Spiritual India-Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
>> Thursday, February 3, 2011
In the death of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, a spell is broken in the world of classical music. It was almost a physical blow to me to learn of his demise. We may never have another Bhimsen Joshi, sad indeed.
Personally, I don’t know much about music, leave alone classical music. Of course, I am interested in it, like to hear it, but as far as knowledge goes, I am a zero. Many years ago when I first heard Panditji rendering a Thumri, I fled from the room in which the radio was playing. My elder brother was and is a great fan of Panditji. He often listened to his songs and bhajans. He was always in a trance when he listened to one of Panditji’s compositions and barked us to leave the room when disturbed. After unwillingly listening to his Thumris and Khayals, his music and his voice began to linger in my mind. Without having any knowledge of what is Khayal and what is Thumri, I began to like both when Joshiji was singing. It captured the soul. Later, whenever he played on TV, I would leave everything and listened to him in rapt attention. Now I know why my brother scolded us when disturbed.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi- the very name inspires awe. The name is like a great banyan tree of music sheltering all and sundry in the world of classical music under its branches. His style of Gayaki is unparalleled. It appears he went inside himself, forgot everything when he performed and truly enjoyed this divine gift of singing without bothering about name and fame. The most appealing aspect of his music was it appealed to both, those who knew and even those who did not know anything about classical music. A pillar of Kirana Gharana, the void his death has created, is difficult to fill, if ever. May God rest his soul rest in peace.
Personally, I don’t know much about music, leave alone classical music. Of course, I am interested in it, like to hear it, but as far as knowledge goes, I am a zero. Many years ago when I first heard Panditji rendering a Thumri, I fled from the room in which the radio was playing. My elder brother was and is a great fan of Panditji. He often listened to his songs and bhajans. He was always in a trance when he listened to one of Panditji’s compositions and barked us to leave the room when disturbed. After unwillingly listening to his Thumris and Khayals, his music and his voice began to linger in my mind. Without having any knowledge of what is Khayal and what is Thumri, I began to like both when Joshiji was singing. It captured the soul. Later, whenever he played on TV, I would leave everything and listened to him in rapt attention. Now I know why my brother scolded us when disturbed.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi- the very name inspires awe. The name is like a great banyan tree of music sheltering all and sundry in the world of classical music under its branches. His style of Gayaki is unparalleled. It appears he went inside himself, forgot everything when he performed and truly enjoyed this divine gift of singing without bothering about name and fame. The most appealing aspect of his music was it appealed to both, those who knew and even those who did not know anything about classical music. A pillar of Kirana Gharana, the void his death has created, is difficult to fill, if ever. May God rest his soul rest in peace.
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