The Hindu : Music can unite people: Bhimsen Joshi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 03, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Music can unite people: Bhimsen Joshi

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELGAUM NOV. 2. Felicitation to the exponent of Kirana gharana of Hindustani classical music, Bhimsen Joshi, marked the Rajyotsava celebrations here on Saturday, thanks to the Academy of Performing Arts, the Belgaum Cultural Association, and M/s Gargatti and Sons, Belgaum.

The Development Commissioner for North Karnataka, Cheeranjeevi Singh, and the convener of the academy, Hayavadan Joshi, felicitated Pandit Joshi in the presence of a large number of music lovers.

Ashok Gargatti of M/s. Gargatti and Sons presented a silver memento to Pandit Joshi. Prominent among those present included the T. Chowdaiah Award winner, R.K. Bijapure.

In reply to the felicitation, Pandit Joshi said only music could bring together people from different communities.

His remark came in an oblique reference to the demand for inclusion of Belgaum in Maharashtra.

Stating that he was visiting Belgaum after 17 years, he described it as a "revered city'', and remembered some of the stalwarts of Hindustani music from the city such as Kagalkar Buva and Ramkrishna Buva Vaze.

He even remembered Krishna Cafe at Khade Bazaar where music concerts were held in those "golden" days.

He enthralled the audience for an hour in the company of Bharat Kamat on tabla and Sudhir Nayak on harmonium.

Earlier, Pandit Joshi's son, Shrinivas Joshi, gave a vocal concert.

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