KUMAR GANDHARAVA : EVERLASTING NOTES OF HIS CITY MEHFILS

In the birth centenary year of the doyen Hindustani Classical music, Nagpur I answered look back on his performances, his gayaki and what set him apart

The notes of a Hindustani Classical bandish - chidiya chu chuhani in raag Deshkar - filled the Bhagini Mandal Hall on a Sunday morning. As a music maestro Kumar Gandharava unfolded the raag, there was an incessant twittering of birds outside, adding charm to the entire musical experience. It was an Indian-Style baithak with the audience sitting around the artist. The bond between the vocals and his admirers was tangible as he held them in thrall. This was in the year 1972.

"This was Kumarji's first concert with Methil, our banner under which we hold musical events, though I had heard him before in 1966 at the Swar Sadhana Sangeet Samaj Sammelan and in 1967 at the Dhanwate Rang Mandarin, " recalls Dinkar Kukday, a lawyer by professional whose passion is Indian Classical music. 

"I had a tape recorder - a spool machine on which just would record these musical events. For this concert, when I was placing the machine near Kumarji he asked me what was I doing, I told him I would be recording. He said he will allow me only if I record at a speed of 7 ½," recalls Kukday.

"I told him whatever you say. It was excellent performance. His close associate and tablature virtuoso Vasantrao Achrekar, Babanrao Athalye accompanied him on harmonium and Kumarji's disciple Meera Rao, who has specially come for the programme was on tanpura. The event ended around 1pm. But it marked the beginning of a very long and beautiful association with Kumarji," Kukday adds.

From then on, Kukday accompanied the vocalist to all venues in Nagpur and elsewhere in Vidarbha. "It was a 25kg recording machine and I would carry it in my car and drive Kumarji to different venues. I had the good fortune of recording all these events on my tape recorder,  with his permission, and would also give him a copy," says Kukday.

Kumar Gandharava had been visiting the city since the early fifties, the period when he was recovering from tuberculosis. Baburao Deshmukh, a wealthy elite and a patron of classical music, would host many musicians at his home in Mahal popularly known as Deshmukh wada. Luminaries like PL Deshpande, Vasantrao Deshpade, Bhimsen Joshi, would all be present. The evening would have one or the other of these singers perform before connoisseurs of music like Nana Jog among others. "In Nagpur, Baburao Deshmukh was the first to purchase the tape recorder in 1954. The quality of the recording was quiet good. I could salvage many of these tapes from Baburao's son and also of Kumarji's performances in the subsequent years at the Wada," says Kukday about the recordings which are in his possession now.

During his long association with the singer, Kukday also got the opportunity to watch the maestro tune his tanpura before the performance. "Hearing him tune the tanpura used to be celestial experience. He would start the process a couple of hours before the concert and continue to do it till he heard the right note and then a smile would spread on his face," says Kukday and adds, "He would sit alone while doing it. Once when someone asked me to come out of the room, he told them "tyala basu day" (let him sit). I was extremely fortunate to have had this opportunity of watching him do the process which in the musical world is often referred to as 'jawari nikalana." Quality and perfection were the hallmark of kumar Gandharava, feels Kukday. "He was so brilliant that it seemed that ssat sur bhi unke saamney haath jod Kar khade how jaatey thay ki jaise chaho gao."

During his illness when he had been asked not to sing. Kumar Gandharava experimented with the sound that he heard all around him. That was the he explored the folk music of Malwa, the region where he lived (Dewas).

"There result was his nirguni bhajans and the Dhun Ugam Raags which he created. His connect with nature and his vision can be seen jncrease the bandish in raag Chaiti Bhoop. His other creation, Lagan Gandhar, is a testimony of his brilliance and continuous research," Kukday adds.

Describing the maestro as 'Nirbhay Sadhak', Hindustani classical vocalist Sadhana Shiledar, describes Kumar Gandharava's music as thought provoking. "It is well known that Kumarji could mimic the voice of great singers. Bit his guru Master Dedhar asked gin not you imitate and encouraged him to deviate. The result was that Kumarji rearranged the entire sphere of Hindustani Classical music," Shiledar said.

Shiledar, who learned music from Chandrshekhar Release,  the classical vocalist who had a long association with Kumar Gandharava which he wrote about in the book "Kumar Majha Sakhaa", feels that Kumar Gandharava's gayaki was unique and path breaking.  "Kumarji would question the traditional patterns like sur visitation, bandish, alaap, bol taan, he would explore beyond this tradition and that's why his music was away beyond an average listener who would possibly find his gayaki unpredictable." He was not bound to the traditions of a particular gharana though his singing had the bearings of Gwalior gharanas under which he was trained. "He would question it, study it and break the mould."

Shiledar adds, "His creativity was always in high speed lane. He would sing a nirguni bhajan in a classical music concert and stunning the audience with his presentation. His fans and admirers are also a class apart. Those working enjoy his singing find it hard to appreciate others," feels Shiledar. 

Kumar Gandharava was to perform in the city a month before death claimed him in January 1992. "Kumarji had performed for Saptak on August 11 and 12 in 1990. He had promised he would do so again. We had scheduled his performance in 1992 but unfortunately, he  passed away a month before. Our only regret is that he could perform for us just once, " says Vilas Manekar an office bearer of Saptak.