Music fest renamed Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav

The prestigious Sawai Gandharva music festival has been rechristened the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav from its 59th edition which begins from December 7.

The festival was initiated by Kirana Gharana maestro Pt Bhimsen Joshi in memory of his guru Sawai Gandharva aka Rambhau Kundgolkar.

The announcement about the name change came from the maestro's son, Shrinivas Joshi, who is also the executive president of the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, the organiser of the festival, during a news conference on Friday.

Pt Bhimsen Joshi, a Bharat Ratna awardee who was legendary for his khayal gayaki, passed away earlier this year at the age of 89.

Joshi said that this is the first time that the festival is being organised without his father's presence. "But the legend is still with us, though not in his physical form. My father had initiated this festival to pay homage to his teacher. Similarly, it is our wish to pay tribute to the musical virtuoso who left us this year by adding his name to the fest. This festival is now dedicated to both the maestros of Hindustani classical music," said Joshi.

Previously, the festival was spread over four days comprising five sessions with four sessions in the evening and a morning session on the concluding day. However, this year the morning session on the concluding day has been cancelled and instead, one more day has been added.

"Artistes are more comfortable with this timetable, as are members of the audience. This may be repeated next year too if it suits everyone," added Joshi.

The Sawai fest is scheduled to start on December 7 this year, and will continue till December 11. New English School Ramanbaug grounds is the venue for the festival this year too.

As many as 26 artistes from the world of Indian classical music will present their art before a seasoned audience. Among them are eight first timers in the festival, including singer Shankar Mahadevan.

On December 7, the festival will begin with performances by 'shehnai' maestro Tukaram Daithankar, vocalist Sanjay Garud, Pandit Satish Vyas on 'santoor', vocalists Ashwini Bhide Deshpande and Pt Ajay Pohankar.

The second day of the festival - December 8 - will have performances by vocalists Mahesh Kale, followed by Shaila Datar. "There will be an eclectic jugalbandi by Pt Ronu Majumdar on the flute and Kadri Gopalnath on the saxophone. Both the musicians will deliver both Hindustani and Carnatic rendition. This performance is one of the highlights of the fest this year.

At the day's close, the audience will get to listen to veteran vocalist Balmuralikrishna who will be performing after a considerable length of time, added Joshi.

The third day will showcase artistes like vocalist Kumar Mardur, sitarist Kartik Seshadri, Shankar Mahadevan with Carnatic classical renditions, and Pt Jasraj.

Vocalists Yojana Shivanand, Shrinivas Joshi and Malini Rajurkar will enthral the audience on the fourth day of the festival. This day also boasts of unique dance performances by dancers from the traditional Bharatnatyam school, Nritya Niketan in Udipi and a Kathak rendition by danseuse Shama Bhate's Nad Roop.

These performances will be an attempt to pay tribute to Pt Bhimsen Joshi. This will be followed by 'sarod' maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan's rendition.

The final day of the festival will feature vocalist Omkar Dadarkar, Padma Deshpande, Nagaraj Rao Hawaldar and violinist N Rajam with her daughter Sangeeta Shankar and two grand daughters. This will be followed by a vocal performance by Pt Venkatesh Kumar.

Staying true to its tradition, the 59th edition of Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav will conclude with the performances of veteran vocalist from Kirana Gharana, Prabha Atre.

(The event has been scheduled between 4 pm and 10pm, except the 1st and 4th day, when it will start at 3:30pm)

सोही परम पद पावेगा - डॉ. प्रभा अत्रे

' इंदायणी'काठी संगीतसाधना करता करता स्वत:चे अस्तित्व सप्तसुरांशी एकरूप करून श्रोत्यांना संगीत-समाधीचा उत्कट आनंद देणाऱ्या पंडित भीमसेन जोशी यांच्या पंच्याहत्तरीनिमित्त ४ फेब्रुवारी १९९६च्या 'महाराष्ट्र टाइम्स मैफल' पुरवणीत प्रभा अत्रे यांनी लिहिलेला लेख... गायक आणि श्रोता एवढंच नव्हे, माणूस व राष्ट्र यांचेही सूर एकत्र आणणाऱ्या पंडितजींनी निरंतर गात राहावं, आणि तुम्ही-आम्ही ऐकत राहावं, अशी अपेक्षा त्यांनी त्यावेळी व्यक्त केली होती...
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' जो भजे हरी को सदा' ... पलीकडच्या खोलीत कोणी तरी भीमसेनजींची टेप लावली होती. पुन: पुन्हा ऐकलं तरी पुन्हा ऐकावंसं वाटणारं हे भजन. जवळजवळ प्रत्येक मैफिलीत भीमसेनजींना या भजनाची फर्माईश होत असते. अशी ही काही भजनं, अभंग तसेच काही रागही भीमसेनमय होऊन गेलेत. एखादा कलाकार आपल्या कलेवर प्रभुत्व मिळवतो, तेव्हा कलाकार आणि कला एकरूप झालेली असतात हेच खरं!

भीमसेनजी मला प्रथम आठवतात ते माझे गुरू सुरेशबाबू यांच्या पाठीमागे तंबोऱ्यावर बसलेले. हिराबाईंच्या घरी त्यांचं अधूनमधून जाणं असायचं. पण आमची क्वचितच भेट व्हायची. त्यामुळे म्हणण्यासारखा परिचय झाला नव्हता. १९५९साली आकाशवाणीतल्या नोकरीच्या निमित्ताने मी पुणं सोडलं. तोपर्यंत भीमसेनजींचा पुण्यात चांगलाच जम बसला होता. सर्वदूर त्यांचं नाव होऊ लागलं होतं.

भीमसेनजींकडून दाद

भीमसेनजींची पत्नी वत्सला माझी गुरूभगिनी. तिचं लग्न होण्याअगोदर आमच्या बरोचदा भेटी होत असत. आम्ही एकमेकांच्या घरी जायचो. वत्सलाची आई प्रेमानं माझ्या गाण्याबद्दल चौकशी करायची, कौतुक करायची. वत्सलाच्या लग्नानंतर आमच्या भेटी कमी झाल्या. भीमसेनजी मात्र अधूनमधून संमेलन- महोथअशआथ भेटायचे. पण ही भेट ओझरती. रंगमंचावर जाण्यापूवीर् किंवा तंबोरे लावत असताना.

