Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (1922 – 2011) was one of the greatest Indian vocalists from Karnataka, in the Hindustani classical tradition.
He has been honoured with numerous awards and recognitions including the following:
- Padma Shri (1972)
- Padma Bhushan (1985)
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1998)
- Padma Vibhushan (1999)
- Bharat Ratna (2009)
He is known for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music (bhajans and abhangs). Joshi belongs to the Kirana gharana tradition of Hindustani Classical Music.
Joshi was instrumental in organising the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival annually, as homage to his guru, Sawai Gandharva. The festival has been held since 1953, typically on the second weekend of December in Pune.
Bhimsen Joshi was born in a Kannada Deshastha Madhva Brahmin family to Gururajrao Joshi and Godavaribai at Gadag in Dharwad district that was then in the Bombay Presidency of British India. His father, Gururaj Joshi, was a school teacher. Bhimsen was the eldest among 16 siblings.
As a child, Joshi was fascinated with music and musical instruments like the harmonium and tanpura and would often follow processions accompanied by music bands. This exercise often tired him and he would curl up somewhere and sleep, forcing his parents to go to the police after efforts to trace him failed. Fed up, his father Gururajacharya Joshi came up with the solution, writing "son of teacher Joshi" on Joshi's shirts. This worked and those who found the boy sleeping would safely deposit him back to his house.
Joshi first performed live in 1941 at the age of 19. His debut album, containing a few devotional songs in Marathi and Hindi, was released by HMV the next year in 1942. Later Joshi moved to Mumbai in 1943 and worked as a radio artist. His performance at a concert in 1946 to celebrate his guru Sawai Gandharva's 60th birthday won him accolades both from the audience and his guru.
In devotional music, Joshi was most acclaimed for his Hindi and Marathi and Kannada Bhajan singing.
Joshi was widely recognized in India due to his performance in the Mile Sur Mera Tumhara music video (1988). The video was created for the purpose of national integration in India and highlights the diversity of Indian culture. Joshi was also a part of Jana Gana Mana produced by A. R. Rahman on the occasion of the 50th year of Indian Republic.
Joshi married twice. Bigamous marriages among Hindus were prohibited by law in the Bombay Presidency; so, he took up residency in Nagpur (capital of Central Province and Berar in 1951) where bigamy was allowed and married there for the second time.
Outside of music, Joshi was passionate about cars and had a deep knowledge of auto mechanics.