Great Maestros – Pandit Omkarnath Thakur Classical Vocal (Audio CD)

$28
Item Code: ICR145
Specifications:
Pandit Omkarnath Thakur Saregama (2008)
Dimensions
From the CD

Great Maestros

Eminent Performers and Preceptors in Music are known as Maestros. Maestros are viewed as models to be emulated. The contributions made by them in their have established high standards in Music. We at Saregama HMV have conserved this treasure in our musical exchequer since years, making it available to connoisseurs today.

About the Artiste

After listening to Pandit Omkarnath Thakur’s music once, Mahatma Gandhi is said to have remarked: “Pandit Omkarnathji can achieve through a single song of his, what I cannot achieve through several speeches. “Such was the impact of Pt. Omkarnath Thakur’s personality and his music on listeners.

Panditji was born on June 24, 1897. He was a child artiste in Ram Leela programmes. Seth Shapurji Mancherji Doongaji, a generous philanthropist encouraged him to learn classical music from Pt. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. His dedication as a disciple resulted in Guruji appointing him the Principal of Gandharva Sanget Mahavidyalay Lahore in 1961. After the death of his beloved Guru in 1931, Omkarnathji went to Italy on an invitation to participate in the International Music Conference in Florence (1933). The story of how “he sang before Mussolini and cured him of his insomnia” was soon on everybody’s lips. Thereafter, be traveled widely, giving music recitals, lecture demonstrations in Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, London, Wales, Switzerland etc.

Gifted with an extremely rich and long voice, Panditji’s renditions of ragas and devotional songs were highly expressive with deep emotional fervour. He mastered himself in Khayal, Dhrupad and Thumri. His was basically a Gwalior Gayakee. He imbibed the style of aalapi from the Legendary Ustad Rahimat Khan. His singing was complete with aalapi, behalao, bol taan, taan and sargam. He always aimed at expressing navarasas of literature in music. He had published six volumes of “Sangeetanjali” and another book called “Pranav Bharati”. He breathed his last on December 28, 1967.

About the Ragas

Pt. Omkarnathji’s opening Raga Devgiri Bilawal, is a morning melody characteristic of the Gwalior Gharana. The Bandish ‘Banna Pyara’ is a speciality of the Gwalior Gayeeke.

Raga Multani is a contemplative afternoon Raga.
In the following Raga Malkauns, a popular night Raga, Panditji’s versatility is brilliantly showcased. He begins with the famous Vilambit Bandish ‘Pir Na Naani’ and seamlessly transcends into the Drut Bandish ‘Pag Ghungru Baandh’, which is actually a traditional Meera bhajan. Panditji’s rendition of Kabir and other traditional bhajans are true testimonies of his resplendent musical prowess. For ‘Vande Mataram’, a patriotic song to be rendered in classical music, speaks volumes of the proficiency of an Artiste.

In the concluding ‘jogi Mat Ja’ in Raga Bhairavi, Pt, Omkarnathji brings down the curtains even as the listener is elevated spiritually.

1. Raga – Devgiri Bilawal
“Banna Pyara”

2. Raga – Multani
“Surajan Matwala”

3. Raga – Malkauns
“Pir Na Jani”
“Pag Ghungru Baandh”

4. Kabir Bhajan
“Amar Who Desh”

5. Bengali Kafi
“Vande Mataram”

6. Bhajan
“Main Nahin Maakhan Khayo”

7. Kabir Bhajan
“Re Din Kaise Kate Re”

8. Raga – Bhairavi
“Jogi Mat Jaa”

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