भीमसेनजींनी त्यांच्या मोठ्या मुलाच्या मुंजीत मला गायला बोलावलं, तेव्हा मला खूप आनंद झाला. एक तर एका मोठ्या कलाकारानं मला बोलावलं होतं आणि दुसरं म्हणजे या कार्यक्रमाला पुण्यातले खास ददीर् उपस्थित राहणार होते. किराणा घराण्यात माझं संगीताचं शिक्षण सुरू होण्यापूवीर्च माझी ठुमरी बडे गुलाम अली खाँसाहेब आणि बेगम अख्तर यांच्या रेकॉर्ड्सच्या सान्निध्यात वाढली होती. तिचा बोलबालाही झाला होता. त्यामुळे किराण्याच्या ठुमरीहून अगदी वेगळी अशी उत्तरेकडची वाट तिने धरली होती. सुरेशबाबूंची ठुमरी अनेकदा पंजाबी अंगानं वावरायची. पण तरीही किराण्याशी आपलं नातं तिनं तोडलं नव्हतं. पुणं सोडल्यावर माझ्या ख्याल गायकीनं मात्र नवं वळण घेतलं होतं. अमीर खाँसाहेबांची गायकी, त्यांची सरगम डोळसपणे माझ्या गाण्यात शिरली होती. या बदलाचं स्वागत कसं होईल, माहीत नव्हतं. थोडंसं दडपणही आलं होतं. भीमसेनजी समोर बसून गाणं ऐकत होते. दाद देत होते. माझं खूप कौतुक झालं. या मैफिलीला आलेले वसंतराव देशपांडे नंतर जेव्हा जेव्हा भेटायचे तेव्हा या मैफिलीबद्दल बोलायचे. 'पोरीनं आपलं गाणं छान बसवलंय,' असं म्हणायचे. भीमसेनजी, अमीर खाँसाहेब आणि बडे गुलाम अली खाँसाहेब या दोघांचे चाहते आहेत, हे मला नंतर समजलं.

गायकाची सारी करामत त्याच्या गळ्यावर अवलंबून असते. गाणं नुसतं डोक्यात असून चालत नाही. तेवढ्याच ताकदीनं ते गळ्यातून बाहेर पडावं लागतं. नैसगिर्क देणगीबरोबरच पराकोटीची साधनाही लागते. नशिबाची साथ तर लागतेच.

श्रोत्याला भावणारा आवाज

भीमसेनजी खरंच भाग्यवान! या वयातही त्यांचा आवाज एखादा प्रकाशाचा झोत चहूबाजूंनी अंगावर यावा, तसा श्रोत्याला भारावून टाकतो. साऱ्या वातावरणात भरून राहतो. या आवाजात जबरदस्त 'मास अपील' आहे. किराणा गायकांचे आवाज साधारणपणे बारीक, टोकदार, उंच पट्टीचे. भीमसेनजींचा आवाज या आवाजापेक्षा किती तरी वेगळा रुंद, धुमारदार, पीळदार, लांब पल्ल्याचा, दमसास पेलणारा. सुरेलपणा, स्वरांची आस राहाणं, त्यामधील गोडवा वगैरे- किराण्याची इतर वैशिष्ट्यं त्यात आहेतच. आवाज लहान-मोठा करता येणं हे परिणाम साधण्याच्या दृष्टीनं महत्त्वाचं असतं. आवाज बारीक करून भीमसेनजी जेव्हा तार षड्ज लांबवतात किंवा तान घेतात, तेव्हा श्रोत्यांना एक वेगळाच आनंद मिळतो. अनेकदा अशा वेळी टाळ्याही पडतात.

कन्नड भाषेचा तसंच कर्नाटक संगीताचा किराणा घराण्याशी फार जवळचा संबंध आहे. हे भीमसेनजींच्या आवाजातून, गाण्यातून अनेकदा जाणवतं. त्यांच्या मराठी बोलण्याला जसा एक गोड कानडी हेल आहे, तसाच त्यांच्या गाण्यातल्या काही जागा, हरकती कर्नाटकी लकबीनं येतात, त्या वेगळा आनंद देऊन जातात.

अलंकृत, बोलकी गायकी

कोणतीही गायकी जन्माला येते, तेव्हा ती 'परिपूर्ण' नसते. हळूहळू ती 'परिपक्व' होत राहते. परिपक्व होत राहणं ही तिची निरंतरची गरज असते. परिपूर्णतेला अंत नसतो हे प्रतिभावान कलाकार जाणून असतो. म्हणूनच आज बहुतेक सर्व घराण्यांच्या गायकीमध्ये बदल झालेले दिसतात आणि ते अपरिहार्य आहेत. अब्दुल करीम खाँसाहेबांच्या गायकीशी निगडित झालेल्या किराणा गायकीला नंतरच्या पिढीतील गायक- गायिकांनी समृद्ध करीत खूप खूप दूर नेलं आहे, याची कित्येकांनी अजून दखल घेतलेली दिसत नाही. किराणा आणि विशिष्ट आवाज लावण्याची पद्धत असं आता म्हणता येत नाही. संथ स्वरविलासातील विविधता, अतिचपळ दाणेदार ताना, बंदिशीतील बोलांचा वापर, सरगमचा समावेश, मांडणीमध्ये नम्र भावाबरोबरच अधेमधे जोशपूर्ण आवेश आणि हे सर्व करीत असता गरज भासेल तिथे लयीशी सलगी असे किराण्याच्या अतिशय भावनाप्रधान व्यक्तित्वाला शोभून दिसणारे नवे नवे अलंकार घालून ही गायकी श्रोत्यांशी संवाद साधते आहे. त्यांना अविनाशी आनंदात भिजवून टाकते आहे. भीमसेनजींच्या गाण्यात हे बदल प्रकर्षाने जाणवतात.

कोणत्याही कलेचं गणित मांडता येत नाही आणि ते तसं मांडायचंही नसतं. किराणा घराण्यात अमकं नाही आणि तमकं नाही, असा आरोप करणाऱ्यांनी एक गोष्ट लक्षात घ्यायला हवी. आजच्या धकाधकीच्या, धावपळीच्या जीवनात प्रत्येक क्षेत्रात टोकाची स्पर्धा चालली असताना किराणा घराणं टिकून राहिलंय. एवढंच नाही, तर सामान्यांपासून जाणकारापर्यंत ते अतिशय लोकप्रियही आहे. मान्यताप्राप्त आहे. तिथे दिपवून टाकण्यासारखं काही नसलं तरी समाधीपर्यंत नेण्याची ताकद आहे.

