- Mallikarjun Mansur
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Mallikarjun Mansur Birth name Mallikarjun Bheemrayappa Mansur Also known as Mallikarjun Manasoor Born 31 December 1910 Origin Manasoor, Dharwad, Karnataka Died 12 September 1992 (aged 81) Genres Hindustani classical music Occupations Vocalist Years active 1922-23(?) to 1992. Labels HMV, Music Today, Inreco Mallikarjun Bheemarayappa Mansur (Kannada: ಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನ ಮನಸೂರ) (1910–1992) was an Indian classical singer of the khyal style in the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana.[1] He received the three national Padma Awards: Padma Shri in 1970, Padma Bhushan in 1976, and Padma Vibhushan in 1992.[2]
Contents
Early life
Mansur was born in Dharwad, Karnataka.[3] in a poor family of cultivators. His father, a farmer by occupation was an ardent lover and patron of music, though he lived from a hand to mouth condition. Spotting the talent in his son, Mallikarjun's father engaged him to a travelling dance-and-drama troupe. As he hailed from the village Mansur, he was nicknamed so and this accompanied him for the rest of his life. The owner of this troupe took a liking to the tender and melodious voice of Mallikarjun and encouraged him to sing different types of compositions during the drama-performances. Hearing one such performance, he was picked up by Pundit Appaya Swamy under whom he had his initial training in Carnatic music. Sometime later, he was introduced to classical Hindustani music under Nilkanth Bua Alurmath of Miraj who belonged to the Gwalior Gharana. The latter brought him to Ustad Alladiya Khan (1855?- 1946), the stalwart and the then partiarch of the Jaipur gharana, in the late 1920s, who referred him to his elder son, Ustad Manji Khan. Following Manji Khan's untimely death, he came under the tutelage of Ustad Bhurji Khan, the younger son of Ustad Alladiya Khan. This grooming under the Khan Brothers had the most important influence on his singing.
Performing career
Mansur was well known for his command over a large number of rare (aprachalit) ragas such as Shuddh Nat, Asa Jogiya, Hem Nat, Lachchhasakh, Khat, Shivmat Bhairav, Bihari, Sampoorna Malkauns, Lajawanti, Adambari Kedar and Bahaduri Todi, as well as his constant, mercurial improvisations in both melody and metre without ever losing the emotional content of the song. Initially, his voice and style resembled that of Manji Khan and Pandit Narayan Rao Vyas, but gradually he developed his own style of rendition.
Books
Mansur wrote an autobiographical book titled Nanna Rasayatre (Kannada: ನನ್ನ ರಸಯಾತ್ರೆ) in Kannada,[4] which has been translated into English as a book titled My Journey in Music by his son, Rajshekhar Mansur.
Personal life
Mallikarjun Mansur was married to Gangamma. He had seven daughters and a son Rajashekhar Mansur. Amongst Pt Mansur's children, Rajashekhar Mansur (son) and Neela Kodli (daughter) are vocalists.[5]
References
- ^ http://www.deccanherald.com/content/88639/five-decades-uncompromised-music.html
- ^ "Padma Awards". Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (India). http://india.gov.in/myindia/advsearch_awards.php?start=10&award_year=&state=KA&field=3&p_name=&award=All. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
- ^ "Weekend musical feast". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2006-09-15. http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/09/15/stories/2006091502260100.htm.
- ^ "Award for Balamuralikrishna". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2009-01-02. http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/02/stories/2009010254740600.htm.
- ^ http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/04/stories/2003090400040100.htm
- "Kudrat Rangibirangi" by Kumarprasad Mukhopadhyay, 1st edition.
- "Rahul Dev Burman : the man , the music"
External links
- Mallikarjun Mansur at Allmusic
- Preserving Aprachalit Ragas by Rajshekhar Mansur
Categories:- 1910 births
- 1992 deaths
- Recipients of the Padma Bhushan
- Recipients of the Padma Shri
- Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan
- Hindustani singers
- Kannada people
- People from Dharwad
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