We are very fortunate that because of the RU-vid we are getting the opportunity to listen to these excellent musics. Pannalal Ghosh was the person who popularized the Indian Flute to the World..
Incredible treasure, this set of ragas magnificently rendered by Pannalal Ghosh, widely considered the greatest flute player India has ever known. The depth of this alap, the swinging jor, the sweet bandishes, all rendered in a deep calm. To me this ranks among the highest level of raga performing, all done in deep meditation. The virtuosity is never shown off. Ghosh had that rare quality, apparently, of greatness and absence of ego. I am in awe and always will be.
"The whole night the wind went on blowing in the trees. The sound was so beautiful that I played Pannalal Ghosh, one of the flutists that Pagal Baba had introduced to me. Just now too, I was playing his music, but he has a way of his own. His introduction is very long, so before Gudia called me it was still only the introduction. I mean he had not started playing his flute yet. The sitar and tabla were preparing the ground for him to play his flute. Last night I listened to his music again after perhaps two years. Pagal Baba has to be talked about only in an indirect way; that was the quality of the man. He was always in brackets, very invisible. He introduced me to many musicians, and I always asked him why. He said, "One day you will be a musician." I said, "Pagal Baba, sometimes it seems people are right: you are mad. I am not going to be a musician. He laughed and said, "I know that. Still I say you will be a musician." Now, what to make of it? I have not become a musician, but in a way he was right. I have not played on musical instruments, but I have played on thousands of hearts. I have created a far deeper music than any instrument can - non-instrumental, non-technical. I liked those three flutists - at least their music - but not all of them liked me. Hari Prasad always loved me. He never bothered that I was a child and he was old, and a world-famous musician. He not only loved me, he respected me. Once I asked him, "Hari Baba, why do you respect me?" He replied, "If Baba respects you, then there is no question. I trust Pagal Baba, and if he touches your feet, and you are just a child, I know he knows something that I am incapable of knowing right now. But that does not matter. He knows; that is enough for me." He was a devotee. The musician I listened to last night, and was again trying to hear just now before I came in, Pannalal Ghosh, neither liked nor disliked me. He was not a man of strong likes or dislikes - a very flat man, no hills, no valleys, just a far stretching plain. But he played the flute in his own way as nobody else has ever done before, or can ever do again. With his flute he roared like a lion. I once asked him, "In your life you are more like a sheep, a Bengali BABU." He was from Bengal, and in India, Bengalis are the most unaggressive people, so anybody who is a coward is called a Bengali Babu. I told him, "You are an authentic Bengali Babu. What happens when you play the flute? You become a lion." He said, "Something certainly happens. I am no more myself, otherwise I would be the same Bengali Babu, just the same cowardly man that I am. But something happens, I am possessed." That's exactly the words he used. "I am taken over by it, I don't know what. Perhaps you know. Otherwise why does Pagal Baba have so much respect for you? I have never seen him touch anybody's feet except yours. All the great musicians come to him just for his blessing, and to touch his feet." Pagal Baba introduced me to many people, not only flutists. Perhaps in some circle of my story they will come in. But what Pannalal Ghosh said was very significant. He said, "I become possessed. Once I start playing, I am no more; something else is. It is not Pannalal Ghosh." I am quoting his words. He then said, "That's why it takes such a long introduction before I play. I am condemned everywhere because of my long introduction... because flutists are not known to have such long introductions." He was the Bernard Shaw of the flute world. With George Bernard Shaw... his book may have been only ninety pages long but the introduction would be three hundred pages. Pannalal Ghosh said, "People cannot understand, but I can tell you, that I have to wait to become possessed, hence the long introduction. I cannot start playing until it comes." These are truly the words of an authentic artist, but only the authentic artist, not the journalistic type, the third-rate artist. It is better not to call this type an artist at all. He writes about music, but knows nothing of the experience; he writes about poetry without ever composing a single poem; he writes about politics and has never been in the thick of the struggle. It is tooth and nail in the political world."
The very sound of a 'bansuri' evokes a feeling that echoes in the deepest levels of the soul....and it seems that I am somewhere in the groves of Vrindavan searching and waiting for the illusive Lord.
I've just completed listening to14 good full-length very satisfying ragas of Pannalal Ghosh lasting nearly 10 hrs uploaded by Sharad Maholay over 4 days. I should feel sated, but I am ready for more. They were truly brilliant recordings. Are there any more?
@@nik5129 Hariprasad Chaurasia is unquestionably the greatest flutist to have come upon the scene since Pannalal Ghoh and will always remain as one of the all time greats. It is not even right to compare the two maestros; if I do, I discern a difference in style; I feel Pannalal's style and tonality is cleaner.Note that this is my personal opinion; others may well differ, and I respect their opinion.
@@physicsonline8853 Hariji purely plays instrumental style inspired from Sitar and later developed his own style with dhrupad ang- jod jhalla. Pannaji is purely playing gayaki khayal style. However both incomparable. but statement of greatest flutist ever made me clarify this. :)
Sharad ji reading babu Ji’s Bk by Shri vishvas Kulkarni n remember u as the youngest student n cried a lot at the Bombay central station when babuji n Parul didi we’re leaving for Delhi
غوري يا دنيي غوريريييييي واه انت من زين غروري سيري غوري اه منك يادنيه مند احببتك وانا في تدهور وتهور وكاني مغيب لايعقل غوري لقد اوديتي باجدتي وعصفت بي لولا الله لقتلعت جدوري غوري واني لاحدرن منك من لابعرفك يا متقلبت الاحوال يامن لاتتبتين علي حال ان لقاونا فيك محال تلمعين محياك لناس ليروا منظرك جداب وانت لك الف مخلاب ومخلاب كم اهلكت من الاحباب يا دنيي غوري فاني لست ممن يبغيك
Of course it has. The world has radically changed since his times. Talent and access to learning is abundant now. Flute technique might have improved as well. However this kind of meditative and introspective music has simply disappeared.
If u listen a Flautist based on Ahmedabad pt. KOTECHA AND HIS DISCIPLE NIVEDITA MURTY u will find that not all Good things have disappeared, their style Resembles Pt.Pannalalji , but the Recording of this Rendition is very poor
its not right to compare like that dude. i would like to see you try to be a "sooraj" in front of pandit hariprasad chaurasia if you think he's that bad.
Such comparison is unwelcome, as would be comparing Ustad Baba Allauddin Khan Saheb with Ustad Hafez Alin Khan Saheb or comparing Pt. Omkkarnath Thakur with Ustad Faiyaz Khan Saheb and so on. Such performers were and are legends in their own right and are considered with awe and respect as should be their due. Was pleased that you enjoyed the recording of Pt. Pannalal Ghosh to your heart's fulfillment. Regards.
