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the family tradition. enough material for an article.
As a teenager, I attended Joshi’s concerts We last met in 2001, when he had come
often in Dharwad and Hubbali when I visited for Pancham Nishad’s Tapasya concert in
during summer holidays. His senior disciple Mumbai, which also featured Pt C.R. Vyas
Pt Madhav Gudi was a relative who came to and Pandit Jasraj. This time, I got exclusive
our place and narrated experiences of tours. time for an elaborate interview. It was very
Later, during my career as a journalist, I met much like the unfolding of a raag, starting
him three times, and each encounter was slowly and then building tempo with various
different. kinds of ornamentation.
The first time was at the Sayaji Hotel in I was in Chennai when I heard the news
Indore in 1995, where he stayed in the room of his demise on January 24 morning. Since
next door. Though I was a journalist, I hadn’t I wasn’t carrying his music at that time, I
begun writing on music yet. I suddenly made it a point to buy some CDs later in the
bumped into him in the corridor, and very day. Later that day, I was totally immersed in
stupidly I asked him in Kannada, “Are you his rendition of Marwa, Puriya and Kaunsi
Pt Bhimsen Joshi?” He innocently replied, Kanada from Times Music’s Unsung series.
“Houdu (Yes)”. I told him I was a journalist Ten years later, Joshi’s voice lives on.
who originally belonged to Dharwad and
he said he knew my grandfather. Soon, he
told me to interview him, and since I was
not prepared, I lied that I had to rush for my
flight. Later I regretted my action, and even
felt bad I hadn’t touched his feet, as per the
custom. For months, I never told my boss or
my parents about this encounter.
The second meeting was at a press
conference held to launch a Music Today
cassette series to celebrate his 75th birthday
in 1997. It was a crowded affair with too The author taking notes as the maestro speaks in
many TV journalists trying to grab bytes, Mumbai, for the launch of the six-cassette series to mark
and I couldn’t ask him much. However, I had his 75th birthday in 1997

Essential Bhimsen Joshi
1 Raag Marwa – From Times Music’s Unsung series
2 Raag Puriya Dhanashri – From Navras Records album first released in 1993
3 Raag Miyan Ki Malhar – Live at Town Hall, Kolkata on Inreco Entertaiment
4 Mile Sur Mera Tumhara – With other artistes on YouTube
5 Ketaki Gulab Juhi – With Manna Dey in the 1956 film Basant Bahar, YouTube
6 Teerth Vithal – Marathi abhang in raag Ahir Bhairav
7 Bhagyada Lakshmi Baaramma – Kannada bhajan
8 Nadiya Kinare – Thumri in Piloo
9 Jamuna Ke Teer – Thumri in Bhairavi
10 Jo Bhaje Hari Ko Sada – Bhajan in Bhairavi

SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #19 | JANUARY 2021 55