78rpm archives.
Download | Name | Play | Size | Length |
![]() | Miya Malhar (Chidananda Nagarkar) | 1.1 MB | 3:14 min |
Dattatreya Vishnu Paluskar was the son of the great Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar but could not learn from his father as he died when Dattatreyaji was only 11 years old. He mainly learnt under the guidance of Pandit Vinayak Rao Patwardhan and become an exceptional vocalist, God-gifted with an extremely sweet voice effortlessly flowing. His rendering of Bhajans is unequalled.
His death is somewhat mysterious as it happened suddenly while returning from a trip in Russia. He was barely 34 years old.
78rpm archives
Faiyaz Khan was the son of Safdar Hussain Khan and grand-son of Mohammad Ali Khan of Secunderabad. He learnt from his maternal grand-father, Ghulam Abbas but also received other influences.
Despite his harsh and nasal voice, his command on svar, tal, rag and his fantastic tans were such that he was one of the greatest vocalist of the twentiest century.
78rpm archives.
Gangubai Hangal learnt from her mother, Amba Bai, then from Krishnacharya Hulgur of Hubli, from her uncle, Ram Rao Hangal and Dattopant Desai until she became the disciple of Savai Gandharva.
She was also one of the top-most vocalist of the country. Her brother, Sheshgiri Hangal was a fine tabla player and her daughter, Krishna Hangal, an able disciple of a great mother.
78rpm archives.
Download | Name | Play | Size | Length |
![]() | Bhairav (Gangubai Hangal) | 0.4 MB | 3:26 min | |
![]() | Kamod (Gangubai Hangal) | 0.7 MB | 3:08 min | |
![]() | Miya Ki Malhar | 0.7 MB | 3:01 min |
Gauhar Jan learnt from Nazir Khan of Rampur.
After living for some time in Darbhanga, she settled in Calcutta. She was famous for her gramophone recordings of thumrees. In D.M. Neuman's book, she is referred to, by W.W. Gaisberg - first representant of the Gramophone Compagny to reach India) - as an armenian jewess who could sing in 20 languages and dialects. 78rpm archives
Girija Devi, a famous vocalist of Banaras, learnt from Sarju Prasad Misra until his death and then from Shreechand Misra. Although she is a fully accomplished khayal singer, she became famous for her rendering of thumrees, dadras, tappas, taranas, bhajans, holi, kajris etc.
She has a distinctive as well as impressive style of her own which is may be most appearent in tans.
Born in Miraj, he graduated from Bombay University in History & Economics. He was the disciple of Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar but also learnt from a number of masters such as Mohammad Bashir Khan (of Aligarh), Sindhi Khan Baba, Vajid Hussain Khan (Sahasvan) and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. His stock of compositions was so vast that he was one of the greatest music scholar of the country. In 1925, he founded the school the School of Indian Music which is, up to now, the most well-known institution of Bombay. He taught a number of disciples among which the famous Kumar Gandharva. He was invited to Banaras Hindu University (B.H.U.) to take over the Principalship of the Music College (later renamed Faculty of Performing Arts) after Omkarnath Thakur. His vast field of knowledge and activities - as an educationist, specialist of voice-culture, as Chief-Editor of the Sangeet Kala Vihar publication etc. have earned him many prestigious national awards ad a due recognition. I had the honor to meet him several times and to attend a full one-week lecture-demonstrations of his during which, despite an already advanced age, he was able to sing several hundreds compositions pertaining to the whole hindustani repertoire.
Download | Name | Play | Size | Length |
![]() | Hindol Bahar (B.R.Deodhar) | 1.1 MB | 3:09 min | |
![]() | Sindhura (B.R.Deodhar) | 1.1 MB | 3:11 min |
Bhimsen Joshi is the son of Gurunath Joshi. After a turbulent adolescence, he became the disciple of Sawai Gandharva.
In my opinion, since the demise of the great masters like Bade Ghulam Ali, Abdul Karim Karim, Faiyaz Khan, Amir Khan Saheb and the like, he is the greatest vocalist of India today. He has an abundant discography. Do get the records !