The notes of a Hindustani classical bandish – chidiya chu chuhani in raag Deshkar – filled the Bhagini Mandal hall on a Sunday morning.
As music maestro Kumar Gandharva revealed the melody, there was a continuous chirping of birds outside, adding charm to the entire musical experience. It was an Indian style sitting room with the audience seated around the performer. The bond between the singer and his fans was tangible as he enthralled them. This was in the year 1972.
Dinkar recalls, “This was Kumarji’s first concert with Mehfil, the concerts we organize under our banner, though I had heard him at the Swar Sadhna Sangeet Samaj Sammelan in 1966 and Dhanwate Rang Mandir in 1967.” kukdeA lawyer by profession, his passion is Indian classical music. “I had a tape recorder—a spool machine on which I used to record these concerts. For this concert when I was holding the machine Kumarji He asked me what I was doing. I told him that I would do the recording. He said he would allow me only if I recorded at 7½ speed,” Kukade recalls.
“Whatever you say, I told him. It was a fine performance. His close associates and tabla maestro Vasantrao Achrekar, Babanrao Athale accompanied him on the harmonium and Kumarji’s disciple Meera Rao, who had come specially for the event , was on the tanpura. The program ended at about one in the afternoon. But it marked the beginning of a very long and beautiful association with Kumarji.” Kukde says.
Since then, Kukde accompanied the singer to places all over Nagpur and Vidarbha. “It was a 25 kg recording machine and I used to carry it in my car and take Kumarji to different places. I had the privilege of recording all these events on my tape recorder with his permission, and I used to give him a copy as well,” says Kukde.
Kumar Gandharva had been visiting the city since the early fifties, when he was recovering from tuberculosis. Baburao Deshmukh, a wealthy aristocrat and patron of classical music, hosted many musicians at his home in the palace, known as the Deshmukh Wada. Veterans like PL Deshpande, Vasantrao Deshpade, bhimsen joshiEveryone will be present. In the evening one or the other of these singers will perform in front of music connoisseurs like Nana Jog.
“Baburao Deshmukh in Nagpur was the first person to buy a tape recorder in 1954. Recording quality was very good. I could have saved many of these tapes of Baburao’s son and Kumarji’s performances at the Wada in later years,” Kukde said of the recordings that are now in his possession.
During his long association with the singer, Kukde also had the opportunity to watch the maestro tune his tanpura before a performance. “It was a divine experience to hear him play the tanpura. He would start the process a few hours before the concert and keep doing it until he could hear the right note and then a smile would spread on his face,” says Kukade, adding, “He would Used to sit alone for the time being. Once when someone asked me to come out of the room, he told them “tyala basu de” (let him sit). I was extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe him in a process often referred to in the music world as ‘jawari niklana’.
Quality and perfection were the hallmark of Kumar Gandharv, feels Kukday. “He was so brilliant that it seemed that saat sur bhi unke saamney haath jod kar khade ho jaatey thay ki jaise chaho gao.”
During his illness when he was forbidden to sing, Kumar Gandharva experimented with the sounds he heard around him. This was the time when he discovered the folk music of Malwa, the region where he lived (Dewas). “The result was his Nirguni Bhajan and Dhun Ugam Raga which he composed. His association with nature and his vision can be seen in the bandish of Raga Chaiti Bhoop. His second work, Lagan Gandhara, is a testimony to his genius and relentless research,” says Kukde.
Describing the maestro as ‘Nirbhay Sadhak’, Hindustani classical vocalist Sadhana Shiledar, describes Kumar Gandharva’s music as thought provoking. “It is well known that Kumarji could imitate the voices of great singers.
But his mentor Master Deodhar told him not to copy and encouraged him to distract. The result was that Kumarji rearranged the entire field of Hindustani classical music,” said Shiledar.
Shiledar, who learned music from Chandrasekhar Rele, the classical vocalist who had a long association with Kumar Gandharva about whom he wrote in the book “Kumar Majha Sakha”, feels Kumar Gandharva’s singing was unique and path-breaking.
“Kumarji used to question the conventional patterns like Sur Vistar, Bandish, Alap, Bol Taan, Taan, he looked beyond this tradition and hence his music was beyond an average listener who might find his singing unpredictable.” He was not bound by the traditions of any particular gharana, although his singing was influenced by the Gwalior gharana under which he was trained. “He would question it, study it, and break the mold.”
Shiledar says, “His creativity was always in the fast lane.
He used to sing Nirguni Bhajans in a classical music concert and mesmerized the audience with his performance. His fans and admirers are also a class apart. Those who enjoy his singing find it difficult to appreciate others,” feels Shiledar. Kumar Gandharva was to perform in the city a month before his death in January 1992. was performed for Saptak.
He promised that he would do it again. We had scheduled his performance in 1992 but unfortunately he passed away a month before. Our only regret is that he could perform for us only once. Vilas Manekar An officer of Saptak.
