Sawai Gandharva Music Festival

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav


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Birth_name = Sawai Gandharva Sur Sammelan
Also known as = The Sawai Gnadharva Music Festival
Founded = Birth date and age|1952|12|4|mf=y
Died =
Origin = Pune, India
Gharana = Started off as Kirana Gharana exponents only, but now holds artists from both Hindustani and Carnatic Music.
Genre = Hindustani classical and Carnatic classical
Years_active = 1952 - Present
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Current_members = Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Smt. Gangubai Hangal, Firoz Dastur, and The Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal
Past_members = The Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal

The Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav is the most prominent and sought-after Indian classical music festival in India. Held in the city of Pune, this festival was founded by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal and is led and organized each year by Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. This festival commemorates the life and achievements of Pt. Sawai Gandharva.

The festival celebrated its Golden Jubilee in December 2002. This festival is a unique phenomenon in the annals of Hindustani classical music. Over the last 50 years, generations of Pune's connoisseurs have grown up savoring the unforgettable performances at the festival by great Hindustani masters.

History

The Sawai Gandharva Music Festival played a key role in the history of Hindustani classical music. Before India gained independence, the court musicianship system of Indian musicians in the earlier days helped Hindustani Music thrive. After independence, not only did the political division of India and Pakistan separate Hindustani Music culturally, but both India and Pakistan lost many skilled and talented musicians. Many musicians worried how their classical music would survive with the new political reform. As a result many maestros and amateurs performed in Musical plays to sustain their art.

What this festival did was create a platform, a stronghold, and a home for musicians to come and perform. Not only did the festival become an annual event for music connoisseurs worldwide, but it re-introduced Hindustani and Carnatic Music as modern music and kept it 'in rhythm' with Indian pop culture.

Performing Artists

Such Hindustani masters as Smt. Hirabai Badodekar, Smt. Saraswati Rane, Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa, Pt. Kumar Gandharva, Smt. Kishori Amonkar, and of course, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi have graced the stage of this legendary festival.

Many more maestros, young masters, and prodigies have performed at this festival in its fifty-five years of brilliance. To see the performances over the years look at Sawai Gandharva Music Festival Past Performances.

Tradition

This festival is conducted every year in the first two weeks of December over three days. For the first two days, the programme begins at around 4 in the afternoon and is officially supposed to get over by 10 in the night. On the third day(usually a Sunday), the programme is conducted in two sessions, first one starting at 8 in the morning continuing till around 1 PM. The second session begins at around 4 and ends at 10PM. Artists from various parts of India present their musical talent. An opportunity to appear on stage of Sawai Gandharva Festival means the "arrival" of the artists in the classical music scene of India. This festival is the debut platform for many upcoming artists.At the festival it is tradition that the last performance is presented by Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. Typically after his presentation the ten-thousand plus audience, and the performing artists listen to Pt. Sawai Gandharva's recording of the Raag Bhairavi Thumri, "Jamuna Ke Teer", made famous by his guru, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan.