23 January,2016 01:09 PM IST | | The Centerstage Team
On Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's fifth death anniversary, we pay tribute to the legendary vocalist by revisiting some interesting facts from his life and career...
Remembering Pandit Bhimsen Joshi: A voice that will be heard forever
>> A member of the Kirana Gharana, he was renowned for the 'khayal' form of singing, as well as for his bhajans and abhangs.
>> He was born in the town of Ron, which was then in Gadag, Karnataka. He was the eldest in a family of 16 siblings.
>> Pt Joshi heard a recording of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan's Thumri 'Piya Bin Nahi Aavat Chain' in Raag Jhinjhoti when he was a child, which inspired him to become a musician.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
>> Until the first half of the 20th century, Khayal was principally taught in the Guru Shishya tradition. In 1933, the 11-year-old Bhimsen Joshi left Dharwad for Bijapur to find a master and learn music. With the help of money lent by his co-passengers in the train, Bhimsen reached Dharwar, Pune and then Gwalior where he joined a music school. He traveled for three years around North India trying to find a good guru. Eventually, his father succeeded in tracking him down in Jalandar and brought him back home.
>> In 1936, Pt Rambhau Kundgolkar agreed to be Bhimsen Joshi's guru.
>> Pt Joshi moved to Mumbai in 1943 and worked as a radio artist. He first performed live at the age 19. His debut album that had songs in Hindi and Kannada was released when he was 22.
