Born on 14th February, 1922, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is
a very famous classical singer in India. He was born in a small town
called Gadag, which was located in the state of Karnataka. This renowned
vocalist has an interesting and a challenging life history. Pandit
Bhimsen Joshi has reached this stage in life with sheer hard work and
determination. Read this biography of Pundit Bhimsen Joshi to know more
about his life.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi started learning music at a very young age. His
father was a strict school master who did not want his son to go out and
learn music. But, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi left home at the tender age of 11
and traveled to Gwalior to learn music in the traditional Guru - Shishya
style (Teacher - Disciple). For three years he kept roaming in the north
of India in search of a suitable Guru. However, his father somehow found
out where his son was and was successful in tracking him down.
Finally in the year 1936, a renowned musician named Rambhau Kundgolkar,
popularly known as Sawai Gandharva decided to teach Bhimsen Joshi, the
nuances of Hindustani Classical Music. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is a
descendant of the Kirana Gharana of the Hindustani classical music. He
is basically famous for the Khayal form of singing. Till the first half
of the 20th century, he received proper training and education from
Sawai Gandharva. After that he left his Guru and started to practice on
his own daily for almost a rigorous 16 hours.
His first live performance was at the age of 19. At the age of 20, he
released his first album which was a collection of devotional songs in
Hindi and Kannada. Since then there has been no looking back and he has
performed at various venue and released many albums, which have been
really liked by music lovers. In the memory of his Guru, he started an
annual classical music festival known as 'Sawai Gandharva Music
Festival'. It is held ever year in December in Pune. Pandit Bhimsen
Joshi is a living legend whose fame is now continued through his son
Srinivas who is a renowned singer and composer.
Awards:
First platinum disc - 1986
Padma Bhushan - 1985
Padma Shree - 1972
Padma Vibhushan - 1999
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - 1976
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Music of India |
