Bhendibazaar gharana
The Bhendibazaar gharana is one of the vocal gharanas of Indian classical music, which originated in Bhendi Bazaar area of Mumbai in 1890. The roots of bhendibazaar gharana lies in the much older Moradabad Gharana which is a complete Gharana both vocal and instrumental.
History and features
The Bhendibazaar gharana was founded around 1890 by brothers Chhajju Khan, Nazir Khan and Khadim Hussain Khan in the Bhendi bazaar area of Mumbai. The features of this gharana include using 'aakaar' for presenting khyals in an open voice, with clear intonation, a stress on breath-control, singing long passages in a single breath, a preference for madhyalaya (medium tempo) and use of the well-known Khandmeru or Merukhand system for extended alaps. Ustad Chhajju Khan's son Ustad Aman Ali Khan, and Anjanibai Malpekar, are well-known exponents of this gharana. Amir Khan's father Shahmir Khan belonged to this gharana and passed on the tradition to his son.[1]
Prominent exponents
First generation
Ustad Dilawar Hussain Khan
Second generation
Ustad Chhajjoo Khan, Ustad Nazeer Khan, Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan (sons of Ustad Dilawar Hussain Khan)
Third generation
- Ustad Fida Ali Khan (son of Ustad Chhajjoo Khan) (died prematurely)
- Ustad Aman Ali Khan (son of Ustad Chhajjoo Khan) (1888–1953)
- Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan (son of Ustad Nazeer Khan) (died prematurely)
- Pandita Anjanibai Malpekar (disciple of Ustad Nazeer Khan) (1883–1974)
- Shahmir Khan (Father of Ustad Amir Khan) (Sarangi)
- Kaderbaksh (Sarangi)
Fourth generation
- Pandit Shivkumar Shukla (1918–1998),
- Pandit Pandurang Amberkar (1914–2002),
- Master Navrang Nagpurkar (1919–1998),
- Pandit Ramesh Nadkarni (1921–1995),
- Ustad Muhammed Hussain Khan (1907–1988),
- Pandit T D Janorikar (1921–2006),
- All disciples of Ustad Aman Ali Khan (1888–1953)
Fifth generation
- Disciples of Ustad Muhammed Hussain Khan:
Faiyyaz Khan (son of Ustad Muhammed Hussain Khan) (Violin) ; Dr. Jyoti Dhamdhere; Anupama Chandratreya
- Disciples of T. D Janorikar:
Anupama Chandratreya; Anuradha Kuber; Anuradha Marathe; Kishori Janorikar; Kumudini Mundkur; Sadhana Joshi; Sharad Karmarkar; Dr. Suhasini Koratkar; Vasundhara Pandit; Shrikant Padgaonkar; Padmakar Kulkarni;
- Disciples of Master Navrang:
(Late) Neelatai Nagpurkar; (Late)Upendra Kamat; (Late) Mandakini Gadre; Shubha Joshi; Shaila Pipalpure; Pramila Datar; Madhura Jasraj;
- Disciples of Pandit Pandurang Amberkar:
Shubha Joshi;
Other disciples
Those disciples who took guidance from stalwarts of Bhendibazaar Gharana for some time but developed their own style and pursued Classical or Light Music or chose to work in Film industry:
- Disciples of the three brothers Ustad Chhajjoo Khan, Ustad Nazeer Khan and Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan:
Shahmir Khan (Sarangi player- father of Amir Khan); Chand Khan; Kaderbaksh (Sarangi); Mamman Khan; Zande Khan; Miyan Jaan; Wadilal Shivram
- Disciples of Ustad Aman Ali Khan:
Lata Mangeshkar; Nisar Bazmi; Vasantrao Deshpande; Manna Dey; Wali Ahmed Khan; B C Chaitanya Dev; Shantilal (Harmonium); Parshurambuwa Parsekar; Mridungacharya Narayanrao Koli
- Disciples of Pandita Anjanibai Malpekar:
Kumar Gandharva; Kishori Amonkar; Begum Akhtar; Nainadevi
- Disciples of Master Navrang Nagpurkar:
Asha Bhosle; Jitendra Abhisheki; Suman Kalyanpur; Pankaj Udhas
- Disciples of Pandit Shivkumar Shukla:
Mukund Vyas; daughters Kiran and Neelam Shukla
- Disciples of Pandit Ramesh Nadkarni:
Sakuntala Narsimhan; Devendra Murdeshwar; Mahendra Kapoor