rasā (with Béla Fleck & Jie-Bing Chen), Water Lily Acoustics
Qureshi Alla Rakha Khan (Dogri: क़ुरैशी अल्ला रखा ख़ान) popularly known as Alla Rakha (29 April 1919 – 3 February 2000) was an Indian tabla player. He was a frequent accompanist of Ravi Shankar.
Personal life and education
Alla Rakha was born in Paghwal, District Samba Division, Jammu, India. His mother tongue was Dogri. He became fascinated with the sound and rhythm of the tabla at the age of 12, while staying with his uncle in Gurdaspur. The determined young lad ran away from home, became a disciple of and began studying tabla with Mian Kader Baksh of the Punjab gharana. He studied voice and Raag Vidya under Ashiq Ali Khan of the Patiala gharana. His regimen of practice and dedication were legendary: hours upon hours of hard, disciplined practice, that would later pay off.
He was married to Bavi Begum, and has three sons, Zakir Hussain, Fazal Qureshi and Taufiq Qureshi, a daughter Khurshid Aulia née Qureshi, and nine grandchildren. Alla Rakha had another daughter, Razia, whose death preceded his by less than 24 hours.
Career
Alla Rakha began his career as an accompanist in Lahore and then as an All India Radio staffer in Bombay in 1940, playing the station's first ever tabla solo and elevating the instrument's position in the process. Soon after, he composed music for a couple of Hindi films from 1943-48.
However, he still played as an accompanist, for soloists like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Allauddin Khan, Vasant Rai and Ravi Shankar. The venerable master achieved world renown as Ravi Shankar's chief accompanist during his apex in the 1960s, delighting audiences in the West with his percussive wizardry, not only as an uncanny accompanist with flawless timing and sensitivity but also as a soloist where he was a master of improvisation, a prolific composer and an electric showman. The partnership was particularly successful, and his legendary and spellbinding performances with Shankar at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and the Woodstock Festival in 1969 served to introduce classical Indian music to general Western audiences.
He became a Guru (or teacher) to Yogesh Samsi, Prafulla Athalye, Aditya Kalyanpur, Anuradha Pal, Uday Ramdas, Shyam Kane, and his sons Taufiq Qureshi and Fazal Qureshi. His eldest son, Zakir Hussain is also an accomplished tabla virtuoso.
Global influence
Rakha popularized the art of tabla, playing across the globe, elevating the status and respect of his instrument. Abbaji (as he was affectionately known by his disciples) also bridged the gap between Carnatic music and Hindustani music by playing with both renowned Carnatic musicians and other Hindustani stalwarts.
Leading American percussionists in Rock n' Roll, such as the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, admired him and studied his technique, benefiting greatly even from single meetings. Hart, a published authority on percussion in world music, said "Allarakha is the Einstein, the Picasso; he is the highest form of rhythmic development on this planet." Rakha also collaborated with jazz drummer Buddy Rich, on their 1968 album Rich Ala Rahka.[2]
Rakha was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977[3] and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982.
Death
Alla Rakha died on 3 February 2000 at his Simla House residence on Nepean Sea Road following a heart attack, which he suffered on learning of the death of his daughter, Razia, the previous evening
Ustad Allah Rakha & Zakir Hussain Tabla Solo Teental
Jasraj was born in Hissar, Haryana in an orthodox brahmin family to Pandit Motiramji, a classical exponent. His family is well known for singing in the Mewati Gharana style. Motiramji died when Jasrajji was only four, on the day he was to be appointed as the state musician in the court of the Last Nizam. Jasraj was initiated into vocal music by his father. He also received training from his elder brother, Pandit Maniramji, and later from Maharaja Jaywant Singhji Waghela. He was also greatly influenced by the voice of the famous ghazal singer, Begum Akhtar, whom he used to listen to, skipping school, at a small hotel that played her songs all day. This inspired him to learn vocal music. In 1960, when Jasraj went to visit Bade Ghulam Ali Khan in hospital, Khan asked him to become his disciple, but Jasraj declined saying that he could not accept Khan's tutelage since he was already Motiram's disciple. As a means of livelihood, Maniramji took Jasraj as an accompanying tabla player. However, at the time, just like sarangi players, tabla players were looked down upon as minor artists. At the age of 14, unhappy with his treatment as an accompanying artist, Jasraj left and vowed not to cut his hair until he learned to sing.
Performing career
Jasraj at the Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh, Hyderabad, in 2007 Jasraj's vocal range extends across three-and-a-half octaves. His vocalizing is in perfect diction and clarity, a trademark of the Mewati Gharana's style of Khayal. He has also done extensive research in Haveli Sangeet under Baba Shyam Manohar Goswami Maharaj to create numerous innovative bandish (composition). His greatest contribution to Indian classical music is his conception of a unique and novel jugalbandi, styled on the ancient system of Moorchana, between a male and a female vocalist, each singing in their respective scales and different ragas at the same time. In his honor, this legendary jugalbandi is known as The Jasrangi[3]. Jasraj has many students, and is ensuring the longevity of his genre. Amongst his flag-bearing disciples, Rattan Mohan Sharma, Sanjeev Abhyankar, Suman Ghosh, Tripti Mukherjee, Radharaman Kirtane, Pritam Bhattacharjee, Gargi Siddhant and Kala Ramnath are well-known exponents of the Mewati Gharana. Sadhana Sargam, a well-known Bollywood singer, is one of his disciples. In memory of his late father, he organises a musical festival every year called the Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh in Hyderabad, India. It completed 36 years in 2008. He has graced the Savai Gandharva Music Festival's stage innumerable times over the last forty years, and continues to do so even today; his legendary 1992 presentation of Raag Ahir Bhairav, in the unmistakable Mewati Style, is a favorite among listeners even today. He is also recognized as a master of the Bhairav family of Raags, along with the legendary Raags Darbari Kanada, Miya ki Malhar, and Jog.
