<p>Bhimsen was hardly 11 when his singing would hold listeners in thrall. It was, of course, the environment in which he was brought up that instilled in him such an urge and ambition to become a classical singer.<br /><br />His grandfather Bheemacharya was a noted ‘keertankaar’, and his father Gururaj, teacher by profession, was a scholar in Kannada, English and Sanskrit. His uncle G B Joshi was a celebrated dramatist and the moving spirit behind setting up of the historical Manohar Granthamaala in Dharwad. Such a family background was adequate enough for young Bhimsen to develop love and passion towards music.<br /><br />Born on February 4, 1922 in Rona, the maestro developed his passion for music at a very young age. He used to visit a masjid near his house in Bagalkot everyday to learn the art of singing prayer, when his father Gururajacharya Joshi was working there as a teacher. <br /><br />So obsessed was he with music that the future maestro often used to roam around the whole town with a bhajanthri mela troupe. Most of the times, he would spend the whole night with the troupe. His mother, Ramabai would worry about the whereabouts of young Bhimsen, but a few friends of his father used to accompany young Bhimsen on his way back home, as the boy could not find his way home at night. <br /><br />Irked, his father used to send him out after pasting a paper on his back reading ‘he is master’s son’ to ensure that his son would return home with the help of people. <br />After joining the municipal school in Gadag, young Bhimsen was taught the basics of music by Huchchu Hanumantharaya. Later, his father appointed Agasara Channappa as music teacher and he was paid Rs four per month. He also purchased tabala, harmonium and other musical instruments for his son’s music classes. On his way to school, young Bhimsen used to linger outside the Bhusad Gramophone Shop in Gadag to listen to songs being played and would later reprise the songs. He used to listen to Ustad Abdul Karim Khan’s singing frequently and always yearned to sing like him. After listening to Sawai Gandharva in Kundgol, he had made up his mind to learn music from Sawai, even before meeting him. <br /><br />Prodigy<br /><br />After hearing young Bhinsen sing at a musical programme in Gadag, noted classical vocalist Pandit Panchakshari Gawai called Channappa and said “you are not good enough to teach him(Bhimsen) music, so, send him to learn music from some other guru.” <br /><br />Quest for Guru<br /><br />Despite deciding to learn music from Sawai Gandharva at a very young age, Bhimsen left home for a frivolous reason and traveled all over the country seeking a guru, by trains, without a ticket.<br /><br />Interestingly, the reason for leaving the house was that his mother didn’t serve him ghee enough at lunch. His long journey, that began in Gadag, took him to Jalandhar in Punjab passing through Bijapur, Pune, New Delhi and Gwalior doubled his desire to learn music and also taught him the harsh realities of life. <br /><br />He returned home after meeting noted classical vocalist Vinayakrao Patwardhan, who asked him: “Why did you come so far off in quest of Guru, when you have Sawai Gandharva nearer your home?”<br /><br />‘Shishya’ meets Guru<br /><br />At last, Bhimsen met Sawai Gandharva and entreated him to teach music. Sawai Gandharva accepted him on a condition that Bhimsen would unlearn all he had learnt in music. After a month, Sawai started teaching Bhimsen. The lessons would begin at 4 am everyday and the ‘Shishya’ was taught various raagas throughout the day. During the evening, he was asked to practice the raagas including ‘Todi,’ ‘Multaani,’ ‘Puriyaa.’ The Guru Sawai used to sing for the Shishya and the Shishya had to listen and absorb.<br /><br />Often, the guru would wake Bhimsen up around 2 am and ask him to sing. For five years, Sawai Gandharva taught Bhimsen. At the end of five years, Sawai used to take Bhimsen to his concerts. This helped Bheemsen to learn various aspects of compositions, structure, nature and techniques of presentation.<br /><br />Debut performance <br /><br />By then, Bhimsen’s confidence level had increased and he visited Pune, Mumbai, and Nagpur to listen to noted classical singers including Rasoolanbai, Siddheshwari Devi and Musthak Hussain Khan.<br /><br />Sawai Gandharva’s 60th birthday celebration ceremony, in Pune, in January 1946, provided a platform for Bhimsen to exhibit his talent in singing before public for the first time at the age of 24. He sang ‘Miya Malhaar’. Listeners knew here was an incandescent talent, who could carry on the tradition of Sawai Gandharva and Abdul Karim Khan. After the performance, invitations flowed in from far and near.