- Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi, also known by the honorific prefix Pandit, was one of the greatest Indian singers from Karnataka in the Hindustani classical tradition.
- Joshi belongs to the Kirana Gharana tradition of Hindustani classical music. He is known for his concerts and between 1964 and 1982, Joshi toured Afghanistan, Italy, France, Canada and the US.
- He was the first musician from India whose concerts were advertised through posters in New York City.
Biography Of Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi In English
Birth Details –
Place– Gadag District, Karnataka, India
Date of Birth – 4 February 1922
Marital Status: Married
Nationality – Indian
Family –
Mother – Godavaribai
Father- Gururaj Joshi
Wife – Sunanda Katti, Vatsala Mudholkar
Sons – Raghavendra, Anand, Jayant and Srinivas Joshi.
Daughter – Usha, Sumangala, Shubhada
Early Life –
- Bhimsen Joshi was born on 4 February 1922 in a Kannada Deshastha Madhava Brahmin family to Gururajrao Joshi and Godavaribai in Gadag, Dharwad district, then in the Bombay Presidency of British India.
- As a child, Joshi was attracted to music and musical instruments like harmonium and tanpura and often followed processions with musical bands.
- His uncle GB Joshi was a famous playwright and had encouraged the beautiful literary collection of Dharwad. His grandfather was a famous Kirtankar. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was an important classical singer of the Kirana Gharana.
Personal Life-
- Joshi married twice. His first wife was Sunanda Katti, his maternal uncle’s daughter, whom he married in 1944. He had four children with Sunanda; Raghavendra, Usha, Sumangala, and Anand.
- In 1951, he married Vatsala Mudholkar, his co-actress in the Kannada drama Bhagya-Sri. Bigamous marriages among Hindus were prohibited by law in the Bombay Presidency; So he took up residence in Nagpur, where bigamy was permitted, and married there for the second time.
- He did not divorce or separate from Sunanda. He had three children with Vatsala; Jayant, Shubhada, and Srinivas Joshi.
- Initially, both his wives and families lived together, but when things did not work out, his first wife moved in with the family to a house in Limayewadi in Sadashiv Peth, Pune, where Joshi kept visiting her.
Career–
- Joshi performed live for the first time in 1941 at the age of 19. His first album, which contained some devotional songs in Marathi and Hindi, was released the next year in 1942 by HMV.
- Joshi later moved to Mumbai in 1943 and worked as a radio artiste. His performance at a concert to celebrate the 60th birthday of his guru Sawai Gandharva in 1946 won him praise from both the audience and his guru.
- In 1984, he received his first platinum disc, becoming the first Hindustani singer to receive this award.
Hindustani Classical Music
- Joshi’s performances have been marked by music critics such as S.N. Chandrasekhar of Deccan Herald by spontaneity, precise notes, dizzying pace that utilizes his extraordinary vocal training and mastery over rhythm.
- Joshi sometimes used Sargam and Tihai and often sang traditional compositions of Kirana Gharana.
- Some of the more popular ragas of Joshi include Shuddha Kalyan, Miyan Ki Todi, Puriya Dhanashree, Multani, Bhimpalasi, Darbari, Malkauns, Abhogi, Lalit, Yaman, Asawari Todi, Miyan Ki Malhar and Ramkali.
- He was a purist who, except for a series of Jugalbandi recordings with Carnatic singer M. Balamuralikrishna, did not dabble in experimental forms of music.
- He with Smt. Gangubai Hangal along with others took Kirana Gharana to great heights and is proudly known as the worthy son and daughter of Kirana Gharana.
Awards-
- 1972 – Padma Shri
- 1976 – Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- 1985 – Padma Bhushan
- 1985 – National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
- 1986 – “First platinum disc”
- 1999 – Padma Vibhushan
- 2000 – “Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar
- 2002 – Maharashtra Bhushan
- 2003 – “Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram” by Government of Kerala
- 2005 – Karnataka Ratna
- 2009 – Bharat Ratna
- 2008 – “Swami Haridas Award”
- 2009 – “Lifetime achievement award” by Delhi government
- 2010 – “S V Narayanaswamy Rao National Award” by Rama Seva Mandali, Bangalore
Other Information –
- Date of death – 24 January 2011
- Place – Pune, Maharashtra, India
Question Related to Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi
\What is the birth place and date of birth of Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi?
Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was born on 4 February 1922 in Gadag district, Karnataka, India.
What was the name of Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi’s father?
Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi’s father’s name was Gururaj Joshi.
What was the name of Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi’s mother?
Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi’s mother’s name was Godavaribai.
What was the name of Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi’s wife?
Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi’s wife’s name was Sunanda Katti, Vatsala Mudholkar.
How many sons did Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi have?
Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi had 4 sons whose names were Raghavendra, Anand, Jayant and Srinivas Joshi.
How many daughters did Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi have?
Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi had 3 daughters whose names were Usha, Sumangala, Shubhada.
When and where did Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi die?
Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi died on 24 January 2011 in Pune, Maharashtra, India.
