Because I was pre-occupied with my move to Sharjah, I had been out of touch with the classical musical world in India. Hence it was only last week that I came to know that one of the greatest Harmonium players of India - Pandit Appasaheb Jalgaonkar - passed away a couple of months back.
Appasaheb was one of the last 3 great accompanying harmonists that accompanied legends like Bhimsen Joshi, Jitendra Abhisheki and other stalwarts of Hindustani music. The other 2 great harmonists - Pandit Tulsidas Borkar and Purushottam Walawalker - are fortunately still in good health despite being in their late seventies.
Appasaheb trained to be a vocalist - but due to a twist of fate started playing the harmonium. In appearance he looked more like a boxer than like a musician - but once he started playing the harmonium his fingers would cast a magical spell both on the harmonium and on the audience. For the last few years of his life, Appasaheb was unfortunately struck with paralysis - so he had to give up playing the harmonium.
It is a pity I never got to meet him in person - but thanks to YouTube I can enjoy several of his live performances. You can see here one of his best performances at the Sawai Gandharva music festival at Pune when he accompanied Rajan and Sajan Mishra a few years ago.
May his great soul rest in peace.
2 comments:
The interest to know music and understand the Harmonium dawned late in me and ever since then, i regret not having the interest earlier when our grandfather the dear and Great sri. R Narsimha Prabhu was very much alive and taking tuitions at his Calicut home. Even though I remember sitting at his side during such tuitions I regret that I couldn't understand or learn anything from him.
I share the same sentiments - and regret that I did not learn from him. I want to write up a blog on R.N.Prabhu - and include a short video of him playing the harmonium. Wonder who will have a digitised video of him playing the harmonium?
Post a Comment