“An artist of the stature of Bhimsen Joshi is born only once in a few centuries,’’ Pandit Ganapati Bhat Hasanagi said in Belagavi on Sunday.
“His craft was unmatched. His dedication to art and his sincerity in his performance was unparalleled. India is fortunate that it produced a musician of global fame,’’ he said.
He was speaking after releasing Bharat Ratna Bheemanna, a Kannada book on the singer , written by Shirish Joshi.
“I have attended most of Bhimsen Joshi’s concerts, travelled with him and performed at events organised by him. He embodied his emotions into his art and ensured that he led the listeners on a pleasant journey with him,” Mr. Bhat said.
Mr Bhat, who also wrote the preface to the book, said that reading the book gives a feeling that is similar to the one felt after a concert. “It lingers on in your mind This book leaves you thinking about it for long after you have put it down,’’ he said.
Ramakrishna Marathe, writer, read out excerpts from the book. He said that writer Shirish Joshi had brought to life anecdotes about all those who were closely associated with Bhimsen Joshi.
Anant Terdal, a disciple of Bhimsen Joshi, recalled his days with the maestro and said that he was fortunate to have been his student. Ramesh Jangal, president of the Institution of Engineers, publisher Savita Yaji and others were present.
Shirish Joshi, who has written books about various Hindustani musicians in the past, said that he planned to write about Bhimsen Joshi after reading Singing Emptyness, a book by Linda Hess, about the Nirguni Bhajans of Kumar Gandharva.
“However, when I began reading all the books written about Bhimsen Joshi, I realised that the book had to be larger in scope and include the biographical details of all artists and other persons that he encountered in his life,’’ he said.
Sreepati Manjanbail, theatre personality, spoke about the dedication of Bhimsen Joshi towards improving his skills till the end. “Some fans would joke that Bhimsen Joshi never looked at his audience as he was immersed in enjoying himself. I would point out that Bhimsen Joshi believed in the maxim `love thyself’. He had realised that you can entertain others only when your songs entertain you in the first place,’’ he said.
