Gangubai Hangal’s performances leave her audiences breathless. She has an extremely powerful voice- full- throated and impassioned. It is what makes her rendition of ‘Khayal’ so distinctive.
Born in 1913, to a family hereditary courtesan musician from Hangal, a small village in Karnataka, Gangubai learnt Hindustani music from master Sawai Gandharva of the Kirana Gharana. She started performing in local celebrations and Ganeshutaavas in Mumbai when she was in her mid-teens.
This doyen of Kirana Gharana is one of the seniormost performing artist in the world today. She has made music because she has left duty-bound to pass on to the future generations what her guruji gave her. She has done this with unflagging sincerity and didecation, winning loveand respact along the way for her transparently good nature. Unlike her mother, she trained in Hindustani music and not in Carnatic, as her mother was very fond of Hindustani music.