Doyen of Hindustani classical music Bhimsen Joshi dead

Legendary Hindustani vocalist Bhimsen Joshi, whose powerful and penetrating voice transcended the mundane and transported his audience into the sublime, died in a city hospital here on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 87.

Joshi had been put on a life support system following old age-related ailments leading to kidney and respiratory failure after his admission to a hospital on December 31, his family said. He leaves behind three sons and a daughter.

A recipient of the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, Joshi was the most-celebrated exponent of the ‘Kirana gharana’ of Khansahib Abdul Karim Khan.

A pall of gloom descended as the news of his demise spread with people making a beeline to his residence to pay their last respects to the singer who was the most powerful figure on the Hindustani music concert platform of ‘khayal gayki’.

Condoling the passing away of the maestro, President Pratibha Patil said, “In his death, the country has lost a great personality who was an exponent of vocal music.”

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his death was a national loss. “I am sad to learn about the passing away of Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. It is a national loss. Millions of music lovers all over the world enjoyed and will continue to enjoy his music genius”, he added.

Noted Hindustani classical singer Pandit Jasraj said he was shocked and saddened. “He did not belong to any particular gharana, but to the entire Hindustani music world.”

Carnatic music exponent M Balamuralikrishna, who had sung jugalbandis with Joshi, said, “It is a great loss for Indian music, not just for Hindustani music. I had the opportunity to sing along with him. He was like my elder brother. It is a personal loss.”

Santoor maestro Shiv Kumar Sharma said, “He was like a colossus. My association with him goes back to half a century.”

Born on February 4, 1922 at Gadag in Dharwad district of Karnataka, Joshi got a boost to his career during a concert in Pune in January 1946 on the occasion of the 60th birthday of his guru, Sawai Gandharva. What distinguished him from the ordinary was his powerful voice, amazing breath control, fine musical sensibility and unwavering grasp of the fundamentals that made him the supreme Hindustani vocalist, representing a subtle fusion of intelligence and passion that imparted life and excitement to his music.