Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Raag Vrindavani Sarang, Part...

Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (Kannada: ಪಂಡಿತ ಭೀಮಸೇನ ಗುರುರಾಜ ಜೋಷಿ, Marathi: पंडित भीमसेन गुरुराज जोशी, born February 4, 1922) is a renowned Indian vocalist. A descendant of the Kirana Gharana (stream) of Hindustani classical music tradition, he is particularly renowned for the Khayal form of singing. Till the first half of the 20th century, this form of singing was principally taught in the Guru Shishya (or the Master-disciple ) tradition. Sawai Gandharva was the chief disciple of Abdul Karim Khan, who along with his cousin Abdul Waheed Khan was the founder of the Kirana Gharana school of Hindustani music. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was born in a Kannadiga family in the small town of Gadag in Gadag district in the state of Karnataka .[1] His father was a conservative school-master. In 1933, the 11-year-old Bhimsen left his home on his own to learn singing through the Guru-Shishya tradition. He spent three years in Gwalior, Lucknow and Rampur in North India trying to find a good guru. His father succeeded in tracking him and brought young Bhimsen back home. In 1936, Rambhau Kundgolkar, popularly known as Sawai Gandharva, agreed to teach Bhimsen in Hindustani classical music. Bhimsen Joshi stayed with him from 1936 to 1940. He then left his guru and set out on his own, following a strict regimen of up to sixteen hours of daily riyaz (practice). Bhimsen Joshi first performed live at the age 19. His debut album, comtaining a few devotional songs in Kannada and Hindi, was released when he was 20. He has started an annual classical musical festival called the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival' in the memory of his guru. This festival is held in Pune every December. His son Sriniwas is also a vocalist and a composer.Padma Vibhushan in 1999 Padma Bhushan in 1985 Padma Shree in 1972 The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1976 First platinum disc in 1986 Maharashtra Bhushan award by Govt. of Maharashtra