Advertisement
Help
You are here: Rediff Home » India » News » PTI
Search:  Rediff.com The Web
  Advertisement
      Discuss  |             Email   |         Print  |  Get latest news on your desktop

Bharat Ratna for Vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
Get news updates:What's this?
   
  Advertisement
November 04, 2008 23:10 IST
Last Updated: November 05, 2008 00:14 IST

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, the legendary exponent of Hindustani classical music, was on Tuesday night chosen for the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award.

The honour for the 86-year-old vocalist, who belongs to 'kirna' gharana, caps a distinguished career spanning more than seven decades since he first performed at the age of 19.

This was after a gap of seven years that the government selected a performing artist for the highest award, the last previous recipient being shenai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.

In fact, the last time a person was chosen for the honour was Khan.

'The President has been pleased to award the Bharat Ratna to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi,' a Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images] communique said late Tuesday evening.

On being told about the award being conferred upon him, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi said, "I accept this honour on behalf of all Hindustani vocalists who have dedicated their life to music."

"I just talked to my father and he said he was glad and he accepts this honour on behalf of all Hindustani vocalists down the centuries who have dedicated their life to their music," said Srinivas Joshi.

Born in Gadag district of Karnataka on February 19, 1922, Joshi has already bagged several prestigious honours, including Padma Vibhushan in 1991, Padma Bhushan in 1985 and Padma Shri in 1972.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is the sixth person from the field of art and culture to get the Bharat Ratna award after Satyajit Ray, M S Subbulakshmi, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Lata Mangeshkar [Images] and Ustad Bismillah Khan.

He is the second vocalist to get the highest civilian award after Subbulakshmi in 1998. I accept this honour on behalf of all vocalists: Bhimsen Joshi.


© Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
       Email  |        Print   |   Get latest news on your desktop

© 2008 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Feedback