View source for Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale

{{Short description|Indian Classical Vocalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
'''Bhaskar Raghunath Bakhale''' (17 October 1869 – 8 April 1922) (also known as Bhaskarrao or Bhaskarbua or Bhaskarbuwa) was a [[Hindustani classical]] [[vocalist]], a composer, and a teacher.<ref name=vh>V.H. Deshpande. Between Two Tanpuras. Popular Publication, 1989. {{ISBN|978-0-86132-226-8}} 
</ref><ref name=bd>B.R. Deodhar. Pillars of Hindustani Music. Popular Publication, 1995. {{ISBN|978-81-7154-555-1}}
</ref>

==Education==
Bhaskar Bakhale was born in a  [[Karhade Brahmin]] family in [[Kathor]], a village in [[Gujarat]], [[India]].  His early training was in [[dhrupad]] and [[kirtan]] from Vishnubuwa Pingale in [[Vadodara]]. The royal family of Vadodara arranged for musical lessons in the school run by its court musician Maula Baksha.<ref name=bonnie>Bonnie C. Wade. Khyal: Creativity Within North India's Classicial Music Tradition. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, U.K., 1984.</ref> He then became a child artist at Kirloskar Natak Mandali, a [[musical theatre]] troupe of [[Annasaheb Kirloskar]] where he had the ganda-bandhan ceremony with Bande Ali Khan, a [[Rudra Veena]] performer from [[Kairana|Kirana]] employed by the court of [[Indore]].<ref name=bonnie/> Faiz Mohammed Khan of [[Gwalior gharana]] taught him in [[Vadodara]] 1886–1897 and then recommended further training from Natthan Khan of [[Agra gharana]], a court musician at [[Jaipur]] and [[Mysore]], and the father of [[Vilayat Hussain Khan]].<ref name=bd/>  This apprenticeship continued in Mysore and [[Dharwad]] till the demise of Natthan Khan in 1901. In 1899, Natthan Khan recommended further training from [[Alladiya Khan]], the founder of [[Jaipur-Atrauli gharana]] and a court musician of [[Kolhapur]].  Starting in 1901, Bakhale learnt from Alladiya Khan, his brother Haider Khan, and his nephew Natthan Khan. His apprenticeship with Alladiya Khan continued interrupted until Bakhale's own death in 1922.<ref name=nmk>N. M. Kelkar. The Life of Pt. Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale. Popular Publication, Mumbai, 1959.</ref> Overcome with Bakhale's memories, Alladiya Khan broke down and abruptly ended his 1922 [[Mumbai]] recital at the residence of Seth Vitthaldas; the recital was to celebrate the birthday of Seth Vitthaldas and was attended by [[Shahu Maharaj]], the king of [[Miraj]], the king of [[Dewas]], and other dignitaries.<ref name=nmk/>
<ref name=nns>N.N. Shukla. Alladiya Khan: As I Knew Him. Journal of the Indian Musicological Society, ii/3 (1971), 14–25.</ref>  Dilip Chandra Vedi has noted that, like [[Abdul Karim Khan]], Bakhale was influenced by the style of Rahimat Khan (1856–1922), the younger son of Haddu Khan of [[Gwalior Gharana]].<ref name=meer/>

==Career==
During 1883–1885, Bakhale performed as a child artist in the stage plays of Kirloskar Natak Mandali where Bhaurao Kolhatkar, Moroba Wagholikar, and Balakoba Natekar earned much fame as singers of folksy and light classical stage songs. After completing his training in classical music, Bakhale returned as a classical vocalist in 1899 or so.<ref name=nmk/> During 1897–1901, he served as a professor of music at a training college in [[Dharwad]]. Starting in 1901, he was based in [[Mumbai]] and [[Pune]] but performed throughout [[India]] and [[Nepal]].  He was given the honorary title "Deva Gandharva" (God Among Celestial Musicians).<ref name=sd>Shaila Datar. Devagandharva. Rajahansa Prakashana, Nasik, 1991.</ref> His notebook lists [[dhrupad]]s and [[dhamar (music)|dhamar]]s learnt by him but he rarely performed those in public. His typical recital comprised [[khyal]] [[raga]]s and an assortment of [[dadra]], [[tappa]], [[thumri]], [[bhajan]], songs from Marathi stage plays, and traditional Marathi light classical forms. He also had a successful career as the music director of Kirloskar Natak Mandali and, afterwards, of Gandharva Natak Mandali.<ref name=hv>H.V. Mote. Vishrabdha Sharada: Volumes 1–4. H.V. Mote Publication, Mumbai, 1972.</ref>  [[Govindrao Tembe]] benefited from Bakhale's advisement in composing music for the stage play Sangeet Manapman (1911).<ref name=gt>Govind Tembe. Maza Sangeet Vyasanga (My Pursuit of Music). 1939.</ref>  Bakhale then composed music for new [[Marathi language|Marathi]] [[musical theatre]] stage plays such as Sangeet Vidyaharan (1913), Sangeet Swayamwar (1916), and Sangeet [[Draupadi]] (1920) by adopting compositions from classical Hindustani music. These compositions continue to be performed on stage and in [[Hindustani classical]] recitals. Several musicians, including [[Kumar Gandharva]], [[Vasantrao Deshpande]], and [[Anand Bhate]], have released recordings presenting their interpretations of [[Bal Gandharva]]'s renditions of these compositions.  Bakhale taught and mentored Bal Gandharva from 1906 until his own death, and also brought [[Ahmed Jan Thirakwa]] to Gandharva Natak Mandali as its [[tabla]] maestro. In 1911, Bakhale started Bharat Gayan Samaj, an institute to teach music in Pune; the institute had its centenary in 2011.

