| Sawai Gandharva | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ramchandra Ganesh Saunshi[1] |
| Born | January 19, 1886 |
| Origin | Kundgol, Karnataka |
| Died | September 12, 1952 (aged 66) |
| Genres | Hindustani Classical Music, Khayal, Thumri, Bhajan, Natyageet, etc. |
| Occupations | Hindustani Classical Vocalist |
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]
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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.
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.
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 Abdul Karim Khan, the founder of Kiraanaa Gharaanaa,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.
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. 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, Bhimsen Joshi, and Feroze Dastur.
Bhimsen Joshi holds 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.