Sawai Gandharva
| Sawai Gandharva | |
|---|---|
Sawai Gandharva
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ramchandra Kundgolkar Saunshi |
| Born | January 19, 1886 |
| Origin | Kundgol, Karnataka |
| Died | September 12, 1952 (aged 66) |
| Genres | Hindustani Classical Music, Khayal, Thumri, Bhajan, Natyageet, etc. |
| Occupation(s) | Hindustani Classical Vocalist |
Ramachandra Kundgolkar Saunshi, popularly known as Pandit Sawai Gandharva (January 19, 1886 – September 12, 1952), was a popular Kannadiga-Maharashtrian 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. 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.
Born Ramchandra Kundgolkar on January 19, 1886, in Kundgol, 19 km. from Dharwad, Karnataka, he grew to be known as Rambhau. 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 sang 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.
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 also mastered a few Taals. Kolhatkar died in 1898, leaving Pt. Gandharva's tutelage incomplete and without guidance.
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