As music maestro Kumar Gandharva revealed the melody, there was a continuous chirping of birds outside, adding charm to the entire musical experience. It was an Indian style sitting room with the audience seated around the performer. The bond between the singer and his fans was tangible as he enthralled them. This was in the year 1972.
Dinkar recalls, “This was Kumarji’s first concert with Mehfil, the concerts we organize under our banner, though I had heard him at the Swar Sadhna Sangeet Samaj Sammelan in 1966 and Dhanwate Rang Mandir in 1967.” kukdeA lawyer by profession, his passion is Indian classical music. “I had a tape recorder—a spool machine on which I used to record these concerts. For this concert when I was holding the machine Kumarji He asked me what I was doing. I told him that I would do the recording. He said he would allow me only if I recorded at 7½ speed,” Kukade recalls.
“Whatever you say, I told him. It was a fine performance. His close associates and tabla maestro Vasantrao Achrekar, Babanrao Athale accompanied him on the harmonium and Kumarji’s disciple Meera Rao, who had come specially for the event , was on the tanpura. The program ended at about one in the afternoon. But it marked the beginning of a very long and beautiful association with Kumarji.” Kukde says.
Since then, Kukde accompanied the singer to places all over Nagpur and Vidarbha. “It was a 25 kg recording machine and I used to carry it in my car and take Kumarji to different places. I had the privilege of recording all these events on my tape recorder with his permission, and I used to give him a copy as well,” says Kukde.
Kumar Gandharva had been visiting the city since the early fifties, when he was recovering from tuberculosis. Baburao Deshmukh, a wealthy aristocrat and patron of classical music, hosted many musicians at his home in the palace, known as the Deshmukh Wada. Veterans like PL Deshpande, Vasantrao Deshpade, bhimsen joshiEveryone will be present. In the evening one or the other of these singers will perform in front of music connoisseurs like Nana Jog.
“Baburao Deshmukh in Nagpur was the first person to buy a tape recorder in 1954. Recording quality was very good. I could have saved many of these tapes of Baburao’s son and Kumarji’s performances at the Wada in later years,” Kukde said of the recordings that are now in his possession.
During his long association with the singer, Kukde also had the opportunity to watch the maestro tune his tanpura before a performance. “It was a divine experience to hear him play the tanpura. He would start the process a few hours before the concert and keep doing it until he could hear the right note and then a smile would spread on his face,” says Kukade, adding, “He would Used to sit alone for the time being. Once when someone asked me to come out of the room, he told them “tyala basu de” (let him sit). I was extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe him in a process often referred to in the music world as ‘jawari niklana’.
Quality and perfection were the hallmark of Kumar Gandharv, feels Kukday. “He was so brilliant that it seemed that saat sur bhi unke saamney haath jod kar khade ho jaatey thay ki jaise chaho gao.”
During his illness when he was forbidden to sing, Kumar Gandharva experimented with the sounds he heard around him. This was the time when he discovered the folk music of Malwa, the region where he lived (Dewas). “The result was his Nirguni Bhajan and Dhun Ugam Raga which he composed. His association with nature and his vision can be seen in the bandish of Raga Chaiti Bhoop. His second work, Lagan Gandhara, is a testimony to his genius and relentless research,” says Kukde.
Describing the maestro as ‘Nirbhay Sadhak’, Hindustani classical vocalist Sadhana Shiledar, describes Kumar Gandharva’s music as thought provoking. “It is well known that Kumarji could imitate the voices of great singers.
But his mentor Master Deodhar told him not to copy and encouraged him to distract. The result was that Kumarji rearranged the entire field of Hindustani classical music,” said Shiledar.
Shiledar, who learned music from Chandrasekhar Rele, the classical vocalist who had a long association with Kumar Gandharva about whom he wrote in the book “Kumar Majha Sakha”, feels Kumar Gandharva’s singing was unique and path-breaking.
“Kumarji used to question the conventional patterns like Sur Vistar, Bandish, Alap, Bol Taan, Taan, he looked beyond this tradition and hence his music was beyond an average listener who might find his singing unpredictable.” He was not bound by the traditions of any particular gharana, although his singing was influenced by the Gwalior gharana under which he was trained. “He would question it, study it, and break the mold.”
Shiledar says, “His creativity was always in the fast lane.
He used to sing Nirguni Bhajans in a classical music concert and mesmerized the audience with his performance. His fans and admirers are also a class apart. Those who enjoy his singing find it difficult to appreciate others,” feels Shiledar. Kumar Gandharva was to perform in the city a month before his death in January 1992. was performed for Saptak.
He promised that he would do it again. We had scheduled his performance in 1992 but unfortunately he passed away a month before. Our only regret is that he could perform for us only once. Vilas Manekar An officer of Saptak.