मैफिलींचे बादशहा

प्रत्यक्ष मंचावर बसून कलाकार काय करतो, त्याला कशी, किती वेळा उत्स्फूर्त दाद मिळते, श्रोते शेवटपर्यंत टिकून राहतात की नाही, अशा गोष्टींवर मैफिलींचं यश अवलंबून असतं आणि मैफिलीतच संगीत कलेची जोपासना होत आली आहे. भीमसेनजी मैफिलींचे बादशहा आहेत. त्यांची मैफील म्हणजे श्रोत्यांची तुडुंब गदीर् आणि वाहवांची खैरात. किराणा गायकीला नवीन जीवनसत्त्व देऊन तिचं आयुष्य वाढवण्यात, तिला सुदृढ करण्यात भीमसेनजींचा मोठा वाटा आहे.

एकदा एचएमव्ही स्टुडिओत भीमसेनजींचं रेकॉर्डिंग होतं. थोडा वेळ रेकॉर्डिंग ऐकावं आणि भीमसेनजी आणि वत्सलाला भेटूनही यावं म्हणून मी गेले होते. वत्सलाचं एक वाक्य मला अजून आठवतं. 'शरीर आणि आवाज ताब्यात आहे तोवर भराभर रेकॉर्डिंग्ज करायला हवीत.' हे सूत्र धरून भीमसेनजी रेकॉर्डिंग करीत राहिले, हे फार चांगलं झालं. आज त्यांच्या अनेक कॅसेट्स उपलब्ध आहेत. त्या घरोघरी पोहोचल्या आहेत. अभंगवाणीने भीमसेनजींना विलक्षण लोकप्रियता मिळवून दिली. रागसंगीताचा साज चढवून गायलेली मराठी, हिंदी, कन्नड, भक्तिगीतं सामान्यापासून जाणकारांच्या मनात घोळत राहिली. आकाशवाणी, दूरदर्शन यासारख्या प्रचार-प्रसारमाध्यमांबरोबर चित्रपटासारख्या झगमगत्या माध्यमालाही भीमसेनजींनी आपलेपणानं जवळ केल्यामुळे रसिकांच्या मनातून त्यांचं नावं कधी पुसलंच गेलं नाही. भीमसेनजींच्या या कलाप्रवासात आणि व्यवसायात वत्सलाचा मोठा सहभाग आहे.

सरस्वती आणि लक्ष्मी

सरस्वती आणि भाग्यलक्ष्मी या दोघींनीही भीमसेनजींना भरभरून दिलं, देत आहेत. लोकमान्यतेबरोबर सरकारी दरबारी, भारतात- परदेशात, त्यांना अनेक मानसन्मान मिळाले आहेत. भीमसेनजींसारखाच 'भीमसेनी' लोकप्रियता मिळवणारा शास्त्रीय-संगीत गायक एखादाच.

एकदा 'स्त्री' मासिकानं मला भीमसेनजींची मुलाखत घ्यायला सांगितलं. स्त्री आणि पुरुष गायक यांच्याबद्दल ही चर्चा होणार होती. भीमसेनजी मराठी बोलतात त्यातला कानडी हेल ऐकताना फार छान वाटतो. तासभर आम्ही बोलत बसलो होतो. किराणा घराण्यातले बहुतेक सर्वच कलाकार विनम्र आहेत, अगत्यशील आहेत. आढ्यताखोर नाहीत, आत्मप्रौढी मिरवणारे नाहीत, पण स्वाभिमानी आहेत. दुसऱ्या कलाकाराबद्दल वाईट बोलणारे नाहीत. उलट त्यांच्यातल्या लहान गुणांचंही कौतुक करणारे आहेत हे आमच्या चर्चेत मला पुन्हा एकदा प्रकर्षानं जाणवलं.

भीमसेनजींनी घरी जेवायला यावं, अशी माझी खूप दिवसांची इच्छा होती. एकदा त्यांची सकाळची मैफील होती. मैफिलीनंतर जेवायला यायचं त्यांनी मान्य केलं. त्या दिवशी भोगी होती. मी आईला म्हटलं, 'नुसती भाकरी करून कसं चालेल? दुसरं काही तरी करू.' भीमसेनजी आले. आईला वाकून नमस्कार करीत म्हणाले, 'मला भाकरीच हवी बरं का?' तीळ लावलेली भाकरी त्यांनी आवडीनं खाल्ली. त्यांच्या वागण्यातला साधेपणा मी नेहमीच अनुभवला आहे.

माझ्या रचनांचं पुस्तक 'स्वरांगिनी' प्रसिद्ध करायचं चाललं होतं. भीमसेनजींनी त्याला प्रस्तावना लिहावी, अशी प्रकाशकांची आणि माझीही इच्छा होती. त्यांनी आनंदानं मान्य केलं. भीमसेनजींची प्रस्तावना हे या पुस्तकाचं विशेष आकर्षण ठरलं आहे.

गात रहावं...

माझे गुरू सुरेशबाबू, हिराबाई यांच्या स्मरणार्थ गेली पाच वर्षे इथे मी एक मोठा संगीत महोत्सव करते आहे. या उत्सवाला भीमसेनजी आवर्जून येतात. त्यामुळे उत्सवाची शान निश्चितच वाढते. माझे दोन्ही गुरू गेल्यानंतर किराणा घराण्यातील ज्येष्ठ मंडळी- सरस्वतीबाई, गंगूबाई, फिरोज दस्तूर आणि भीमसेनजी - माझं कौतुक करण्यासाठी, मला आशीर्वाद, शुभेच्छा देण्यासाठी माझ्या पाठीशी आहेत, हे माझं किती भाग्य!

भीमसेनजींना ईश्वर उत्तम आरोग्य आणि दीर्घ आयुष्य देवो आणि 'मिले सूर मेरा तुम्हारा' असं त्यांनी गात रहावं, गात रहावं आणि आम्ही ऐकत रहावं, ऐकत रहावं-

संगीत हाच ध्यास... आत्मा! - किशोरी आमोणकर

दादांबद्दल बोलायचं, तर त्यांच्यासारखा संगीतात स्वत:ला झोकून देणारा दुसरा शास्त्रीय गायक मी पाहिलेला नाही. त्यांची संगीतावरची निष्ठा एवढी जबरदस्त होती की, संगीतच त्यांचा ध्यास-आत्मा होता. त्यामुळेच कुठलाही राग ते अगदी सहज दीडेक तास आळवत. आज अनेकजण रागाची मांडणी अर्ध्या तासात करतात. पण भीमसेनदादांकडे सांगण्याजोगं - मांडण्याजोगं एवढं असायचं की, त्यांना वेळेचं भानच नसायचं. मात्र एवढा वेळ त्यांनी एकच राग आळवला तरी रसिक श्रोता कंटाळायचा नाही. कारण हरक्षणी ते रागाचं नवंच रूप प्रकट करत असत. म्हणूनच माझं आजही म्हणणं आहे की, दादांनी निव्वळ ख्यालगायन केलं असतं, तरी ते आजच्या इतकेच महान आणि लोकप्रिय गायक ठरले असते.

