On the Unbeaten Track – Manikbuva Thakurdas MOHAN NADKARNI Pandit Thakurdas expounds his unconventional theories Pandit Manikbuva Thakurdas is a persuasive speaker and original thinker. One has only to listen to him when he holds forth, with intense fervour, on the subject of music. Even at this age, he retains his powerful, booming voice and unfaltering diction. On ragas Each raga has a distinctive...
In Search of Excellence MOHAN NADKARNI, The Illustrated Weekly of India February 8, 1987 Virtuoso Zia Mohiuddin Dagar has devoted his life to keeping alive the ancient instrumental tradition. It is, therefore, only fitting that the Ustad has had conferred on him the prestigious Kalidas Samman for Indian music. Instituted by the Madhya Pradesh government, to be awarded this week, it is the highest...
‘Where is the need for new Ragas’ – Gangubai Hangal Asks Gangubai Hangal in an outspoken conversation with MOHAN NADKARNI. Illustrated Weekly of India, October 25, 1987 Music critic Mohan Nadkarni has been a great admirer of Gangubai’s art. The ensuing interview has been culled from several informal conversations over the years. When did you make your debut as a concert singer? Believe it...
Singer and Housewife: Suman Kalyanpur By MOHAN NADKARNI writing as GURUDEV SHARAN The Sunday Standard, November 14, 1971 IN a world of cut throat competition like that of the cinema, where the celebrities of yesterday are spurned as mediocrities today and forgotten as non-entitles tomorrow. Suman Kalyanpur has remained among the three top-notchers in Hindi play-back singing. Comparisons are odious, even invidious. But the...
Khayyam, the durable composer who created the memorable score for films like Kabhi Kabhie and Umrao Jaan, has just won the celebrated Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar. A tribute. Money is the last consideration for me. I have given up films halfway, whenever there has been any kind of pressure on me from the film-makers. MOHAN NADKARNI The Illustrated Weekly of India, October 8, 1988 For...