Pt Bhimsen Joshi keeps his date with Sawai festival
indianexpress: One stage, multitudes of music lovers and nine maestros who brought Indian classical melodies back to life. The most awaited art and cultural event, Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav, entered its 55th year at the Ramanbaug High School grounds in Shaniwar Peth today. The highlight, of course, was the presence of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, who has been maintaining a low profile for two years now.
Gaikwad gharana’ s Gaikwad Brothers from Baroda commenced the festival, lending to their recital different hues of tabla and harmonium, redolent with shehnai, even while they forayed into the bandishein composed by Gangadhar Gaikwad, their late father. In an attempt to present the audience with a bouquet of different cultures, they instilled in their performance harmonious tunes from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Saurashtra, winding up with Mehendi Rang lagyo , a popular refrain in Gujarati folk music domain.
Anand Bhate from the Kirana gharana then took over. Famous as a singer who renders the Balgandharva style of compositions, Bhate was eulogised for his M. Tech in computer science. Closely associated with natya sangeet as a child, the singer gradually forayed into classical music, while he was learning the art under Pandit Joshi. He started off his performance with raag Yaman, following his bandishein with the bhajan Kanhoba tuzi ghongadi . Balgandharv’s natya geet, Johar mai baap, then pursued, especially on the request of Pandit Bhimsen’s son, Shrinivas, while the former sat throughout Bhate’s recital.
