Anand Bhate
Anand Bhate singing in Vasantotsav, 2011
Background information
Birth name	Anand Bhate
Genres	Hindustani classical music
Occupations	singer
Years active	1981– Active

Anand Bhate (born 1971) is a Hindustani classical vocalist from the Kirana Gharana.^[1] He is popular for his classical singing of songs from the Marathi film Balgandharva (2011).

Early life and training[link]

Anand Bhate was born in Pune, India in 1971, in a family active in classical music. He inherited the singing tradition from his great grandfather Bhate Buva, who was a well known vocalist for Thumri and Natya Sangeet in the 19th century. By the age of 10, he had started systematic training in classical singing from Chandrashekhar Deshpande. He began his training under Yashwantbua Marathe, who introduced him to some of the intricacies of Khayal gayaki. Later he became a disciple of late Bhimsen Joshi,^[1] with whom he trained for 15 years.

Career[link]

His first public appearance came in 1981, when he performed Balgandharva's gayaki on All India Radio, Doordarshan and had a tour in the USA. It was a series of successful performances that fetched him the title "Anand Gandharva".

He has recently sung all the tracks for the lead character of a Marathi bio-pic of Balgandharva.^[2] He received the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for this film.^[3]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Anand Bhate, official website

Rambhau Kundgolkar, popularly known as Pandit Sawai Gandharva (Kannada: ಪಂಡಿತ್ ಸವಾಯಿ ಗಂಧರ್ವ) (Marathi: पंडित सवाई गंधर्व)(January 19, 1886 – September 12, 1952),^[2] was a popular Hindustani Classical vocalist and Marathi stage actor of the Kirana Gharana. He was the first and foremost disciple of Utd. Abdul Karim Khan and guru of Bharat Ratna laureate Pt. Bhimsen Joshi.^[3] Pt. Gandharva is most well known for popularizing the stylings of the Kirana Gharana through his accomplished disciples, including Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Dr. Gangubai Hangal, Firoz Dastur, and Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru.^[4]

Early life and background[link]

Pt. Gandharva was born in Kundgol, Karnataka. His father, Ganesh Saunshi, was a local clerk employed by Ranganagowda Nadiger, a landlord. Early on, Pt. Gandharva did not show interest in academics but progressed in school through the admiration his teachers had for how "sweetly" he sung poems. Later, he was admitted to Lamington High School in Hubli which he would travel to everyday by train. Pt. Gandharva's father found it increasingly difficult to fund his son's education and eventually his schooling stopped.

Initiation into music[link]

After discontinuing his education, Pt. Gandharva's father put him under the tutelage of Balwantrao Kolhatkar who found himself in Kundgol. From Kolhatkar, Pt. Gandharva learned 75 Dhrupad compositions, 25 Tarana compositions, a hundred other compositions and a mastered a few Taals. Kolhatkar died in 1898, leaving Pt. Gandharva's tutelage incomplete and without guidance.

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan[link]

In traveling to high school everyday to Hubli, Pt. Gandharva would actively participate in the daily cultural events in Hubli, where he spent his time watching Nataks and listening to music. Once, he found himself listening to a young Utd. Abdul Karim Khan and was immediately captivated. From then onwards, Pt. Gandharva wished for the Ustad's tutelage. After Balwantrao Kolhatkar's passing, Utd. Abdul Karim Khan began touring Karnataka, where he often stayed with the Nadiger family, Pt. Gandharva's father's employer, whom Pt. Gandharva was staying with.

It was a time when Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, the founder of Kirana Gharana,was touring Karnataka. He would often stay with the Nadigers for days on end. On such a trip, Ramchandra hovered around Abdul Karim Khan, humming jamunaa ke teer, the Ustad’s Bhairavi cheez. It caught Abdul Karim Khan’s ear who asked, "Kaun hai yeh ladkaa? Galaa achchaa hai". Rangangowda Nadiger pounced upon this opportunity: " Ustadji, he is our clerk’s son. He wants to learn music from you". "Yeh baath hai tho chalo hamaare saath". Fortune smiled on Ramchandra. This was in 1901. Abdul Karim Khan did not want his name to be spoilt by disciples learning haphazardly. He made a contract with them that they would learn from him for at least 8 years.

Career[link]

Rambhau did not complete his musical education. Against the wishes of his teacher, he joined a drama company and became popular as a singer in Marathi theatre. ^[5] He worked for Govindrao Tembe's Shivraj Natak Mandali for some time, becoming famous for playing female roles.

Disciples[link]

Although he became a well known classical vocalist, his most enduring legacy is that he trained great artists who would carry on the name of the Kirana Gharana, like Gangubai Hangal, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, and Pt.Feroze Dastur.

Sawai Gandharva Festival[link]

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi started the annual Sawai Gandharva Music Festival in Pune, in memory of his guru Sawai Gandharva. The festival was held on a modest scale for first two decades. In 1970s and 1980s, its popularity skyrocketed.

References[link]

External links[link]

• "Sawai Gandharva". Musical Nrivana.com, August 1, 2000. http://www.musicalnirvana.com/hindustani/sawai_gandharva.html. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
• "Where north meets south". Sunday Magazine-The Hindu, November 29, 1998. http://www.hinduonnet.com/folio/fo9811/98110160.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
• "Biography Sawai Gandharva". Times of India, Bombay on September 19, 1986. http://www.kamat.com/database/biographies/sawai_gandharva.htm. Retrieved november 16,2009.