Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010
Rambhau Kundgolkar (1886 - September 12, 1952), popularly known as Sawai Gandharva ,
was a well known Hindustani vocalist. He was a disciple of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and helped popularize the Kirana Gharana. Sawai Gandharwa was born in Kundgol, twenty km south of Hubli, in Karnataka in 1886. Although not from a musical family, he developed a keen interest in music. He started his training in classical music under the tutelage of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan. Rambhau did not complete his musical education.
His father, Ganesh Saunshi, was a local clerk employed by Ranganagowda Nadiger, a landlord. Early on, Pt. Gandharva did not show interest in academics by progressed in school through the admiration his teachers had for how "sweetly" he sung poems. Later, he was admitted to Lamington High School in Hubli which he would travel to everyday by train. Pt. Gandharva's father found it increasingly difficult to fund his son's education and eventually his schooling stopped.
Sawai Gandharva accompanying Abdul Karim Khan
After discontinuing his education, Pt. Gandharva's father put him under the tutelage of Balwantrao Kolhatkar who found himself in Kundgol. From Kolhatkar, Pt. Gandharva learned 75 Dhrupad compositions, 25 compositions, a hundred other compositions and a mastered a few TaranaTaals. Kolhatkar passed away in 1898, leaving Pt. Gandharva's tutelage incomplete and without guidance.
To Listen: Raag Miya Malhar by Saway Gandharva: http://pmoutal.free.fr/sawaigandharv_miyamalhar.mp3 In traveling to high school every day to Hubli, Pt. Gandharva would actively participate in the daily cultural events in Hubli, where he spent his time watching Nataks and listening to music. Once, he found himself listening to a young Utd. Abdul Karim Khan and was immediately captivated. From then onwards, Pt. Gandharva wished for the Ustad's tutelage. After Balwantrao Kolhatkar's passing, Utd. Abdul Karim Khan began touring Karnataka, where he often stayed with the Nadiger family, Pt. Gandharva's father's employer, whom Pt. Gandharva was staying with.
It was a time when Abdul Karim Khan, the founder of Kirana Gharana,was touring Karnataka. He would often stay with the Nadigers for days on end. On such a trip, Ramchandra hovered around Abdul Karim Khan, humming jamunaa ke teer, the Ustad’s Bhairavi cheez. It caught Abdul Karim Khan’s ear who asked, "Kaun hai yeh ladkaa? Galaa achchaa hai". Rangangowda Nadiger pounced upon this opportunity: " Ustadji, he is our clerk’s son. He wants to learn music from you". "Yeh baath hai tho chalo hamaare saath". Fortune smiled on Ramchandra. This was in 1901. Abdul Karim Khan did not want his name to be spoilt by disciples learning haphazardly. He made a contract with them that they would learn from him for at least 8 years.
Rambhau did not complete his musical education. Against the wishes of his teacher, he joined a drama company and became popular as a singer in Marathi theatre. He worked for Govindrao Tembe's Shivraj Natak Mandali for some time, becoming famous for playing female roles. Although he became a well known classical vocalist, his most enduring legacy is that he trained great artists who would carry on the name of the Kirana Gharana, like Gangubai Hangal, Bhimsen Joshi, and Feroze Dastur. (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawai_Gandharva).
The Sawai Gandharva Music Festival 2010 will be organized at Ramanbaug New English School ground from December 9 to 12. The Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav (informally, Sawai Gandharva) is one of the most prominent and sought-after Indian classical music festivals in India. Held in the city of Pune since 1952, this festival was founded by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal and was led and organized each year by Pt. Bhimsen Joshi until 2002. Since then, Pt. Joshi’s son, Shrinivas Joshi, and disciple, Shrikant Deshpande have had a major hand in organizing this event. The festival commemorates the life, legacy, and achievements of Pt. Sawai Gandharva. Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, which organises the festival, said that music lovers from across the world were expected at the event as this was the 125th birth year of Pt Bhimsen Joshi’s guru Rambhau Kundgolkar alias Sawai Gandharva. For full program: http://www.sawaigandharvasangeetmahotsav.com/about_us.html
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
 |
Kaushik performing in London in 2005, after she received the BBC3 World Music Award |
On Tuesday 23 November 2010 at 23.05 PM (5.05 PM/USA), German public radio WDR3 portrays phenomenal raga-singer Kaushiki Desikan Chakrabarty from Calcutta!
WDR3 Radio: http://www.wdr3.de/open-soundworld/details/artikel/bengalische-nachtigall.html.
Kaushiki was blessed with the rare gift of a melodious voice and extreme musical potential which was given shape by her Guru, parents and her unflinching practice and dedication throughout the years.
At Sangeet Research Academy, her birth place, she grew up amidst the greatest stalwarts of music. Her musical talent was noticed even before she was a toddler, as she could reproduce any musical note which she was asked to sing. Her mother Smt. Chandana Chakrabarty an accomplished singer herself, took up the task of training Kaushiki in the initial stages, thus being her first Guru. Since music was in her genes, the task of further enhancement of her musical understanding and knowledge was taken over by none other than her illustrious father Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. Following the age old tradition Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty took Kaushiki to his mentor and guide, Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh,who accepted her as a “ Ganda Bandh Shagird” (Formal Disciple). Kaushiki’s exceptional talent was ably groomed under the magical tutelage of Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh. It was the influence of Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh which instilled in little Kaushiki’s heart that the path to musical excellence was not only technical brilliance but philosophical realization and devotion.
As the years passed by she was selected as a scholar at ITC Sangeet Research Academy in her early teenage under the guidance of her father since when the journey began. During this time ,the Guru, the Father and a performer par excellence, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty guided her to several platforms all over India and abroad and imparted the invaluable musical knowledge along with art of performance and the different aspects of complete musicianship. During her early days as a performer she was privileged to share platform with maestros like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt.Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Rashid Khan as a scholar of ITC SRA. Her “ RIYAAZ” under the guidance of her father turned Kaushiki from a child prodigy to the only A-TOP grade scholar, then at ITC SRA.
Prestigious music festivals like the Dover Lane Music Conference, Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan, Alauddin Khan Sangeet sammelan (Maihar), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Yadgaar Sabha (Delhi), Sangeet Natak Academy (Patna), Swar Utsav (Delhi) and many more have seen Kaushiki performing before connoisseurs and august gatherings. In her recent array of concerts she has performed in Sawai Gandharv, Saptak Festival, Shankarlal Festival (Delhi) and the Dover Lane Festival this year was the sixth year performance in a row.
Her musical horizons have not been limited to the boundaries of India but has been expanded to the global audience. Music lovers from countries like USA. Europe, England have highly regarded and acclaimed Kaushiki’s artistry.
A reflection of this came through many awards of which the most coveted was the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards. Kaushiki's excellent renditions in her albums FOOTSTEPS, THE JOURNEY BEGINS, SWAR SADHNA,PURE AND HAMARO PRANAAM have won the heart of many a listener all over the world. She has rendered her mellifluous voice in the same album along with the Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar titled VANDE MATARAM 2. Recently she has also recorded a number for A.R.Rahman in the famous Oscar nominated film WATER.
MORE TO READ:
http://harmonyom.blogspot.com/
