Contents
Kumar Gandharva
Reimagining Hindustani singing through distinctive phrasing, folk traditions and Kabir’s devotional poetry.
Geet Varsha · Ud Jayega Hans Akela
- Born
- 8 April 1924
- Birthplace
- Sulebhavi, India
- Died
- 12 January 1992
More people
Kumar Gandharva
Kumar Gandharva was an Indian classical singer who questioned fixed musical conventions without abandoning their roots. His performances drew on ragas, Malwa folk songs and devotional poetry.
Early life
Child prodigy
Showed exceptional musical ability as a child and performed publicly while young.
Formal study
Studied with B. R. Deodhar in Bombay and was teaching before the age of twenty.
Career
- 1930s
Early recognition
Became known as an unusually gifted young singer.
- Late 1940s
Illness and silence
Tuberculosis interrupted his singing and he settled in Dewas.
- 1953
Return to performance
Resumed concerts with an altered vocal approach.
- 1960s onward
New programmes
Developed themed concerts drawing together classical, folk and devotional music.
Selected work
Geet Varsha
A programme built around the rainy season.
Ud Jayega Hans Akela
A celebrated interpretation of poetry associated with Kabir.
Triveni
Brought together devotional traditions in a concert format.
Beyond work
Dewas
His long residence in Malwa brought him into close contact with local folk music.
Musical family
His wife Vasundhara and children Mukul and Kalapini also pursued singing.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗University of Chicago: The Record News ↗Photo: Malabarian. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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