Govind Sadashiv Tembe, popularly known as Govindrao Tembe (5 June 1881 – 9 October 1955), was a
harmonium
The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. Th ...
player, stage actor, and music composer.
Early life and background
He grew up in
Kolhapur
Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'.
Kolhapur is kn ...
and became attached to music early in life. He was largely self-taught as an harmonium player. He has acknowledged the debt o
Deval Clubfor his initial forays into
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...
.
["माझा संगीत व्यासंग" (My Study of Music) 1939]
Tembe learnt his art from
Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale
Bhaskar Raghunath Bakhale (17 October 1869 – 8 April 1922) (also known as Bhaskarrao or Bhaskarbua or Bhaskarbuwa) was a Hindustani classical vocalist, a composer, and a teacher.V.H. Deshpande. Between Two Tanpuras. Popular Publication, 1989. ...
[Book in Marathi by V H Deshpande "आलापिनी" (Alapini) 1979] and, although he never received direct guidance from
Alladiya Khan of Jaipur Gharana, Tembe considered Khansaheb as his guru.
Career
He used to accompany Pt.
Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale
Bhaskar Raghunath Bakhale (17 October 1869 – 8 April 1922) (also known as Bhaskarrao or Bhaskarbua or Bhaskarbuwa) was a Hindustani classical vocalist, a composer, and a teacher.V.H. Deshpande. Between Two Tanpuras. Popular Publication, 1989. ...
, and would also often perform solo, but later gave up harmonium for most part of his career.
He composed music for the drama Manapman in 1910, and also for the first
Marathi talkie ''
Ayodhyecha Raja
''Ayodhyecha Raja'', literally "The King of Ayodhya", was the first Marathi talkie, released in 1932, directed by Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre. It is based on the mythological story of Raja Harishchandra of Ayodhya and his test by sage Vishwamit ...
'' (1932). He also acted in both these productions.
He was a personal friend of Late Yuvaraja of Mysore, HH Sri. Kanteerva Narasimha Raja Wadiyar. Prof. Tembe was part of a large entourage of Yuvaraja during his trip to Europe in 1939. The Troupe performed before the Pope and at other places during this trip. As World war broke out, they stayed at London for a long time and ultimately returned in Jan 1940 but Yuvaraja died soon at his Palace Anchorage (next to Hotel Taj) in March 1940 and Prof. Tembe lost his patron.
He was part-owner of Gandharva Natak Mandali when it was formed in 1913. Two years later, he started his own company named Shivraj Natak Mandali. He wrote dramas and also the padas (songs) in them.
Further reading
* "Between Two Tanpuras" by Vamanrao H Deshpande
* Book by Vasant Shantaram Desai 'Years of Glory', The Marathi Theatre: 1843-1960 (Bombay, 1961)
* In Marathi: 'सांस्कृतिक महाराष्ट्राचे शिल्पकार : गोविंदराव टेंबे', 2006 लेखक: डॉ. सौ. चारुशीला दिवेकर ("Sanskritik Maharashtrache Shilpkar : Govindrao Tembe", 2006 by Charusheela Divekar)
References
External links
*
Website of Prabhat Films*
Prabhat Film Company
Prabhat Film Company (popularly known as Prabhat Films) was an Indian film production company and film studios founded in 1929 by the noted film director V.Shantaram and his friends.
It was formed in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India in 1929, towar ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tembe, Govindrao
Hindustani instrumentalists
Hindustani singers
Indian male stage actors
Marathi-language writers
Indian male dramatists and playwrights
1881 births
1955 deaths
Male actors in Marathi cinema
People from Kolhapur
Harmonium players
Marathi-language singers
Male actors in Marathi theatre
Indian male musical theatre actors
Hindustani composers
20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
Male actors from Gujarat
Musicians from Maharashtra
20th-century Indian male writers
20th-century organists
Indian male film score composers
20th-century Indian male singers
20th-century Indian singers
Jaipur gharana