अनेकांना दादांची भजनं किंवा ठुमरीसारखे वेगवेगळे गायनप्रकार आवडतात. एवढंच नाही, तर नवीन गायकही दादांची भजनं ऐकून त्यांच्यासारखं गाण्याचा प्रयत्न करतात. पण माझी त्यांना विनंती आहे की, त्यांनी दादांनी पूर्ण मांडणी केलेले राग ऐकले पाहिजेत. ऐकणाऱ्याची मती गुंग करण्याचं सार्मथ्य दादांच्या रागांच्या या मांडणीत आहे. कुठलाही राग असो, किंवा तो आळवण्याचा समय कुठलाही असो, दादा त्या रागाचा विस्तार असा काही करत, किंवा तो असा काही खुलवत की लगेच त्या रागाला पोषक अशी वातावरणनिमिर्ती व्हायची. त्या रागाचं रूप नि त्याचा समय लख्खपणे समोर उभा ठाकायचा. हे सारं दादांनी मोठ्या मेहनतीनं मिळवलं होतं आणि पचवलंही होतं. कुठल्याही गोष्टीसाठी खरोखरच श्रम घेतले असतील, तर ते तुमच्या कलेत-कामात दिसतात. दादांनी गाणं शिकण्यासाठी घेतलेले श्रम त्यांच्या गाण्यातून असे ठायीठायी प्रकट व्हायचे. दादांनी संगीतासाठी केलेली साधना अशी ऊर्जस्वल होती. त्यामुळेच हिंदुस्थानी शास्त्रीय संगीताचं नाव जगात कुणी विख्यात केलं असेल, तर ते भीमसेनदादांनी असं माझं मत आहे. किंबहुना एकूणच शास्त्रीय संगीत रसिकप्रिय करण्यात त्यांचा मोलाचा वाटा आहे आणि ते कुणालाही नाकारता येणार नाही.

महत्त्वाचं म्हणजे संगीत हा दादा आणि मला जोडणारा दुवा होताच, पण त्या व्यतिरिक्त अजून एक बंध आमच्या दोघांत होता. तो म्हणजे माझे गुरू राघवेंद स्वामी हे त्यांचं कुलदैवत होतं. संगीताबरोबरच या आध्यात्मिक धाग्यानंही आम्ही बांधले गेलो होतो. म्हणूनच त्या अर्थानंही ते माझे दादा होते.

पण आता भीमसेनदादा नाही, याची खंत मनात कायम राहील.

'पूरिया धनाश्री'ने अस्वस्थ केले - किशोरी आमोणकर

काही वर्षांपूर्वी दादांचा (भीमसेन जोशी) 'पूरिया धनाश्री' ऐकला होता. मन शांतवणारा. तेवढा सुंदर पूरिया धनाश्री आळवलेला नंतर मी कुणाचाच ऐकला नाही. दादांच्या निधनाची बातमी कळल्यावर कळत-नकळत त्या पूरिया धनाश्री रागाच्या आठवणी मनात ताज्या झाल्या. मात्र यावेळी तो राग अस्वस्थ करून गेला. साहजिकच होतं ते! दादा आता हयात नाहीत, ही कल्पनाच भयंकर आहे.

पहिल्यापासून मी भीमसेनजींना दादाच म्हणायचे. कारण संगीताच्या क्षेत्रात त्यांचं नाव गाजायला लागलं, तेव्हा मी कॉलेजात शिकत होते. पण माईकडे (मोगुबाई कुर्डीकर) गाणं शिकल्यावर त्यांनी माझ्या गाण्याचं कौतुकही केलं होतं. ते कौतुक करतानाच 'तुझ्या गुरूचं तप:पूत गाणं आता तुला पुढे न्यायचंय' अशी जबाबदारीची आठवणही मला करून दिली होती. त्यांना त्यांच्या गुरूबद्दल, म्हणजे सवाईगंधर्व रामभाऊ कुं दगोळकर यांच्याबद्दल नितांत प्रेम आणि आदर होता. तसंच त्यांची आपल्या गुरूवर प्रचंड श्रद्धा होती. तशीच श्रद्धा माझी माझ्या गुरूंवर आहे. त्यामुळे ही श्रद्धा हाही आम्हा दोघांना जोडणारा एक दुवाच होता, असं मला वाटतं.

आम्ही वेगवेगळ्या घराण्याचे, म्हणजे ते किराना घराण्याचे आणि मी जयपूर घराण्याची; त्यामुळे आम्ही एकमेकांबद्दल काय बोलतो, याविषयी अनेकांना कुतूहल! पण माझं स्पष्ट मत आहे की, संगीताची घराणी ही नंतर, त्याआधी सात स्वर आहेत. म्हणजे आमची घराणी वेगळी असली, तरी आम्हा सगळ्या गायकांना एकत्र बांधणारे स्वर सारखेच आहेत.

संगीत हा त्यांचा ध्यास!- लतादीदी

संगीत हा त्यांचा ध्यास!- लतादीदी >> लता मंगेशकर


पंडितजींना मी अण्णा म्हणत असे. अण्णांबरोबर गाण्यासाठी मला संगीतकार श्ाीनिवास खळेंनी बोलवून घेतलं. मी तेव्हा अक्षरश: घाबरून गेले होते. इतक्या मोठ्या उंचीच्या गायकाबरोबर गायचं या कल्पनेने माझे हातपाय कापत होते. मी खळेंना सांगितलं, कुठे मी आणि कुठे पंडितजी? तुम्ही दुसऱ्या कुणाला तरी घ्या. पण . मीच गायला हवं, असा हट्ट खळेंनी धरला. माझी भीती काही जाईना. मग मी अण्णांनाच भेटले आणि त्यांना माझी अवस्था सांगितली. अण्णा म्हणाले, तू अजिबात काळजी करू नकोस. कोणाबरोबर गाते आहेस, हे मनातही आणू नकोस. तरीही गायला सुरुवात करताना मनात भीती होतीच. पण पुढे इतकं सोपं वाटायला लागलं की मी किशोर, रफी यांच्याबरोबर ज्या सहजतेने गायचे तशीच गायला लागले. हे केवळ अण्णांच्या त्या वागणुकीमुळेच शक्य झालं. इतका हा विलक्षण माणूस की, मला माझे वडीलच मिळाल्यासारखं वाटलं.

