Padma Vibhushan Gangubai Hanagal, like Bharat Ratna Bhimsen Joshi, was a disciple of Sawai Gandharva of Kundagol. Although eight years older than Joshi, the two jewels became lifelong friends.
Deepa Ganesh of The Hindu recounted a lovely anecdote involving the two friends a couple of years ago:
“In dry Kundagol, it was Bhimsen Joshi’s duty to fetch unending pitchers of water for his guru’s house from a distant water tank. ‘Poor fellow, in the scorching heat, he would carry water on his shoulders… but as he walked he would constantly sing. How many times I’ve heard him practising the taans of Multani, Shankara…!’ recalls Gangubai.
“After class as Gangubai would get ready to return to her home in Hubli, Bhimsen Joshi would accompany her to the railway station. ‘It would have got dark and I being a young lady, my guru would never say no to Bhima.
“We would have barely got to the street, and Bhima would ask: ‘Akka, what did you learn today?’ I had to give him all the details. And then he would say, ‘Haadi torsala (‘shall I sing it for you…’).’ And in this way they would exchange notes till they reached the station, till the train chugged away.”
Also read: Jewels before the train for Hubli chugged away
Photograph: A young Gangubai, part of the collection of the Museum of Indian Classical Music at her residence in Hubli (courtesy: Frontline)
***
Read Deepa Ganesh: A life in three octaves
Read Gowri Ramnarayan: Where north meets south
Read Sabina Sehgal: The gaanewali
Read the PTI obituary: The voice of tradition
churumuri 
The story is so touching… it is hard to fill the void left by a great singer.
LikeLike
What a great moment!
LikeLike
–>>> ‘Akka, what did you learn today?’ I had to give him all the details. And then he would say, ‘Haadi torsala (‘shall I sing it for you…’).’
It might be “Haadi torsalaaa”, meaning please sing and let me know (instead of just giving the details).
LikeLike
Thank you AM. That is what I thought, too. Dakshinada mandige namma maathu thiLiyoodilla annodu khare. In any case, I suppose we can safely ignore this reported incident because myths spring up about legendary figures all the time. I would imagine that the expostulation of khayaal takes a great deal of concentration and sitting down to sing. I am having a hard time trying to imagine Bhimu kaaka and Gangoo thai walking side by side and practicing poorvi kalyaani on their way to the railway station.
LikeLike
Bhimsen Joshi ran away from home in search of a home as did Rajaguru. Obviously Gangu Thai stayed rooted in Hubballi. I wonder if there are similar stories about Mallappa Mansura and Shivaputra Komkali. As I said in a related post, in spite of having a mother well-versed in Karnataka sangeetha and learning it under her feet, why would Gangubai not record a few keerthanes and vachanaas for us? I don’t know if Kumara Gandharva did either. I am thankful that Rajaguru and Mansuraru had no such madivanthike. They sang both. The happy thing is now that all well-known Hindustani singers from U. K. (Uttara Karnaataka, that is) are magnificent expositionists of vachanas as well as dasara padagalu. Gudi, Toravi, Venkatesh Kumar. The list is a long one. May they all prosper.
In the sixties, thanks to Naraayana Sangama, we heard Joshi’s bhajanes in Hindustani style on the AIR once in a great while. I am glad that Joshi later won the heart of Dakshina Karnaataka as well by his rendition of daasara padagalu and became a household name in our state. He has created musical magic for us, those who know little about the intricacies of Hindustani music. I cannot help wishing that Hanagal had done something similar for us.
LikeLike
akka, haaDi torsalla or as they would say in mys-blr akka, haaDi torse
pulkyeshi: venkatesh kumar – basava
http://www.kannadaaudio.com/Songs/Devotional/home/EnnabhaktiBasavannanalli.php
but they have not put up the piece de-resistance emmavaru besagonDare.
LikeLike
TS–
Joshi in Maisuru kannada would have said, “Haadi thOr(u)sla?”
I am happy to say that I am familiar with Venkatesh Kumar’s ouvre and imagine the kind of musical power that might be his in ten years. My own favorite is his “Ole hatthi uridare.” Are you referring to his “Emmavaru?”
LikeLike
ptl… here is an anecdote. my father has the dubious distinction of requesting VK to sing a vachana at the rayar maTha in mysore. hahaha!!! can you imagine the consternation that caused amongst the bhaktaadis, not to mention my avva who is prim and propah about protocols. VK himself is supposed to have made a sanne as if to say ayyo tappu. hahahaha!! namm apph ee kati haeLi haeLi nagtaana …
ptl… lankesh once said ille avalakki uppiTT tindkonD irbodalla or something on those lines. ille irbodu tappenilla, but avalakki ne niyama aadre yaen upayoga illa. in the long run it is much better if ‘digaru go to hattaaru desha and do hanondaaru saadhne.
LikeLike
PTL for you …
Nachiketa Sharma(Basavaraj Rajguru’s shishya) raama naama payasakke krushna naama sakkare
iva amerikadoLage avalakki manDakki hacchkonD tintaana.
Raghu dixit(Girish Karnad’s shishya) sorutihudu maniya maaLigi
(he is supposed to be untutored in music but who cares?)
iva bengaLoor doLaga pizzakke uppinkaayi nanjkonD tintaana.
oTTalli nammanthorga vaatapi jeerNa.
LikeLike
VK’s “Karedare barabaarade” is splendid. I hope he sang that at the matha. Considering that Yed’s family is such an ostentatious worshipper of Raayaru, it is not really unthinkable that a vachana might be sung in a Raghavendra matha or a keerthane in some shiva temple. Good anecdote.
Mandi horagina raajyagaLge gule hOgabaaradu antha nanna iraade alla. Antha dodda vyakthigaLige namma mani valaga yaaka sanmana/recognition sikkangilla annoodu nanna prashna.
Thanks for the links. The names you mention are indeed new to me. I will see what they are made of. Uppinakaayi+pizza is a good one.
Interesting that Lankesh remained a homebody. I don’t think he ever traveled abroad. Manyaaga kadubu thinkondu karubuttha idda haanga kaanisthada.
LikeLike
Nimdu kirana gharana namdu kirana angdi.
Bhimsen Joshi to akka
http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20090814261613200.htm
Bhimsen Joshi, who knew this only too well, once famously told Gangubai: Nimdu Kirana Gharana, namdu Kirana angadi (Yours is Kirana Gharana, mine is kirana shop). Gangubai shaped her own, original creative urges and expressed it through the traditional idiom of the Kirana Gharana.
LikeLike