marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
: विनायक रामचंद्र आठवले) (1918 - 2011), better known as V. R. Athavale or Vi. Ra. Athavale, was a
Hindustani classical
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 ...
pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
"Naad Piya". He is known for his critique of traditional ideas and modern aesthetics. He was trained primarily by Vinayakrao Patwardhan and
Vilayat Hussain Khan
Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan (1895–1962) was an Indian classical singer and teacher belonging to the Agra gharana (singing style).
Vilayat composed bandishes in many ragas under the pen name "Pran Piya".Gwalior and Agra traditions.
Early life and background
Athavale's father, R. B. Athavale, was a leading professor of Sanskrit. He grew up in an environment of scholarship with a love for art, literature, and culture. He developed a background in
Sanskrit literature
Sanskrit literature broadly comprises all literature in the Sanskrit language. This includes texts composed in the earliest attested descendant of the Proto-Indo-Aryan language known as Vedic Sanskrit, texts in Classical Sanskrit as well as s ...
and ancient Indian culture.
Graduating in 1939 with a degree in chemistry and physics, Athavale began learning music at the age of 21. He became involved in the freedom movement of 1942 and went underground for some time. Athavale was deeply influenced by political thinkers like Sane, Bhagwat, and Gandhi and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
He also worked in All India Radio of Jaipur, Delhi and Baroda as a Producer.
Vilayat Hussain Khan
Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan (1895–1962) was an Indian classical singer and teacher belonging to the Agra gharana (singing style).
Vilayat composed bandishes in many ragas under the pen name "Pran Piya".Gajananrao Joshi
Gajanan Anant Joshi, better known as "Gajananbuwa Joshi", (January 30, 1911 – June 28, 1987) was a vocalist and violinist in the field of Hindustani music.
Early life and background
Gajananrao Joshi came from a family of musicians. His gra ...
D. V. Paluskar
Pandit Dattatreya Vishnu Paluskar (28 May 1921 – 26 October 1955), was a Hindustani classical vocalist. He was considered a child prodigy.
Early life and background
D.V. Paluskar was born in Nasik, Bombay Presidency to well-known Hindustani m ...
were "guiding lights" to Athavale throughout his association with them. He also studied with Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze.
bandish
Bandish, cheez or gat is a fixed, melodic composition in Hindustani vocal or instrumental music. It is set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic accompaniment by a tabla or pakhawaj, a steady drone, and melodic accompaniment by a sarangi, vi ...
, gharana, history, thumri, naad, philosophy, and bhaav during his career. He wrote in Gujarati, Marathi, and Hindi primarily. Criticizing the subjectivity of aesthetics, he argued against musical ideology and advocated for natural expression.
Post independence, while he was working As a music producer in AIR Delhi, he was asked to compose “Vande Mataram” again. He then composed it in Raga Desh and the same had been broadcast on January 26, 1950 all over India. Later, the same composition in Raga Desh has been widely accepted.
When he was asked being not getting any credit for this, he humbly said “ It was a part of my job”.
Aesthetics
Athavale advocated for natural voice production and cultivating a sense of beauty. Speaking on the "sahitya of singing," he said:
Gharanas
Athavale questioned the legitimacy of gharanas and argued that their salient features were defined by
alap
The Alap (; ) is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga. In dhrupad singing the alap is unmetered, improvised (within the raga) and unaccompani ...
Athavale believed classicism and romanticism (as opposed to imitation) were codependent and necessary for the preservation and enrichment of Hindustani classical music.
Institutions
Athavale worked as a producer for All India Radio for many years. He was a trustee of
Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya
Gandharva Mahavidyalaya New Delhi is an institution established in 1939 to popularize Indian classical music and dance. The Mahavidyalaya (school) came into being to perpetuate the memory of Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, the great reviver of ...
in Miraj. served as the Director of the In the 1980s, he served as the Director of the Hindustani faculty at Goa Kala Akademi in
Panjim
Panaji (; also known as Panjim) is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district. Previously, it was the territorial capital of the former Portuguese India. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi river estuary ...
. He was also head of the music department at SNDT Women's University. He founded the Akhil Bharatiya Mahavidyalaya in Vashi.
Disciples
Several of Athavale's disciples went on to become major performers and scholars. These include
Shobha Abhyankar
Dr. Shobha Abhyankar (1946–2014) was an Indian musicologist and teacher of the Mewati Gharana. She is known for having taught many Hindustani Classical vocalists, like her son, Sanjeev Abhyankar
Biography
Shobha Abhyankar was born in 194 ...
, Shanno Khurana, Sudhir Pote, Ali Razwan Nisha Nigalye-Parasnis, Sandhya Kathavate, and Bireshvar Gautam.