कधी कधी ते रात्री साडे दहा-अकरा वाजता मला फोन करत. असाच एकदा रात्री अकरा वाजता त्यांचा फोन आला. मी विचारलं, अण्णा एवढ्या रात्रीचा का फोन केलात? त्यावर म्हणाले, मी कार्यक्रमासाठी नागपुरात आलो आहे. पण आता मी तुला तुझ्या वडिलांचं गाणं गाऊन दाखवणार आहे. असं म्हणून त्यांनी 'शूरा मी वंदिले' हे बाबांचं गाणं ते जसे गायचे तसं ऐकवलं. फोनवर गाऊन दाखवलं.

एकदा ते मुंबईत आले असताना मला अचानक फोन आला, 'लता आज मी तुझ्या घरी येऊन जेवणार आहे. काय करशील?' मी विचारात पडले, एवढा मोठा माणूस घरी येतो आहे. त्याच्यासाठी काय जेवण करावं? मग तेच फोनवरून बोलले, 'तू घाबरली असशील. मला जास्त काही नको. फक्त श्रीखंड-पुरी कर.' ते घरी आले. जेवले आणि नंतर गात बसले. त्यांची गायकी थोर होतीच, तिच्याबद्दल सगळेच सांगतील. पण ते माणूस म्हणूनही तितकेच थोर होते, याचा अनुभव मी घेतलाय.

ज्यावेळी पंडितजींना विशेष नाव नव्हतं त्या सुरुवातीच्या काळात आमचे चित्रपट क्षेत्रातले मोठे साऊंड रेकॉडिर्स्ट मिनू कात्रक मला म्हणाले, 'अगं भीमसेन नावाचा एक मुलगा आलाय, तो फार चांगलं गातो. त्याला फिल्ममध्ये काम मिळालं पाहिजे.' त्यानंतर मला कळलं की, संगीतकार शंकर-जयकिशन यांनी त्या मुलाला 'बसंत-बहार' चित्रपटासाठी गायला बोलावलं आहे. मी त्या गाण्याच्या रेकॉर्डिंगला गेले. ती हीरो आणि एका गायकामधली जुगलबंदी होती. त्यात हीरो जिंकतो. हीरोसाठी मन्ना डे प्लेबॅक देणार होते. हरणाऱ्या गायकासाठी पंडितजी गाणार होते. 'केतकी जुही गुलाब चंपा बन भुले' असे त्या गाण्याचे शब्द होते. पंडितजी तुफान गायले. त्यांना ऐकून या गायकापुढे हीरो जिंकतो, ही कल्पनाच मला करवेना. रेकॉर्डिंग संपल्यावर शंकर-जयकिशन पंडितजींना म्हणाले, 'सिच्युएशनही ऐसी है के हीरो जितता है. हमे माफ करना.' त्यावर पंडितजी हसले आणि काही हरकत नाही, असं म्हणाले.

अण्णा अखंड संगीतातच रमलेले असायचे. मी त्यांच्या घरी पुण्याला जायचे तेव्हा चित्रपट संगीत, शास्त्रीय संगीत हाच विषय असायचा. मग कधीतरी विषय बदलून गाण्याच्या पदार्थांवर येई. संगीत हा त्यांचा ध्यास होता. त्यांना सुरुवातीच्या काळात अमीर खां साहेबांकडे गाणं शिकायचं होतं, पण खांसाहेब तयार होईनात तेव्हा एकदा ते खांसाहेबांच्या गाडीपुढेच झोपल्याची आठवण सांगितली जाते. यातून त्यांची तळमळच दिसून येते. पंडितजी खरे गात.

त्यांच्या अन्य आवडीच्या गोष्टींमध्ये गाड्यांचा समावेश करावा लागेल. वेगवेगळ्या गाड्या चालवणं त्यांना आवडायचं. त्यांना फास्ट ड्रायव्हिंगची आवड होती. माझ्या वडिलांच्या एका पुण्यतिथीला ते गायला येणार होते. त्याच्याआधी एक मैफल संपवून ते येणार होते. तो कार्यक्रम खूपच दूर होता. पंडितजींनी तो संपवला आणि स्वत: ड्रायव्हिंग करून मुंबईत पोचले. आल्यावर मला म्हणाले, इथे पाणी कुठे आहे ते मला सांग. नळाखाली उभं राहून थंड पाण्याची धार त्यांनी डोक्यावर घेतली. बराचवेळ नळाखाली उभे राहिले. मग गायला बसले. तासभर ते मनसोक्त गात होते. आम्ही कुठे विमानाने गेलो तरी कार्यक्रमाच्या आधी एक दिवस विश्रांती घेतो. इथे तर आधीच्या मैफलीत दोन-तीन तास गाऊन आल्यावर पंडितजी जराही विश्रांती न घेता पुन्हा गात होते. मी या गोष्टीची कल्पनाही करू शकत नाही.

इतक्या उत्तुंग प्रतिभेचा माणूस आज आपल्यात नाही. स्वरभास्कराचा खरोखरच अस्त झाला आहे.

