Ganapati Bhat Hasanagi receives high honour

Tansen Samman is a rare honour in a musician’s life. Receiving the award  at Gwalior on the lawns facing Sangeet Samrat Tansen’s samadhi is certainly a golden moment.

Ganapati Bhat Hasanagi, senior Hindustani vocalist of Kirana-Gwalior gharana receives the prestigious national award on December 25. He belongs to Hasanagi, a sleepy village in the lush green Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, famous for its beaches and waterfalls. 

Curiously, the place had neither a tradition of classical music nor facilities for learning. However, Ganapati Bhat became a vocalist by choice. His focussed, steadfast journey enabled him to explore his art. Alongside arecanut cultivation, this successful farmer also nurtured music by establishing a Gurukula at Hasanagi .

Since 2011, Bhat has been a resident Guru at Dr Gangubai Hanagal Gurukula Trust located in the bustling, dusty, commercial city of Hubballi. Amidst the institute’s chirping birds and greenery, Bhat is always surrounded by young bubbly students, aspiring to build a future around music. The aesthetic space designed after the philosophy of Laurie Baker, marked by uncluttered, simple, generously ventilated spaces,  complements Bhat’s open music-teaching. 

Bhat was born on Ganesh Chaturthi to Venkataramana Hegde, a talented Yakshagana musician and Mahadevi who sang traditional melodies and folk-songs. In spite of the chande-maddale beats and thumping anklets around him, Bhat was not fascinated by Yakshagana. Adopted into a family that was well-versed in priestly duties, he would have continued the priestly tradition, but for his timely assertion. Instead of becoming a Vedic scholar, he chose to join  Karnatak College for the BA Course with music as a major subject.

After a short stint with the sitar under Abdul Kareem Khan of the Beenkar Rahimatkhan gharana, he wished to switch over to vocals but his request was rejected. Searching for a guru outside college, he reached Basavaraj Rajguru, renowned vocalist of the Kirana gharana. Interestingly, the young boy boldly approached the guru, blissfully ignorant about his stature. Impressed by his voice and genuine interest, Rajguru agreed and a tanpura was procured from Miraj.

Teaching two well-established ragas Bhairav and Yaman elaborately over one year, Rajguru imparted stylistic elements of Kirana gharana, also focussing on voice-management and presentation skills. Rigorous learning continued for four years till 1970. Rajguru took the sensitive disciple to concerts regularly for vocal support. In 1979, the customary ganda-bandhan ritual was observed in Dharwad, binding the guru and shishya in a sacred pledge. The same year, at the Rahimat Khan Memorial Festival in Dharwad, though initially on edge, Bhat performed for an hour, clearly with elan. Noted musicians in the packed hall were impressed. In 1985, he performed at the Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Samaroh in Pune, to a 10000-strong music-loving audience. At this mile-stone concert, music flowed beyond his expectation and there was no looking back. Events had unfolded dreamlike even before he realised. 

Bhat’s tutelage continued for 25 years till Rajguru’s passing in 1991. Over the next decade, he expanded his learning under C R Vyas, famed for his Gwalior gayaki. He owes his rich repertoire to the liberal teacher Rajguru, hailed as saavira cheezugala saradaara, meaning ‘a master of myriad compositions’. Searching through the depths of two gharanas, Bhat evolved his own style.  

On stage, flanked by tanpuras, “I choose a raga and the raga guides me. I just follow”, he shares. Music should ideally aim towards undermining ahankara, man’s supreme ego, he feels. 

Bhat is at peace with his art and life. To be singing well all his life and teaching are his simple goals. Kannada literary works, novels in particular hold his interest.