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Bhimsen Joshi

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Bhimsen Joshi

Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (Template:Lang-mr,Template:Lang-kn, born February 4, 1922) is one of India's renowned vocalists 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 was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, on November 4, 2008.[1]

Personal life and education

Joshi was born in a Kannadiga family in the town of Gadag in northern part of Karnataka state.[2][3][4] His father, Guracharya Joshi, was a conservative school-master. Bhimsen Joshi is the eldest in a family of 16 siblings, some of who still live in their ancestral home in Gadag.[5] Joshi lost his mother when he was young and was raised by his step mother.

Joshi was married at an early age to Sunanda. He has two sons, Raghavendra & Anand Joshi, both are light classical vocalists. Later he married Vatsala,(died in 2004) a co-artist who he fell in love with. He fathered two sons and a daughter. His son Shrinivas Joshi is also a vocalist and composer and has issued commercial recordings.

Career

Until the first half of the 20th century, khayal 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.

Joshi heard a recording of Abdul Karim Khan when he was a child, and was inspired to become a musician. In 1933, the 11-year-old Bhimsen ran away from home to find a master and learn music. With the help of money lent by his copassengers in train Bhimsen reached Dharwar first and later 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 Hafiz Ali Khan. He travelled for 3 years in North India, including in Delhi, Kolkata, Gwalior, Lucknow and Rampur, trying to find a good guru.[6] Eventually, his father succeeded in tracking him down in Jalandar and brought young Bhimsen back home.

In 1936, Rambhau Kundgolkar (a native of Dharwad district, Karnataka), popularly known as Sawai Gandharva, 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 costudent of Bhimsen during this time. Joshi continued his training with Sawai Gandharva till 1940.

Bhimsen Joshi moved to Mumbai in 1943 and worked as Radio Artist. His 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.

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.[7] He makes occasional use of sargam and tihaais, and favours traditional compositions of the Kirana gharana. He strongly prefers traditional ragas, as opposed to lighter or experimental ragas. Some of the ragas he likes and is known for are Shuddha Kalyan, Mian ki Todi, Puriya Dhanashree, Multani, Bhimpalasi, Darbari and Ramkali. Besides Abdul Karim Khan, Bhimsen has been influenced by musicians such as Kesarbai Kerkar, Begum Akhtar and Ustad Amir Khan. Bhimsen's own style emerged over the years after assimilating and juxtaposing what he liked most from different styles.[8]

Bhimsen has also sung for films like 'Basant Bahar' (with Manna Dey) and 'Birbal My Brother' (with Pandit Jasraj). He also sung for films 'Tansen'(Released in 1958) and 'Ankahee'( Released in 1985).

In devotional music, he is most well known for his Kannada Bhajans, especially the album Dasavani, and Marathi abhangs. He is also universally recognized in India for opening the famous Mile Sur Mera Tumhara music video on national integration.

Pandit Joshi conducts an annual classical musical festival called the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival in the memory of his guru. This festival is held in Pune every December.

Awards and recognitions

References

  1. ^ "Bharat Ratna for Vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi". Rediff.
  2. ^ Kannadiga family
  3. ^ "Bhimsen Joshi Profile". Indian Heros. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  4. ^ PTI (2008-11-05). "Relentless riyaz- Bhimsen Joshis recipe for success". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
  5. ^ "Naughty lad turned muse is 'Bharat Ratna'". Deccan Herald. 2008-11-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateaccess= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "A class apart". Mumbai Mirror. 2008-11-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateaccess= ignored (help)
  7. ^ "Seeking the stars". The Hindu. 2008-11-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateaccess= ignored (help)
  8. ^ "A man of few words". Sakaal Times. 2008-11-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateaccess= ignored (help)
  9. ^ http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1229441

Further reading

  • Nadkarni, Mohan (1983). Bhimsen Joshi: the man and his music. Prism Communications.
  • Nadkarni, Mohan (1994). Bhimsen Joshi: a biography. Indus, New Delhi. ISBN 8172231261.
  • Majumdar, Abhik (2004). Bhimsen Joshi: A Passion for Music. Rupa & Co. ISBN 8129103540.
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