The lilting notes of friendship

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s fan following in Mumbai included some of the city’s wealthiest men and women. Hosting him in their grand homes was a dream project for many of them. But for the four decades that the legendary singer gave concerts in Mumbai, there was only one place he would stay—the Worli flat of his boyhood friend Narhari B H Kulkarni, where he greatly enjoyed a rustic meal of jowari bhakri and bhaji.
The very ordinary businessman with eclectic tastes, seven years younger to Panditji, had known him through his ups and downs, his peak as well as his one bad patch. Kulkarni, after all had been there when, at age 20, the master singer had made his debut in their hometown, Hubli, with the blessings of his guru, the great Sawai Gandharva.
“He started singing at 7 pm and continued to sing till 6 am the next morning. He held each raga for two hours and did not once repeat a single taan, he was that creative even then,” recalls 82-year - old Kulkarni.
Fate brought the two friends together once again in Mumbai in 1946. A young singer looking for a break on radio, Panditji had moved to Mumbai to seek his fortune. He shared a one-room tenement in Matunga with 20 other struggling youngsters all from the Dharwad-Bijpaur-Karwar-Belgaum belt. All they could use that room was to bathe and sleep in.
The tram journey from Matunga to the AIR office at Charni Road cost an anna then and since the jobless singer could not afford it, he would walk the whole distance to try his luck at the radio station. Time and again he would be shooed off by the AIR bosses. But his persistence paid off and he began to be given occasional programmes. Each programme would fetch him Rs 5 and he would make it last for 15 days.
“He survived on kurmura (puffed rice) and shengdana (peanuts),” recollects Kulkarni. But Joshi’s incredible talent did not remain hidden for long; he became a regular on radio and started travelling extensively on concerts. He moved to Pune and built himself a home there. By the ’70s he had become one of the most loved and acclaimed figures on the Hindustani music scene.
“But he remained a humble and unpretentious man throughout,” says Kulkarni. “No ego, no politics, no desire for the trappings of fame. He was a spiritual man, a follower of Raghavendra Swami. And all that mattered to him was his music and his audience. You know he would go to any length to see a smile on the face of his listeners, even if it meant singing for an extra hour. He would sometimes break into a taan right here on my terrace and ask me: ‘How does that sound?’ He was the only singer I ever listened to actually.”
The only time the singer would get riled was when he had to deal with uninformed reviews, critics who could not even identify his music. Smiles Kulkarni, “He would publicly chide the critics by singing a raga and asking them: ‘So now tell me, what did I sing?’ ” The only man who remained totally unperturbed by the lack of official recognition, the delay in being awarded a Bharat Ratna and all such political issues connected to his life was the man himself.
Kulkarni would visit him once a month even after Joshi became bed-ridden some years ago. “The discussions always revolved around the family, our mutual friends,” he says. It was a friendship that lasted till the very end.

‘His music had an incomparable density’ - Pandit Jasraj

His music had an incomparable density’ -Pandit Jasraj



The first time I heard him in 1942, I was electrified. He was singing Miyan ki Malhar, one of his favourites. His artistry was wondrous, like nothing I had encountered before. I found over the years that like really evolved musicians he stuck to a repertoire of only about a dozen ragas. But what he sang was deep, dense and stunning. His breath control, the strength of his singing-no other musician I know has that quality.

It was another 16 years before I heard him again-this was in Kolkata, where I lived then, in 1958. He sang Todi and left the audience gaspingthereafter, he was invited to practically every music conferences in Kolkata. Entire concert schedules were changed to get him into the programme.
I am always astonished at the ease and joy with which he sang abhangs (Marathi devotional songs). After all, he was a highly respected classical musician, a colossus. Yet he sang abhangs and even film songs with the same passion, force and love. Ketaki gulab juhi from Baiju Bawra which he sang with Manna Dey was such a brilliant song. He was what I call a chaumukha gayak—no facet of music was too light or unimportant for him to ignore.

He was an extremely affectionate man, simple and very good-natured. He was particularly encouraging of younger musicians. I remember a train journey from Kolkata to Mumbai in 1966. We were traveling together and out of the blue he turned around and told me: “When I look back at those who are following in my footsteps, I see only you.” For a young musician it was an overwhelming pat on the back.

I met him the last time in December last year. I had sung at the Sawai Gandharva Festival he hosts in Pune and went to meet him the next morning to pay my regards. “You did well last night,” he said. I asked for and got his blessings. Then he said: “I am tired, I want to sleep.”
I believe that he was the only classical musician to have recognition across the country. When he turned 60, I was asked to pay him a tribute. I remember what I said: Tansen had Akbar to back him, but Pandit Bhimsen Joshi has crores of Indians behind him. Listen to him sing Mile sur mera tumhara and you get the sense that the south, the east, the west and the north are all bound by one reverberant voice.




Pt Bhimsen Joshi & Jasraj - Malkauns




Pandit Bhimsen joshi - Jai Durge

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi - A DIVINE VOICE IS STILLED

A DIVINE VOICE IS STILLED
He was a colossus among musicians, loved for his humility and simplicity as much as his mesmeric voice and talent. In a career spanning over six decades, he took the Kirana gharana and Hindustani music to a new high and earned fans among connoisseurs and ordinary folk alike. TOI pays tribute to Bharat Ratna Pt Bhimsen Joshi

One of the most beloved and versatile musicians of our times has sung his last note. Bhimsen Joshi passed away in Pune on Monday after struggling with a brief illness. He was 88 years old. He was one of those rare artistes who enjoyed both popularity and stature.

The maverick Joshi, known for living a colourful, even somewhat reckless, life, was a musical explorer even as a child. He was raised in Dharwad district of Karnataka, the eldest of many siblings. His grandfather was a kirtan singer and his father a Sanskrit scholar and school headmaster. To the dismay of his parents, young Joshi was often found standing for hours outside a record shop on the path between his school and his home, listening to classical and devotional music. The defining moment of his life came around the age of 12, when he heard a record of Abdul Kareem Khan’s Raga Basant, decided he wanted to sing like that, and left home in search of a guru. He travelled on his own as far as Delhi and Kolkata, even wandering ticketless sometimes. His father managed to track him down three years later in Jallander. That was when he was directed to Sawai Gandharva, a maestro of the Kirana gharana, who lived close to his hometown.

Like many great musicians, Sawai Gandharva put his student through rigorous tests before imparting the secrets of his music. To begin with, he demanded a fee of Rs 25 per month. This was one-fourth of the senior Joshi’s salary, but he made the sacrifice just to keep his son closer to home. Sawai Gandharva made his student do all kinds of menial chores before he was convinced of his desire to learn. After that, his tutelage was morning, noon and night for about five years. The maestro taught him three ragas—Todi, Multani and Puriya. Joshi learnt other ragas when supporting his guru at concerts or from his fellow student, Gangubai Hangal.

It was Begum Akhtar who recommended Joshi for his first job as a musician—with All India Radio, Lucknow. In 1943, he took a transfer to Bombay, then the music capital of the country. He shot to fame after a series of HMV recordings and, notably, after a performance at the 60th birthday celebrations of Sawai Gandharva, held in Pune.
His popularity spread steadily thereafter, and within a decade, he became the busiest vocalist on the concert circuit. By the 1960s, Bhimsen Joshi's contemporaries had begun to joke, with some envy, that he knew every air hostess on Indian Airlines by name, and the entire Bradshaw (Indian Railways time-table) by heart!

Joshi was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2009, after receiving the Padmashri in 1972, the Padma Bhushan in 1985 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. Apart from classical music, he was known for his devotional music, especially his evocative Marathi abhangs. Joshi also sang for films in numerous languages including Hindi (Basant Bahar and Bhairavi), Bengali (Tansen) and Marathi (Gulacha Ganapati ). He became a national icon after his memorable Mile sur mera tumhara, a song to celebrate national integration.

