He is also said to have written tirvats, ragamalas and other forms. The story goes that once when the sadhus were crossing a field they heard a lion’s roar and located it to a young boy sitting on a tree. Debu Choudhuri was fortunate to learn from ‘Dada Guru’ (Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan). [23] Tansen remains were buried in the mausoleum complex of his Sufi master Shaikh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior. Tansen's guru was Haridas, which means “slave of the Divine.” Haridas produced many musicians of a high caliber, but only Tansen was famous because he was willing to sing for the king; all the other disciples refused to sing for anyone except the Divine. It is said that Tansen would perform different ragas at different times of day, and the emperor and his select audience would honour him with coins. Ans: Tansen was the son of Mukandan Misra and his wife. Akbar asked Tansen, 'Who taught you this singing art? The fort at Fatehpur Sikri is strongly associated with Tansen's tenure at Akbar's court. Tansen said, 'I shall let you know this fable later.' It is said that he could produce any sound. He had two wives and one of his wife Mehrunisa was daughter of Emperor Akbar. In imbibing the classical tradition, he constantly sought to improvise and improve on it. Tansen’s tanpura string broke. The interaction with Ghaus brought Sufi influences on Tansen. While returning to the palace Akbar told: 'You were right, you are brass, and he is goldHe is the sun and you are simply his shadowI hold you in high esteem but tell why it is so? Other legends tell of his ability to bring wild animals to listen with attention (or to talk their language). The two sang under the magic spell of love and reverence to their Guru. [citation needed], The year of death of Tansen, like much of his biography, is unclear. On the vocal front, the gharana is referred to as Qawwal Bachcha. Jaipur, [16] Tansen became one of the treasured Navaratnas (lit. Your support for our journalism is invaluable. Sadhguru: Music, which is an arrangement of sounds, can be a very useful tool for many people if it is structured and played in a certain way, and if it is approached in a certain way. Tansen firstly showcased his talent to King Ramachandra of Mewa Bandhavgarh. Who knows of the quality of things more than Radha? Where are they?” A powerful emperor's court meant the greatest wealth, the most beautiful women and the most brilliant men. Tansen answered, “There are two sisters who are way above me.” So Akbar sent these girls an invitation. He was disciple of Shri Ashudheer Maharaj, also his Father who followed the Nimbarka Sampradaya , He is Said to be the Avatar of Shri Lalita Sakhi.He was a disciple of Bhai Mardana ji(a master who played Rabab with Guru Nanak Dev ji). However, there are some characteristics which were exclusive to him. Some of them are Tansen (1943), a musical hit produced by Ranjit Movietone, starring K. L. Saigal and Khursheed Bano. An annual classical music festival, Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan is held every year in Mumbai since 1952. While explaining the power of music, Sadhguru tells the story of two sisters who were so capable, they left their bodies through their music. Haridas was considered to be a legendary teacher in that time. He had many pupils, Tansen being one of them.[1]. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler. Haridas's father was a Saraswat Brahmin from Multan and that his mother's name was Ganga Devi. [4] He was a close confidant of Raja Ramchandra Singh, and they used to make music together. He lived with his guru for eleven years. Kalpadruma is a compliation of 300 of his dhrupads that were in Gauhar Bani. When Akbar heard of his prodigious talent, he sent a ‘firman’ to the king asking for Tansen and made him one of the Navaratnas in his court. Tansen composed in his favourite ragas — Multani, Bhairavi and Todi . One day, listening to his music the emperor said, 'You are the crowning music laureate, Music of your sort none could create.' While Tansen graced the court of Akbar, many aspiring singers would practice round the clock and caused a lot of disturbance to him. He began his career and spent most of his adult life in the court and patronage of the Hindu king of Rewa, Raja Ramchandra Singh (r.1555–1592), where Tansen's musical abilities and studies gained widespread fame. Historical facts about Tansen are difficult to extract from the extensive and contradictory legends that surround him. The two sang under the magic spell of love and reverence to their Guru. 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While the Tansen samorah in Gwalior commemorates him as a singer, the yearly Urs has canonised him as a saint. That is the king's desire. [25] Tansen (1958) and Sangeet Samrat Tansen (1962). On one occasion, when I remarked about his viral fever, he jocularly answered that the presence of such distinguished music lovers and our enthusiasm had made his discomfort vanish. A song from the film titled 'Shadjane Paya', written and composed by Ravindra Jain and sung by K. J. Yesudas, was released years later through YouTube. After this incident Akbar stopped Mughal princess from marriage. I would have treated them like queens. Unhumped Bull, Mohenjodaro (National Museum, Delhi) 2700 BCE He had asked all the lamps in the court to be extinguished. Ragas and raginis of heavenly beauty are born, Abul Fazl records in his Ain-i-Akbari that Akbar gave Rs 2 lakhs to Tansen for his first performance in the court. [14] Late into his life, he continued to compose in Brajbhasha invoking traditional motifs such as Krishna and Shiva.[15]. The family lived near Gwalior. Its most well-known exponent of our time is the Lucknow-based Ustad Shamshudeen Khan, popularly called Ustad Gulshan Bharathi (recepient of ‘Yash Bharathi’ award). [13], The legendary oral versions about Tansen's early life and schooling particularly differ depending on whether the story has origins in Hindu legends (Vaishnavism) or Muslim legends (Sufism). My only comfort in this time of grief is that he left us doing what he best loved — educating and teaching students on the great Indian cultural tradition of classical music, of which he was the noblest interpreter. He later shifted his residence to Vrindavan, the playground of the immortal cowherd Krishna and Radha. [19] Haridas was born there in 1512 and the village is now called Haridaspur in his honor. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings. He is even believed to have classified ragas, making them simpler and … Near the emperor's chambers, a pond was built on a small island in the middle, where musical performances were given. [24], Several Hindi films have been made on Tansen's life, with mostly anecdotal story lines. [citation needed], A film titled 'Tansen' was to be made in 1977, but due to some financial difficulties, the producer left the film; which ended the production. Maid sitting there said, 'To me his music remindsParting sighs of my sis pensive mind.' It could be, but looking at the way it has been described, they most probably left their bodies. Copyright © HT Media Limited All rights reserved. [17][18] He also composed and performed compositions dedicated to eulogizing kings and emperor Akbar.[17]. Heavenly touches to your voice impart.' His messengers went to the home of these girls with a palanquin and offered all kinds of clothes and gifts to the family. As Tansen's teacher Swamy Haridas had interaction with Purandaradasa, who was the great composer and father of carnatic music, Hindustani music has had a lot of influence from carnatic music. A number of descendants and disciples trace him to be their lineage founder. Kolkata, Noida, Gurgaon, There are around 128 compositions attributed to him, of which eighteen are philosophical (siddhanta pada) and a hundred and ten devotional (keli mala). If you get the right equation in terms of the multiple forms of existence and the multiple sounds that the human voice can generate, you can bypass creation and touch the source of creation.