THIS IS A RARE AND USED ITEM. IT IS NOT MANUFACTURED ANYMORE. NO RETURNS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

In point of eminence, Bhimsen Joshi has few equals in the world of Hindustani music. He is rightly acclaimed as a pioneer in India’s post freedom renaissance and represents the new generation of younger veterans truly worthy of wearing the mantle of old maestros.

 Bhimsen Joshi, who comes of a middle-class family from Mysore State, developed a taste for music by listening to his mother’s “bhajans” even while yet a child. His growing obsession with music became so irresistible that he ran away from home in Gadag (Dharwar District), forsaking his school studies. He made his sojourns at Gwalior, Jullunder and several other places and learnt his art from many masters.

 But it was his association with Sawai Gandharva, the chief disciple of the great Abdul Karim Khan, that eventually shaped Bhimsen Joshi’s musical career. He lived with his distinguished “guru” for five years, practicing for 18 hours every day. To this was added the master’s magic feel. The result is such supremacy of technique and suavity of presentation as belong only to veterans.

 Bhimsen Joshi set out on his first concert tour when he was only 19 – and he has not looked back ever since. It was his recital at the diamond jubilee celebrations of his “guru” in Poona in 1946 that skyrocketed him to fame as an eminent vocalist at the early age of 24.

Although and exponent of the Kirana “gharana”, made so famous by Abdul Karim Khan, Bhimsen Joshi has evolved a style of his own. He reveals, great gifts of imagination in his singing. His style is marked by comprehensive “alap”, uncanny “layakri”, immaculate “taan” and massive architecture. His flexible, well-modulated voice, with its wide tonal range, can conjure up an  unending variety of musical effects – from delicate nuances to vigorous melodic figures.

 A classicist by temperament and training, he is equally at ease with lighter varieties such as “thumris” “bhajans” and stage songs.

This disc presents the shining facets of Bhimsen Joshi’s musical genius.

Side One:

Raga Gaur Sarang. This raga has a complete scale. The third note (Gandhara) is thesonant (vadi) and the sixth consonant (samvadi). It also makes use of the flat (Shuddha) and sharp (tivra) variations of the fourth note (Madhyama).

 The artiste starts his recital with a theme rendered in slow tempo (vilambit). The rhythm employed is ektaal in 12 beats. This slow elaboration is followed by another theme sung in fast tempo (drut) in tritaal in 16 beats.

Side Two:

 Raga Brindabani Sarang: This is also a mid-day melody. Pentatonic in character, it omits the third (Gandhara) and the sixth (dhaivata) and the fifth (Panchama) are the sonant and consonant notes. The raga also permits the use of the seventh (nishada) in its flat and sharp variations.

 The vocalist first presents a theme set to jhap taal in 10 beats in slow tempo, followed by another theme in tritaal, in 16 beats, in the faster strain.

Artists: 

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (Vocal), Vasant Acharekar (Tabla)

Tracks:

Side 1

Raga Gaud Sarang         Khayal in Vilambit Ektaal           - Saiyo Mainoo Datadi   

Raga Gaud Sarang         Khayal in Drut Teentaal              - Veya Nazar Nahin Aaynda   

Side 2

Raga Brindabani Sarang        Khayal Vilambit  Jhaptaal        - Tum Rab Tum Saheb   

Raga Brindabani Sarang        Khayal in  Drut Teentaal          -  Jaoon Nahin Tope Balihari