<br /><br />In 1964, he was invited by Prince of Kabul, Zahir Shah, as the prince’s daughter was a die-hard fan of Joshi after listening his ‘Lalaat’ and ‘Shudha Kalyan’. Besides, the Prince was a connoisseur of Hindustani music and an admirer of Abdul Karim Khan. Bhimsen Joshi toured several countries including Italy, England, France, Canada and the US, performing before huge gatherings. He was the first Hindustani singer whose concerts were publicised through posters in New York. <br /><br />Unique style<br /><br />It was Joshi’s unique style that attracted listeners. He had a solid base in Kiraana tradition which meant taking out the maximum melody from a swara in a slow measured way before moving to the next. He had added attractions like ‘gamak,’ ‘boltaan,’ ‘badhat,’ ‘layakaari,’ ‘murki,’ ‘meend’ and powerful taans. He had grafted ‘laya’ oriented taans of Gwalior to the saarangi-like to the gliding taans. He had developed great variety and continuity in his taans. He was excellent in arriving at the sam artistically at the end of a long complex taan. He displayed variety and his breath-control was a breathtaking experience for the audience.<br /><br /> Through his unique style of singing, he conquered the hearts of millions of music lovers across the world.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Hubli and Bhimanna<br /><br />Hubli, dhns: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (Bhimanna) had a very close relationship with Hubli. A close friend of Dr Gangubai Hangal, he never missed any opportunity to visit the Hangal family, whenever he visited the region.<br /><br />Joshi’s last concert in Hubli was in 2004. Organised on Gokul Road here, the event witnessed a rare moment in which Gangubai Hangal and Bhimsen Joshi felicitated each other. The jam-packed auditorium was emotional then, and Joshi began singing at 8 pm. So enthralling was the concert that the maestro sang as if it was his last concert in Hubli. It was. Joshi never performed in Hubli again.<br /><br />Awards and titles<br /><br />Pandit 1954<br />Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan Award 1969<br />Gayanacharya Puraskar 1964<br />Padma Shri 1972<br />Sangeet Ratna 1972<br />Karnataka Sangeet Nataka Academy 1972<br />Mahamahopadhyay Puraskar 1982<br />Best Playback Singer Award 1985<br />Kendra Sangeet Natya Academy Award 1987<br />Padma Bhushan 1989<br />Maharashtra Gourav 1990<br />Tansen Award 1991<br />Pune University honourary doctorate 1991<br />Dinanath Mangeshkar Award 1992<br />Padma Vibhushan 1999<br />Bharat Ratna 2008<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Bhimsen was hardly 11 when his singing would hold listeners in thrall. It was, of course, the environment in which he was brought up that instilled in him such an urge and ambition to become a classical singer.<br /><br />His grandfather Bheemacharya was a noted ‘keertankaar’, and his father Gururaj, teacher by profession, was a scholar in Kannada, English and Sanskrit. His uncle G B Joshi was a celebrated dramatist and the moving spirit behind setting up of the historical Manohar Granthamaala in Dharwad. Such a family background was adequate enough for young Bhimsen to develop love and passion towards music.<br /><br />Born on February 4, 1922 in Rona, the maestro developed his passion for music at a very young age. He used to visit a masjid near his house in Bagalkot everyday to learn the art of singing prayer, when his father Gururajacharya Joshi was working there as a teacher. <br /><br />So obsessed was he with music that the future maestro often used to roam around the whole town with a bhajanthri mela troupe. Most of the times, he would spend the whole night with the troupe. His mother, Ramabai would worry about the whereabouts of young Bhimsen, but a few friends of his father used to accompany young Bhimsen on his way back home, as the boy could not find his way home at night. <br /><br />Irked, his father used to send him out after pasting a paper on his back reading ‘he is master’s son’ to ensure that his son would return home with the help of people. <br />After joining the municipal school in Gadag, young Bhimsen was taught the basics of music by Huchchu Hanumantharaya. Later, his father appointed Agasara Channappa as music teacher and he was paid Rs four per month. He also purchased tabala, harmonium and other musical instruments for his son’s music classes. On his way to school, young Bhimsen used to linger outside the Bhusad Gramophone Shop in Gadag to listen to songs being played and would later reprise the songs. He used to listen to Ustad Abdul Karim Khan’s singing frequently and always yearned to sing like him. After listening to Sawai Gandharva in Kundgol, he had made up his mind to learn music from Sawai, even before meeting him. <br /><br />Prodigy<br /><br />After hearing young Bhinsen sing at a musical programme in Gadag, noted classical vocalist Pandit Panchakshari Gawai called Channappa and said “you are not good enough to teach him(Bhimsen) music, so, send him to learn music from some other guru.” <br /><br />Quest for Guru<br /><br />Despite deciding to learn music from Sawai Gandharva at a very young age, Bhimsen left home for a frivolous reason and traveled all over the country seeking a guru, by trains, without a ticket.