Gajananrao Joshi

Gajanan Anant Joshi (30 January 1911 - 1987/88) was a vocalist and violin player in Hindustani Music. Music ran in his family. His grandfather Manohar had studied dhrupad and dhamar. And father Anant (Anant Manohar Joshi was known as Antu-Buwa) was a distinguished khayal singer who had studied under Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar. Gajananbuwa studied gayaki of Gwalior Gharana under his father and also under other teachers in whom he found something to learn, and assimilated other styles in his art. He was an exceptionally gifted musician and teacher. He had consummate command over layakari whether he was singing a bada khayal in Jhaptal or Jhumra or Tilwada or Teentaal. He did not receive the recognition which his genius warranted. Accounts differ over his introduction to violin. One account claims that the ruler of the place where he and his father resided gave him a violin and asked him to study it. But it is also claimed that he took to violin because of problems with a rebel throat. However it might be, he was a highly skilled violin player by the time he turned 20. With tireless perseverance, he also overcame the handicap with his throat. His father was very demanding and rather too difficult with him, and he did the same to his own children.

His students include some famous names in Indian Classical Music. The most gifted among them are renowned vocalist and violinist Madhukar Joshi,Ulhas Kashalkar, Padma Talwalkar, and violinist Shridhar Parsekar. He also taught vocalists Kaushalya Manjeshwar, Veena Sahasrabuddhe and Jayashree Patnekar. His daughter Malini, sons Manohar, Madhukar and Narayan are also trained musicians. His sons variously took to singing, violin, and tabla.

His grasp was so quick that it is said that Kesarbai Kerkar did not like to have him attend her concerts because he could quickly incorporate her strengths in his own singing. His gurus -- father Anant Manohar Joshi of Gwalior, Vilayat Hussein Khan of Agra and Bhurji Khan of Jaipur -- spanned the three gharanas whose blend is exhibited in his art. In particular, he was without peer in bol-bant (arranging the words of a bandish in different rhythmic patterns) and would weave bewitching patterns before swooping on the sam, often with a perfectly executed tihai.

References

* http://ulhaskashalkar.tripod.com/gajananr3.htm

External links

* http://sarod.free.fr/wp-images/who (English website)