==Disciples==
Disciples to receive Bakhale's full formal training were [[Bal Gandharva]], Tarabai Shirodkar, Dattatray Bagalkotkar (Dattoba), Bapurao Ketkar, and Master [[Krishnarao Phulambrikar]]; among these, Bal Gandharva received training specifically for stage songs (semi/light classical) only and not for classical vocal. He also taught others including Dattatreya Bagalkotkar, Narahar Patankar, Gundopant Walawalkar, Ganapat Purohit, Harishchandra Bali, Bhai Lal Amritsari, and Dilip Chandra Vedi. He also taught Ganesh Ramachandra Behare, a disciple of Abdul Karim Khan, for one year.  Govindrao Tembe, who was his close associate starting 1901, had no interest in career as a vocalist and, instead, adopted Bakhale's teachings for [[pump organ]] [[harmonium]] playing.  Bakhale taught [[Kesarbai Kerkar]] for 10 months ( learn only one raag '[[sindhura]] ' in " bharat gayan samaj ") in 1914 and occasionally assisted [[Alladiya Khan]] in teaching her after she became Alladiya Khan's student in 1921. He also taught [[Vilayat Hussain Khan]] on a limited basis. Among these, Govindrao Tembe had a 50-year-long career as a harmonium player, as a music composer for stage plays and films, as an author of 5 books and several articles on music and musicians, and as a member of the central audition board of [[All India Radio]]. Bal Gandharva, Master Krishnarao, Vilayat Hussain Khan, and Kesarbai Kerkar had long careers as musicians and eventually became recipients of [[Padma Bhushan]] and [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] instituted by the [[Government of India]]. Around 1920, Tarabai, held in high regards by many including Kesarbai Kerkar,<ref name=bd/> renounced singing and retired to private life at a young age of 30;<ref name=gt/>  starting 1946, she made a few live recordings for [[All India Radio]] before passing away in 1949. Dilip Chandra Vedi became a disciple of [[Faiyaz Khan]] of [[Agra gharana]] after Bakhale's death and had a long career as a vocalist and as an instructor of music at Bharatiya Kala Kendra, [[New Delhi]].<ref name=meer>Wim Van Der Meer. Hindustani Music in the 20th Century. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (through Kluwer Academic Publishers Group), The Hague, Netherlands, 1980.</ref>
Pt Ram Marathe was the famous disciple of Master Krishnarao Phulambrikar. Master Krishnarao Phulambrikar not only taught Pt.Ram Marathe his own classical music compositions but also taught him the traditional classical music compositions which he learnt from  Pt. Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

==Legacy==
Bakhale was one of the first vocalists to receive traditional training from multiple [[gharana]] systems.<ref name=bd/> Since the start of the 17th century, Hindustani classical music had become a stronghold of [[Muslim]] musicians and [[Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar]] (1840–1926) was one of the few [[Hindu]] vocalists to earn fame at it in the 19th century.<ref name=bd/><ref name=nmk/>  He toured and taught extensively in the states of [[Maharashtra]], [[Gujarat]], and [[Karnataka]]. The next generation of Hindu musicians from these states included Bakhale, [[Vishnu Digambar Paluskar]], Ramakrishna Vaze, and [[Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande]] who did much to liberate the teaching and dissemination of classical music and to create an honorable social status for professional musicians.<ref name=vh/><ref name=bd/> Unlike Paluskar and Bhatkhande, Bakhale introduced no radical reforms in the teaching methodology or in organizational aspects of this movement. However, his personal concerts, rapport with other musicians, and compositions for stage plays – rendered popular by Bal Gandharva, Keshav Bhosale, [[Dinanath Mangeshkar]], and others – was a major factor in cultivating a taste for classical and semi-classical music in Marathi speaking population of India.<ref name=gt/> [[B. R. Deodhar]] has observed that this contribution is one of the reasons why western India developed and remained as a major force in classical Indian music starting the turn of the 19th century.<ref name=bd/>  Bakhale was universally regarded an ideal and perfectly balanced vocalist.<ref name=vh/><ref name=bd/><ref name=nmk/><ref name=vhk>Vilayat Hussain Khan. Sangeetagyon ke Sansamaran (Memories of Learned Musicians). Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi, 1959.</ref><ref name=moud>V.C. Moudgalya. Bhaskar Rao Bakhale. Indian Music Journal, pp. 46–49, 1971.</ref>