<br /><br />Interestingly, the reason for leaving the house was that his mother didn’t serve him ghee enough at lunch. His long journey, that began in Gadag, took him to Jalandhar in Punjab passing through Bijapur, Pune, New Delhi and Gwalior doubled his desire to learn music and also taught him the harsh realities of life. <br /><br />He returned home after meeting noted classical vocalist Vinayakrao Patwardhan, who asked him: “Why did you come so far off in quest of Guru, when you have Sawai Gandharva nearer your home?”<br /><br />‘Shishya’ meets Guru<br /><br />At last, Bhimsen met Sawai Gandharva and entreated him to teach music. Sawai Gandharva accepted him on a condition that Bhimsen would unlearn all he had learnt in music. After a month, Sawai started teaching Bhimsen. The lessons would begin at 4 am everyday and the ‘Shishya’ was taught various raagas throughout the day. During the evening, he was asked to practice the raagas including ‘Todi,’ ‘Multaani,’ ‘Puriyaa.’ The Guru Sawai used to sing for the Shishya and the Shishya had to listen and absorb.<br /><br />Often, the guru would wake Bhimsen up around 2 am and ask him to sing. For five years, Sawai Gandharva taught Bhimsen. At the end of five years, Sawai used to take Bhimsen to his concerts. This helped Bheemsen to learn various aspects of compositions, structure, nature and techniques of presentation.<br /><br />Debut performance <br /><br />By then, Bhimsen’s confidence level had increased and he visited Pune, Mumbai, and Nagpur to listen to noted classical singers including Rasoolanbai, Siddheshwari Devi and Musthak Hussain Khan.<br /><br />Sawai Gandharva’s 60th birthday celebration ceremony, in Pune, in January 1946, provided a platform for Bhimsen to exhibit his talent in singing before public for the first time at the age of 24. He sang ‘Miya Malhaar’. Listeners knew here was an incandescent talent, who could carry on the tradition of Sawai Gandharva and Abdul Karim Khan. After the performance, invitations flowed in from far and near.<br /><br />In 1964, he was invited by Prince of Kabul, Zahir Shah, as the prince’s daughter was a die-hard fan of Joshi after listening his ‘Lalaat’ and ‘Shudha Kalyan’. Besides, the Prince was a connoisseur of Hindustani music and an admirer of Abdul Karim Khan. Bhimsen Joshi toured several countries including Italy, England, France, Canada and the US, performing before huge gatherings. He was the first Hindustani singer whose concerts were publicised through posters in New York. <br /><br />Unique style<br /><br />It was Joshi’s unique style that attracted listeners. He had a solid base in Kiraana tradition which meant taking out the maximum melody from a swara in a slow measured way before moving to the next. He had added attractions like ‘gamak,’ ‘boltaan,’ ‘badhat,’ ‘layakaari,’ ‘murki,’ ‘meend’ and powerful taans. He had grafted ‘laya’ oriented taans of Gwalior to the saarangi-like to the gliding taans. He had developed great variety and continuity in his taans. He was excellent in arriving at the sam artistically at the end of a long complex taan. He displayed variety and his breath-control was a breathtaking experience for the audience.<br /><br /> Through his unique style of singing, he conquered the hearts of millions of music lovers across the world.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Hubli and Bhimanna<br /><br />Hubli, dhns: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (Bhimanna) had a very close relationship with Hubli. A close friend of Dr Gangubai Hangal, he never missed any opportunity to visit the Hangal family, whenever he visited the region.<br /><br />Joshi’s last concert in Hubli was in 2004. Organised on Gokul Road here, the event witnessed a rare moment in which Gangubai Hangal and Bhimsen Joshi felicitated each other. The jam-packed auditorium was emotional then, and Joshi began singing at 8 pm. So enthralling was the concert that the maestro sang as if it was his last concert in Hubli. It was. Joshi never performed in Hubli again.<br /><br />Awards and titles<br /><br />Pandit 1954<br />Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan Award 1969<br />Gayanacharya Puraskar 1964<br />Padma Shri 1972<br />Sangeet Ratna 1972<br />Karnataka Sangeet Nataka Academy 1972<br />Mahamahopadhyay Puraskar 1982<br />Best Playback Singer Award 1985<br />Kendra Sangeet Natya Academy Award 1987<br />Padma Bhushan 1989<br />Maharashtra Gourav 1990<br />Tansen Award 1991<br />Pune University honourary doctorate 1991<br />Dinanath Mangeshkar Award 1992<br />Padma Vibhushan 1999<br />Bharat Ratna 2008<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>