As vocalist and his deep admirer Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande says, “He has enjoyed adulation and affection from all people—he belongs to not just the Kirana gharana, he belongs to everybody. You can ask a rickshaw driver or a coolie and they would have heard of him. He was equally comfortable in a big music conference in Kolkata as he was in a small town in Karnataka. All that mattered to him was his raga, his music.”

The young Jayateerth Mevundi, who has often been described as a young likeness of Bhimsen Joshi, says, “I used to literally worship him. His blessings have been with me always. He actually called me to the Sawai Gandharva festival when I was 23 years old and tuned my tanpura for me. He has been very kind to me. What I love about him is that he dedicated his entire life to music without any worldly considerations or expectations. He is like a Gandharva.”
And that is the sentiment that thousands of music-lovers share about the great and astonishingly simple musician for whom, in the end, it was only the tuneful pukaar of “Vithal, Vithal, Vithal…” that mattered.





Pandit Bhimsen Joshi with his Father



Pandit Bhimsen Joshi with Former President Dr, APJ Adbul Kalam











Pandit Bhimsen Joshi with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma



Pandit Bhimsen Joshi with Lata Mangeshkar






Pandit Joshi With Ustad Zakir Hussian



Pandit Bhimsen Joshi with Pandit Ravishanker

Bhimsen Joshi - A DIVINE VOICE IS STILLED

A DIVINE VOICE IS STILLED
He was a colossus among musicians, loved for his humility and simplicity as much as his mesmeric voice and talent. In a career spanning over six decades, he took the Kirana gharana and Hindustani music to a new high and earned fans among connoisseurs and ordinary folk alike. TOI pays tribute to Bharat Ratna Pt Bhimsen Joshi


One of the most beloved and versatile musicians of our times has sung his last note. Bhimsen Joshi passed away in Pune on Monday after struggling with a brief illness. He was 88 years old. He was one of those rare artistes who enjoyed both popularity and stature.

The maverick Joshi, known for living a colourful, even somewhat reckless, life, was a musical explorer even as a child. He was raised in Dharwad district of Karnataka, the eldest of many siblings. His grandfather was a kirtan singer and his father a Sanskrit scholar and school headmaster. To the dismay of his parents, young Joshi was often found standing for hours outside a record shop on the path between his school and his home, listening to classical and devotional music. The defining moment of his life came around the age of 12, when he heard a
record of Abdul Kareem Khan’s Raga Basant, decided he wanted to sing like that, and left home in search of a guru. He travelled on his own as far as Delhi and Kolkata, even wandering ticketless sometimes. His father managed to track him down three years later in Jallander. That was when he was directed to Sawai Gandharva, a maestro of the Kirana gharana, who lived close to his hometown.

Like many great musicians, Sawai Gandharva put his student through rigorous tests before imparting the secrets of his music. To begin with, he demanded a fee of Rs 25 per month. This was one-fourth of the senior Joshi’s salary, but he made the sacrifice just to keep his son closer to home. Sawai Gandharva made his student do all kinds of menial chores before he was convinced of his desire to learn. After that, his tutelage was morning, noon and night for about five years. The maestro taught him three ragas—Todi, Multani and Puriya. Joshi learnt other ragas when supporting his guru at concerts or from his fellow student, Gangubai Hangal.
It was Begum Akhtar who recommended Joshi for his first job as a musician—with All India Radio, Lucknow. In 1943, he took a transfer to Bombay, then the music capital of the country. He shot to fame after a series of HMV recordings and, notably, after a performance at the 60th birthday celebrations of Sawai Gandharva, held in Pune.

His popularity spread steadily thereafter, and within a decade, he became the busiest vocalist on the concert circuit. By the 1960s, Bhimsen Joshi's contemporaries had begun to joke, with some envy, that he knew every air hostess on Indian Airlines by name, and the entire Bradshaw (Indian Railways time-table) by heart!

Joshi was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2009, after receiving the Padmashri in 1972, the Padma Bhushan in 1985 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. Apart from classical music, he was known for his devotional music, especially his evocative Marathi abhangs. Joshi also sang for films in numerous languages including Hindi (Basant Bahar and Bhairavi), Bengali (Tansen) and Marathi (Gulacha Ganapati ). He became a national icon after his memorable Mile sur mera tumhara, a song to celebrate national integration.

As vocalist and his deep admirer Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande says, “He has enjoyed adulation and affection from all people—he belongs to not just the Kirana gharana, he belongs to everybody. You can ask a rickshaw driver or a coolie and they would have heard of him. He was equally comfortable in a big music conference in Kolkata as he was in a small town in Karnataka. All that mattered to him was his raga, his music.”

The young Jayateerth Mevundi, who has often been described as a young likeness of Bhimsen Joshi, says, “I used to literally worship him. His blessings have been with me always. He actually called me to the Sawai Gandharva festival when I was 23 years old and tuned my tanpura for me. He has been very kind to me. What I love about him is that he dedicated his entire life to music without any worldly considerations or expectations. He is like a Gandharva.”
And that is the sentiment that thousands of music-lovers share about the great and astonishingly simple musician for whom, in the end, it was only the tuneful pukaar of “Vithal, Vithal, Vithal…” that mattered.


Mile Sur Mera Tumhar

Bharat Ratna Bhimsen Joshi dies in Pune

Legendary vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, who enthralled generations of connoisseurs with his renditions of Hindustani classical music, passed away at a city hospital today after a prolonged illness.

He was 89.

A recipient of Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi had been put on life support system following old age-related ailments leading to kidney and respiratory failure after his admission to hospital on December 31, his family said.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, the most-celebrated exponent of 'Kirana gharana' of Khansahib Abdul Karim Khan, leaves behind three sons and a daughter.

A pall of gloom descended on the city as the news of his demise spread with people making a beeline to his residence to pay their last respects to the singer who was the most powerful figure on the Hindustani music concert platform of 'khayal gayki'. Born on February 4, 1922 at Gadag in Dharwad district of Karnataka, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi got a boost to his career during a concert in Pune in January 1946 on the occasion of the 60th birthday of his guru Sawai Gandharva.

What distinguished him from the ordinary was his powerful voice, amazing breath control, fine musical sensibility and unwavering grasp of the fundamentals that made him the supreme Hindustani vocalist, representing a subtle fusion of intelligence and passion that imparted life and excitement to his music.

