B. Krishna Bhat
B. Krishna Bhat
Vocalist
16 Renditions • 7 h 10 m
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GHARANA
Gwalior
GURUS
Shri S.M. Bhat
Pt. Sitaram Nayak
Pt. Jal K. Balporia
Pt. Firoz Dastur
Pt. Ajay Pohankar
Pt. C.P. Rele
Pt. Satyasheel Deshpande
B. Krishna Bhat is a Hindustani classical vocalist and tabla player whose music shows a deep affinity with the Gwalior gharana. Born into a musical family in Idagunji, a remote village in Karnataka, he was initiated into music by the tabla guru Shri S.M. Bhat. He continued his tabla training under Pt. Sitaram Nayak, a disciple of Pt. Lokmanya of the Delhi baaj. In 1983 he met Pt. Gurunath Bhatta of the Gosai (Kuvar-shyam) gharana, who encouraged him to follow his passion for music. During this period he secured third rank in the Tala-vadya (Tabla) course conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board, Bangalore, and he graduated from Karnataka University, Dharwad, with music as a special subject. He moved to Mumbai in 1986 to join the Music Department of the University of Mumbai, where, during his BFA, he studied vocal music with Pt. Jal K. Balporia, Pt. Firoz Dastur and Pt. Ajay Pohankar. He also trained with the composer and musicologist Pt. C.P. Rele, a disciple of Pt. B.R. Deodhar, and received the major part of his training from Pt. Satyasheel Deshpande, the foremost disciple of Pt. Kumar Gandharva. Though he is an adept tabla player and soloist, vocal music is his specialisation, marked by the Gwalior style of upaj and badhat, layakari and intricate taan patterns. A believer in spontaneity and musical interaction, he co-founded 'Kshitij', a Mumbai-based musicians' initiative that keeps alive the spirit of Hindustani mehfils through events in private homes and public auditoriums.