Written by Ajit Ks on 04 February 2020
One of the most revered musical personalities in the world of Hindustani classical music, Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi ji needs no introduction. Though he is physically no longer with us, his music will live on in our hearts and minds forever and will continue to inspire and guide the aspiring practitioners of the art for generations to come.
I belong to the same gharana (school of music) of gayaki. For me personally, Pandit ji is an institution in his own right. As students, we get to learn many different aspects of music by simply listening to his records and following his pure gayaki (form of singing).
Pandit Bhimsenji trained extensively under Shri Sawai Gandharva who was himself a direct disciple of the founder of Kirana gharana Ustad Abdul Kareem Khan saheb. He had closely learnt the nuances of his gharana from his Guru, however he was also open to listening to other musical gharanas. As a musician, Panditji was open to assimilating their features into his own gayaki. By integrating styles from these other musical schools, he created his own unique style of singing. His pioneering ways set an example for the upcoming generations to remain true to their roots and at the same time retaining the openness to listen and learn from others. This also allowed the artists to experiment and look for their individuality in spite of being in the traditional gharana system. He is a role model for young musicians to look up to.
I’ve been fortunate to have many deep and insightful discussions about Panditji’s gyaki and his contribution to music with my own music teacher, my Guru ji Dr Dattatreya Velankar. Guru ji once shared his experience of having met Pandit ji as a disciple of Pt Vinayak Torvi, who himself is a direct disciple of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi ji.
As a young musician, he recalls a time when he had an opportunity to accompany Pandit Bhimsen Joshi at the Manjira (a musical instrument to keep time) for a few of his concerts. He fondly remembers the encouragement that junior musicians would receive from a stalwart like Pandit ji during these performances.
Pandit ji had the talent and vision to be able to present the same raga with many different colours. Many musicians quote an incident when he sang the same raga Yaman for four different concerts in Mumbai in a month - each one sounding different with a fresh take. Such was his approach and imagination for ragas that he would try to make it sound novel in each rendition.
Yaman Kalyan, 'Kaahe sakhi kaise', 'Eri aali', Bhimsen Joshi, 1960s
He preferred singing the longer and more conventional ragas that allowed him to explore the raga in depth over the more obscure ones. He would also regale his audience with ragas he created - Kalashree - a confluence of raga Kalavati and raga Rageshri.
Apart from being a doyen of Hindustani classical music, he was also very popular with the masses for his bhajan singing, sant vaani and Marathi abhang (songs and poetry of the saints).
Kanhoba Tuzi Ghongadi Abhang | Bhimsen Joshi
His vision was to make classical music popular with the masses, and he would do this by initiating his listeners first to his lighter bhajans and devotional songs. He would then gently introduce them to his classical pieces, laying the groundwork for more serious classical listening.
Pandit ji was a trend setter in many ways who has not only sung khayal but also experimented with other genres of music like Bhajans and Thumris (a light, romantic piece), yet maintained his unique style. His Jugalbandis (a musical dialogue with other musicians) with the Carnatic stalwart Vid. Balamurali Krishna illuminated the path of collaborative music for musicians in both the streams of Indian Classical music - Hindustani and Carnatic.
Pandit ji inspired hundreds of learners and practitioners of music. He trained many disciples who went on to achieve prominence in their field - Pt. Madhav Gudi, Sanjeev Jagirdar, Purushottam Kapila, Sripati Padigar, Anant Terdal and many more.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi ji was gifted with a powerful and divine voice and his captivating and vibrant gayaki has left a lasting impression in the hearts and minds of the listeners.
Listen to this rendition of raga Miyaan ki Todi. This raga has been performed by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and our mentor Praveen Karadagi - a disciple Pt. Raghavendra Gudi - another proponent of the Kirana gharana recreates it here.
Subah E Banaras - Raag Miya Ki Todi
About the Author
Ajit Ks
Hindustani Vocal Instructor
Shankar Mahadevan Academy
Video Credits
Praveen Karadagi
Hindustani Vocal Instructor
Shankar Mahadevan Academy