Personal life
In 1962 he married Madhura, the daughter of the legendary film director V. Shantaram, who he had first met in 1955 during the filming of Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje, as Jasraj then employed with AIR as a freelance artist wanted to join V. Shantaram’s production company as a musician. After marriage the couple lived in Kolkata for some time. They have a son, Sarang Dev, and a daughter, Durga Jasraj, a television anchor and presenter. Madhura Jasraj has directed documentaries, children’s plays, apart from directing and producing acclaimed ballets, Geet Govind, Kaan Kahaani and Surdas and the TV series, Faster Phene. She made a film, Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj on Pandit Jasraj, in 2009 and in 2010, directed her first Marathi film, Aai Tuzha Aashirwad, in which Lata Mangeshkar and her husband have sung in Marathi
Music composers Jatin-Lalit are his nephews
Awards
Padma Vibhushan, (art-classical music-vocal) in 2000 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987 Sangeet Kala Ratna Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar Surer Guru Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
Discography
Raga Symphony (2009) Baiju Bawra (2008) Upasana (2007) Tapasya Vol. 1 (2005) Darbar (2003) Maheshwara Mantra (2002) Soul Food (2005) Jasraj, Pandit Vol. 2 - Haveli Sangeet Inspiration (2000) Ragas Triveni and Multani Live Ragas Bihada and Gaud Giri Malhar Worship By Music/Live Stuggart '88 Ornamental Voice Filmography Ladki Sahyadri Ki (1966, music by Vasant Desai) Birbal My Brother (1973, music by Shyam Prabhakar) 1920 (2008, music by Adnan Sami)
(Day 2) Friday, December 10, 2010 Smt. Uma Garg (Vocal) Sawani Shende (Vocal) Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Mohan Veena) & U. Shrinivas (Mandolin) U. Shrinivas (Mandolin) Pt. Jasraj (Vocal)
Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsava is a famous and important music festival held every year in Pune in the month of December. The festival was started in 1953, to commemorate the first death anniversary of Sawai Gandharva, the noted Hindustani vocalist. Well known musicians and even practicing artists gather in Pune to pay homage to the great musician in the form of this colourful festival. Each year the festival is organized by the disciples of Sawai Gandharva with the support of Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal and continues for 3 days. Artists including vocalists, dancers and musicians from all over India of all the gharanas arrive at Pune to show their talent.
Festival History
Rambhau Kundgolkar popularly known as Sawai Gandharva was a noted Hindustani vocalist who passed away on September 12, 1952. A private concert was organized on the sixteenth day after his death where his noted disciples Smt Gangubai Hangal, Pandit Feroz Dastur and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi performed. To commemorate his first death anniversary, his disciples organized a music festival under the patronage of Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal. Witnessing the grand success, this festival became an annual ritual in Pune and it eventually grew exponentially. Today Sawai Gandharva Music festival is one of the important and prominent music festivals of India.
Initially performers only from the Kirana gharana would perform, but today artists from all gharanas take it as a pride and honor to perform in this festival. To perform on the stage of Sawai Gandharva festival signifies the ‘advent’ of an artist in the scene of Indian classical music. Not only famous musicians perform here but people who have attained masters in their chosen field of music also get a chance to display their talent.
The festival today is a hallmark in the annual cultural calendar of Pune. The Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal who started the festival also had the intention of reviving Arya Sangeet Vidyalaya which was founded by Ustad Abdul Karim Khan in 1910, but became inactive by 1947. The original founders of the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal were Nanasaheb Deshpande, Dattopant Deshpande, Shri BalasahebAtre, Abasaheb Mujumdar, Hirabai Badodekar, Kamlabai Badodekar, Saraswati Rane, Sureshbabu Mane, Shvrampant Divekar, Viththalrao Sardeshmukh, V.S. Sathe, D.V.Natu, Abasaheb Atre, Pandurangshastri Deshpande, Vamanrao Deshpande, Vasantrao Deshpande and Vamanrao Abhonkar. The festival is concluded by a grand performance of Pandi Bhimsen Joshi.
About Sawai Gandharva
Rambhau Kundgolkar known as Sawai Gandharva was born in 1886 in a town named Kundgol in Karnataka. Although he did not belong to a musical family, he showed deep interest in music from his early days and started training under Ustad Abdul Karim Khan. He was much impressed by the singing talent of the young boy and started the arduous task of teaching him the nuances of Indian classcial music. His long hours of training in voice culture made Rambhau a confident vocalist. Later he also learnt from other teachers like Bhaskarbuva Bakhale and Nasir Hussain Khan of Gwalior gharana. His intense training polished his voice further.
After his training, he got married and returned to his native twon where he joined a drama company. He became a popular singer in the company and earned the title of Sawai Gandharva. It was under him and another disciple of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Sureshbabu, that the Kirana gharana became popular. He started training several students who later on became noted musicians like Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraj Rajguru, Feroze Dastur and Gangubai Hangal. After his death, following a paralytic attack in 1952, his disciples led by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi started the famous Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav under the patronage of Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal
Famous gharanas
Gharanas in Hindustani classical music mean a system of social organization connecting musicians by music style, lineage or apprenticeship. Some of the best known vocal gharanas include Gwalior gharana, Agra gharana, Kirana gharana, Jaipur-Atrauli gharana and Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. Pt. Achchan Maharaj (Jagannath Maharaj is a famous exponent of Lucknow gharana, Ustad Masit Khan, Jyan Prakash Ghosh, Keramatullah Khan are exponents of Farukhabad gharana.
