Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi( February 1922 – 24 January 2011) was one of the greatest Indian vocalists from Karnataka, in the Hindustani classical tradition. He is known for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music (bhajans and abhangs).
Bhimsen Joshi, a legend belongs to the Kirana gharana tradition of Hindustani Classical Music. Pt. Joshi is noted for his concerts, and between 1964 to 1982 Joshi toured Afghanistan, Italy, France, Canada and USA. He was the first musician from India whose concerts were advertised through posters in New York city, United States. Bhimsen Joshi was instrumental in organising the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival annually, as homage to his guru, Pandit Sawai Gandharva.
In 1998, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama. Subsequently, he received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 2009.
Devotional music
In devotional music, Joshi was most acclaimed for his Hindi and Marathi and Kannada Bhajan singing. He has recorded bhakti songs in Marathi,Santavani, Kannada Dasavani.
Janani ….mein na jiyu bin Ram…
Goswami Tulsi das poetry Bharata tell mother Keykeyi…
After he comes to know Ram, Lakshman n Janki ji have left due to his mother for Vanvas ….
Sung by the Gr8 Brother Singers
Rajan and Sajan Mishra
Patriotic music
Pt. Bhimsen Joshi was widely recognised in India due to his performance in the Mile Sur Mera Tumhara music video (1988), which begins with him and which was composed originally by him when he was asked to do so by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The video was created for the purpose of national integration in India, and highlights the diversity of Indian culture. Pt. Bhimsen Joshi was also a part of Jana Gana Mana produced by A. R. Rahman on the occasion of the 50th year of Indian Republic.
Playback singing
Joshi sang for several films, including Basant Bahar (1956) with Manna Dey, in Marathi movie “Swayamvar zale Siteche” (1964) for famous song “Ramya Hi Swargahun lanka”, in Kannada movie Sandhya Raga (1966) where he has sung extensively. It includes a song “e pariya sobagu” rendered in both Hindustani and Carnatic (Karnataka shastriya sangeetha) styles along with M. Balamuralikrishna. He sang Birbal My Brother (1973) with Pandit Jasraj. He also sang for the Bengali film Tansen (1958) and Bollywood Movie Ankahee (1985) which later fetched him National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer. His song ‘Bhagyadalakshmi baaramma’, a Purandara Dasa composition, was used by Anant Nag and Shankar Nag in the Kannada film Nodi Swami Naavu Irodhu Heege. He also sang as a playback singer for the Marathi film Gulacha Ganapati, produced and directed by P. L. Deshpande.
more- https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/classical-singers/bhimsen-joshi.html
