Pt Bhimsen Joshi
(b. 1922)
Raag Chhaya Malhar - Sakhi Sham Nahi Aaye (5:34)Profile
Coming from the south of the country it was never going to be easy for me to start listening to Hindustani Music. In my family it was scoffed at as the Negadi Sangeetha (as if the singer has caught a cold). Chance hearing of Nambide Ninna Naada Devatheye by Bhmisen Joshi in G.V. Iyer's classic Kannada film Sandhya Raga changed all that. I got hooked on to Hindustani music and Bhimanna remains my most favourite classical musician.
Pt Bhimsen Joshi is the most prominent Hindustani vocalist living today. This doyen of Kirana Gharana is very popular and has earned critical aclaim as well. As the most well known of the many great desciples of Savai Gandharva, he along with Pt Mallikarjun Mansur, Smt Gangubai Hangal, Pt Kumar Ghandharva, Pt Basavaraj Rajguru has made Dharwad (in north Karnataka) home to Hindustani music.
Born in 1922 in Gadag (North Karnataka) he was always intersted in music from a tender age. He left the security of home in search of a guru. He travelled all over the country looking for that elusive guru. Finally he came across a musician who asked him where he was from. Young Joshi replied 'Dharwad' the nearest city to Gadag. The musician told Joshi that the best guru is actually very near to his home, Savai Gandharva (i.e. Rambhau Kundgol) in Kundgol.
Joshi returned home and sought the guidence under Savai Gandhrava. It is said that the guru rejected Joshi saying his voice is no good. But finally agreed to take him after seeing his determination and recommendation of another student, Gangubhai Hangal !
Bhimsen Joshi never looked back. He absorbed raga after raga. Imbibing all the best of Kirana Gharana. He also learnt from other gayaki styles. In one of his early concerts, a well known singer of another gharana said 'I came to see how much you have stolen from us' !
He quickly became one of the most sought after concert artists. The intensity he brought to his performances made him the most popular vocalist of the last 5 decades, esp. after untimely death of Ustad Amir Khan and Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan.
Joshi is also very widely recorded. Apart from khayal raga renditions, his bhajans in Hindi and Marathi have been very popular. In 70's he also recorded, some Kannada Dasa Krithis in Dasavani, normally sung by Carnatic musicians. That has made him immensely popluar in southern Karnataka too.
Panditji conducts Savai Gandharva Sangeeth Mahotsav in Pune from 3 decades. It has now become an institution. His best performances perhaps have been at the concluding session of the festival.
Though Pt Joshi has many desciples, most known is Pt Madhav Gudi, who some feel may not be able to carry on the tradition with the same vigour. In the last few years he has been training his young son Srinivas Joshi.
I like vintage Joshi upto early 80's the most. Unfortunately those recordings are not that good and are mostly mono. EMI India / RPG which owns most of the recordings has made no effort to have them digitally remastered and presented with best possible fidelity. Also there are a lot of live concert recordings and AIR recordings available, which hopefully will be remastered and preserved for future generations. Panditji had not been giving public performces in the late 90s. But he has been giving concerts in the last couple of years and will hopefully continue to do so for many more years.
Pt Joshi was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the Indian Governament in 1999.
Reviews
The Multifaceted - Pt. Bhimsen Joshi
BMK and Bhimsen Joshi's Raga Bhairav
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