75 YEARS OF MUSIC.

Last week saw felicitation on occasion of completing 75 years of age of Shri G. G. Joshi. Guruji as he is called out of love and reverence is a known personality in Thane totally devoted to Indian ( Hindustani ) Classical Music.

I knew him as founder of Kalwa Music Circle some where in sixties or seventies. He might be on any position but was always back bone of the Music circle. As an organizer he had good contacts with well known and lesser known personalities from the field. Many doyens from the field know Thane as town of G.G.Joshi who organizes the concerts and invites them. The economic side of Music concerts is pathetic. Once upon a time Music flourished owing to the patronage of Princely states. For a brief period it became a popular amongst common people who would buy tickets and support the Music tradition through concerts. It would not matter which Gharana the artist may come from. No more. The crowd is thinning and becoming ensemble of gray hairs. Young artists are regularly coming forward through GURU SHISHYA PARAMPARA. But the audience is no more good enough to meet two ends. The fees charged by some popular exponents are sky high while others have to go literally begging for a program. Music Circles coming from medium and small towns were excellent platform for such aspirants. Unfortunately many of them are closing not because of any other eason than economic viability. Against this back ground the work of GURUJI is definitely noteworthy.

But that is not all. He has training from AGRA GHARANA which is mainly sustained by Muslim performers and teachers. In fact most of the Gharanas are sustained for centuries by devoted Muslim performers and teachers. Gharana like Gwalior could find Hindu patronage earlier and in abundance. Thanks to Pt. Paluskar. AGRA Gharana had and still has minority of Hindu exponents. Against this back ground the determined training itself would have made any other person than GURUJI happy and satisfied. Not so fro GURUJI. Not only he obtained the TALIM vigorously but also chose to propagate it by training other disciples. He is doing it without taking any fee as cause for the spread of GHARANA. How rare in modern times !
I had the good fortune to be trained by him. I will be ever grateful to him for that. Next to Spirituality, Music is probably the only field where in GURU is held in such high esteem. In fact I owe a lot to music. It has given me plenty in terms of creative happiness and a dear collection of music lovers.
LONG LIVE GURUJI and long live his music through disciples trained by him.