An attempt to translate the Marathi conversations between Pt.Mallikarjun Mansur and renowned musicologist Ashok Ranade. . What the legendary singer says that as a child he used to run away from home and join his brother who was working in a drama company. He used to sing in the drama at the age of 10 or 11. Luckily Nilkanthbuwa Alurkar and Chaphekar buwa, two renowned singers of Gwalior Gharana listened to him once, and Nilkanthbuwa offered to take this boy under his wings and teach him. He learnt under Nilkanthbuwa for six years, starting from aalap, alankar, small ragas and then nig ragas. HMV company which was coming out with records of classical singling of various singers made records of his singing. After that he used to sing during Ganpati mahotsava at Mumbai. But he expressed his desire to learn music further and was looking for a guru. Vishnupant Pagnis (who became famous as Tukaram in V Shantaram's picture by the same name) was a person known to Mallikarjun Mansur. Once Pagnis was sitting in a shop and Khansaheb Manji Khan of Khansaheb Alladiya Khan) happen to visit this shop. Mansur was also there. Pagnis told Manji Khan that Mansur wanted to learn music further and was looking for a guru. Pagnis just called for a record player from adjoining shop and played record of Gaudmalhar sung by Mansur to show Mansur's capabilities. Khansaheb Manji Khan himself, after listening to these records offered to teach Mallikarjun Mansur, and tied his Ganda to Mansur i.e. started off with his teaching in the next month itself. The teaching of Manji Khansaheb lasted for 2 years and ended due to his untimely death. Mansurji tells us about the importance that used to be attached to classical singing as it gives complete picture of raag. The main character that differentiates Hindustani music from Carnatic system is meand, which is present is dhrupad singing. However Mallikarjum Mansur says that he mainly concentrated on Khayal singing and not dhrupad because Khansaheb used to sing Dhrupad itself as Khayal. Hence it was not felt necessary to learn dhrupad separately. This was upto minute 20. To be continued further....
Panditji is simply Devine, but, love the way Dr Ranade conducted , definitely not possible without an in-depth study. To be frank. A perfect person to interview. Since both are not with us anymore, my sincere Namaskar.
A simple and straightforward person, Pt Mallikarjun Mansur was known for his innocence and ability to mix very easily with members of his fraternity and outsiders, especially, the younger folk.I heard & see him n no of times.His mastery over the traditional & non-traditional forms of almost all the gharanas made him a favourite among Classical Music lovers. Scholars hardly differ on the purity and clarity of his note. Thank U for Uploading.
It's been three days, I found Panditji's voice. I feel sad in my heart why I didn't find this divine voice earlier. I feel free after listening to him, I have no thirst for anything left in me anymore. 🙏🕉 If I could thank you with my life for this interview, I would. The interviewers knowledgeable like this one are impossible to find now. And gratitude for that Tarana❤ Thank you life for this most meaningful hour of my life. 🕉🙏
A true master. A worshiper of his art with god's blessings. I am also blessed to understand the interview of this unassuming singer. There will not be anymore like him. He has merged with the ultimate being.
Bharat ratna among us.Humble beginning,hardwork at its madness,consistency to keep learning,laughing for a quick joke,acknowledging teachers gratitude and sri siddarood maharaj's blessing makes him a wonderful person.
Mansurji style is unique, marvelous, outstanding and sometime like a lalluby atracting the new generation youngers also .......very innocent and purity looks is his fort
India lost its leading ethnomusicology expert and composer Dr Ashok Ranade. This is a truly great loss for the entire music world. We have lost a leading expert on folk, light, semi-classical genres.the musicologist always pleaded for a congenial juxtaposition of traditional Indian music with a non-conditional openness towards fusion with both folk and the western genres.
Such SURILI AWAZ is difficult to find now. If someone can put this great artiste's Jogia-asavari. I have heard him in one of the Gunidas Sammelan long back. Great artiste.
रानडे , तुम्ही मुलाखत छान घेता । तुमचा आवाजही गोड आहे । तुम्ही गाता का हो ?बुवांना गायन सिध्दी च प्राप्त झालीय हे कळतच आहे । तशी फक्त वसंतराव देशपांड्यांनाच प्राप्त झालीय । बाकी आम्ही ऐकलेल्या कोणालाच नाही ।
The two are not related, except musically and of course they are both from Dharwad. Basavaraj mentioned around 8:57 is Panditji's elder brother Basavaraj Mansur.
Dharwar is a nice place with unassuming people. The person sitting next you in the city bus could be some Pdmasri Or pandit Or ustad Or a Ph. D. Eve if one hurls a pebble at random in the bazaar, it will hit the head of one such distinguished person.