In the forays he made outside the classical fold, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi lent is voice as a "dhrupad" singer for a Bengali film based on the life of Tansen and later sang as a playback singer for Marathi film Gulacha Ganapati, produced and directed by celebrated Marathi humorist "Pu La" Deshpande in addition to Hindi movies Basant Bahar and Bhairavi.

But it was his 'Sant Vani' recitals, which bore the flair of Marathi 'Bhakti Sangeet' that added immensely to his popularity in both Maharashtra and Karnataka which have had a long succession of saint-poets.

He was honoured with the Padma Shri (1972), Sangeet Natak Akademi award for Hindustani vocal music (1975), Padma Bhushan (1985) and Madhya Pradesh government's "Tansen Samman" in 1992. Bharat Ratna was bestowed on him in 2008.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi had undergone a surgery for removal of a brain tumor in 1999 followed by a cervical spine operation in 2005.

The maestro's last surprise public performance that regaled the audience was during 2007 'Sawai Gandharva' annual music festival which he himself had started to commemorate the memory of his guru. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's body was taken to his residence where it would be kept for people to offer their last respects till this afternoon.

The final rites would be performed in the evening, family sources said.

Condoling the passing away of the maestro, President Pratibha Patil said, "In his death, the country has lost a greatest personality who was an exponent of vocal music."

CDS on Sale
PANDIT BHIMSEN JOSHI Golden Raaga Collection


BEST OF PANDIT BHIMSEN JOSHI: DEVOTIONAL SONGS


PANDIT BHIMSEN JOSHI Unsung Raaga Puriya

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi: A challenge unto himself

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s life and music is marked by his wanderlust: nothing ever stopped him from soaring into realms unknown. The legendary musician was the last link of the golden years of Kirana, however, he will continue to live in hundreds of musicians across the country

It’s not possible to sum up a musical icon’s career. At best it’s possible to trace his life — from birth to death. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2011), the “high commissioner of music”, as the legendary Kirana vocalist jokingly called himself, is no more. A study of his music can never be complete — this is not only because of the highly intuitive nature of the Indian music tradition, but also because of the kind of musical persona that Bhimsen Joshi was.

Deeply passionate about music, Bhimsen Joshi was always a wanderer; in life and in music. His parents were subject to moments of great anxiety when their little son would often go missing from home. It started when he was three; he would either be sitting in the mosque before his house trying to grasp the notes in the muezzin’s prayer Allah O’ Akbar, or he would be at some nearby temple listening to the temple musicians, there were times when he, as if he were in a trance, followed bhajan mandalis and wedding processions — completely tuned to musical notes and switched off to everything else. On several occasions, his father Gururaj Joshi lodged a complaint with the police, but often some Good Samaritan would bring the little boy back to his parents. At 11, Bhimsen Joshi left home over a flimsy reason: he quarreled with his mother because she could not afford to serve him ghee with rice. He had stomped out, leaving his food untouched.

Long journey to Kirana gharana

This was the turning point in his musical quest. After listening to the pioneer of Kirana gharana Ustad Abdul Karim Khan saab’s gramophone recording of raga Jhinjoti in a nearby tea shop, his heart was set on learning from him. He stood at the Gadag station and took a train that was heading towards North India. He was penniless, but had to reach his destination. He gave a slip to ticket collectors moving between compartments, sang songs for fellow passengers and begged for food. He stopped at Pune, Bombay and finally reached Gwalior after three months! He met and learnt from various maestros, but was unsatisfied.

In search of a guru

He went from Kharagpur to Calcutta to Delhi and finally to Jalandhar where the Gwalior maestro Vinayak Rao Patwardhan advised him to learn from Sawai Gandharv, in Kundagol, an outstanding disciple of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan. Though he shared an exceptional relationship with Sawai Gandharv, it however did not mark the end of his quest. He worked very hard to earn his music. In the sixties, when Bhimsen Joshi sang for the Calcutta Music Circle, the famous actor Pahadi Sanyal was present in the audience. Once the concert was over, Bhimsen Joshi went up to the actor and reminded him that he worked as a domestic help for him in the years that he was looking for a suitable guru, much to the actor’s embarrassment.

Bhimsen Joshi’s intense passion for music made him a non-conformist of sorts. While he stuck to the traditional, limited repertoire of the Kirana gharana, he was open to ideas from other gharanas as well. Unlike his guru bandhu Gangubai Hangal who never swayed away from the boundaries of the gharana, Bhimsen Joshi, to use his own term, “processed all the commodities in the Kirana factory”. A firm believer of the guru-shishya tradition, Bhimsen Joshi would say, “What one learns from one’s guru has to be supplemented by individual genius, else, one will not have anything worthwhile to say. In fact, a good disciple should not be a second rate imitation, but a first rate improvement of his teacher.” Hence, you find LPs in which Bhimsen Joshi sings ragas like Chaya Malhar which is a stamp of the Gwalior school. Also Lalit Bhatiyar and Marwa Shree. He never hid his deep admiration for the Jaipur maestros — Mallikarjun Mansur and Kesarbai Kerkar. In fact, once Kesarbai Kerkar who had high regard for Bhimsen Joshi’s music, came for his concert and later jocularly remarked, “I came to see what all you have stolen from me!” Musicologists believe that the sonorous tonal quality of Bhimsen Joshi’s opening note, the shadja, was strikingly similar to that of Kesarbai. He never disputed it.

The Bhimsen style

Bhimsen Joshi’s music is made of many shades – contemplative and mellow, intuitive and erratic. He took the traditional Kirana ragas to highest level of complexity. His brilliant virtuosity was always coupled with romantic intensity. But Bhimsen Joshi was constantly stretching the thresholds; a man of obsessive restlessness, he often dared to challenge his own music. There were moments in his music when he knew it would fail, but he nevertheless surrendered to the test. Both his imagination and execution went into relentless ramblings, but the fear of the unknown hardly deterred him from exploring higher realms. That’s probably why he is the only Kirana maestro to have even attempted a raga like Ramkali.

Bhimsen Joshi preserved the various streams of past and tradition within him, with great humility and respect. In doing so, he constantly broke established idioms and infused them with new ideas. In fact, he was rebuilding tradition and in the process never hesitated to bare himself.

Bhimsen Joshi is a living tradition. His maverick genius may be hard to replace, but it’s hard for a practicing musician of today to not come under the spell of his influence. When you listen to musicians from various gharanas across the country, you invariably hear Bhimsen Joshi in them. Just like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi kept alive in his music Ustad Karim Khan, Sawai Gandharv, Roshan Ara Begum and many others. He continues to live in his music.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi




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

Live at Pune - Pt Bhimsen Joshi