Bakhale has left no recorded legacy.<ref name=bd/><ref name=bonnie/><ref name=hv/><ref name=ghosh>Tapasi Ghosh. Pran Piya Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan: His Life and Contribution to the World. Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2008.</ref> [[Gramophone Company]] had unsuccessfully arranged for two sets of his recordings in 1911.<ref name=sd/> 
No trace of his style or musical approach exists today apart from what can be discerned from his [[semi-classical music|semi-classical]] compositions for stage plays.<ref name=vh/><ref name=pld>P.L. Deshpande. Guna Gaeen Awadee. Mouj Publications, Pune. 1972.</ref>  His manuscript on all Hindustani classical compositions learnt by him, including the full repertoire of Faiz Mohammed Khan of [[Gwalior gharana]], was in preparation at the time of his death.  Shaila Datar, a musician married to his grandson Sudhir, has since completed this project and has released the book. After Bakhale's death in 1922, his disciple Master Krishnarao became the director of Bharat Gayan Samaj and wrote seven volumes of Raagsangrahmala as curriculum of its music course. Bharat Gayan Samaj, set up by Bakhale in [[Pune]], organizes musical recitals in his memory and observes his anniversaries. Kalyan Gayan Samaj, set up in [[Mumbai]] in 1926 as a homage to Bakhale, is active in music circles and organizes a conference titled "Deva Gandharva Mahotsav" annually. Pracheen Kala Kendra in [[Chandigarh]] holds a conference titled "All India Bhaskar Rao Nritya and Sangeet Sammelan" annually. [[Pune University]] annually confers a Pt. Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale Award on the student standing first in its [[Bachelor of Arts]] program in the [[music]] discipline. [[Mumbai University]] annually confers a similar award on the student standing first in its [[Master of Arts]] program in the music discipline.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* http://audiofarm.org/audiofiles/6497 (audio files of Bal Gandharva, Kesarbai Kerkar, and Master Krishnarao Phulambrikar)
* http://web.me.com/wvdm/Meersahebs_noblog_on_music/Articles/Entries/2007/11/13_Dilip_Chandra_Vedi.html (audio files of Dilip Chandra Vedi)
* https://web.archive.org/web/20120327155040/http://www.sawf.org/library/?d=page&parent=57&pid=sp181 (more audio files of Dilip Chandra Vedi)
* http://www.parrikar.org/raga-central/bhairavi-page2/ (audio file of Govindrao Tembe playing Bhairavi on harmonium)
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TOvh6Ec2H0 (video file of the musical Sangeet Swayamvar)
* http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/ellpatke/Miscellany/bal%20gandharva.htm (list of Bal Gandharva's recordings)
* http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/mausam/bakhle.html (V.H. Deshpande's article on Bakhale)
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110902080851/http://www.pracheenkalakendra.org/activities_bhaskar.php
* http://www.punebharatgayansamaj.org/
* https://web.archive.org/web/20120326110519/http://www.kalyangayansamaj.org/dmaboutus_eng.html
* http://www.bookganga.com/eBooks/Book/4951430475352089766.htm
* http://shailasudhirdatar.com/profile.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20111003090713/http://ulhaskashalkar.tripod.com/krishnar.htm
* http://www.parrikar.org/vpl/profiles/tembe_profile.pdf (V.H. Deshpande's obituary of Govindrao Tembe)

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bakhale, Bhaskar Raghunath}}
[[Category:1922 deaths]]
[[Category:1869 births]]
[[Category:People from Surat]]
[[Category:Hindustani singers]]
[[Category:Indian music educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian singers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian singers]]
[[Category:Singers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian male classical singers]]
[[Category:20th-century male singers]]
[[Category:19th-century male singers]]
[[Category:Jaipur gharana]]
[[Category:20th-century Khyal singers]]