Bhuvanesh Komkali revels in his legacy

PUNE: When

Bhuvanesh Komkali

took the stage on the second day of

Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav

, he carried along the admiration and high expectations since he is the grandson of legendary vocalist

Kumar Gandharva

and son of

Pandit Mukul Shivputra

, a musician described as an eccentric genius.

“I’m trying to live up to the

legacy

passed down to me. Being Kumarji’s grandson is a blessing and a responsibility,” Komkali, who performed for the second time at the mahotsav, said.

“Performing at Sawai is an achievement. Music lovers from every part of the country and across the world listen to artists here. I know people who plan their trips to the country around Sawai time,” he said.

Komkali

is from Dewas,

Madhya Pradesh

.

Komkali said performing before the Pune audience is ‘Taare warchi kasrat’ - a tight rope walk. “The audience here is welcoming and accepting but also aware and exposed to music. It is fun performing to such an appreciative audience but also challenging,” he said.

Although Komkali was young when Kumar Gandharva passed away he has a few memories. “He was organized and systematic. He was one man who challenged the traditions of music. Raghava Menon, author of ‘The musical journey of Kumar Gandharva’ said that the music world can be divided into the era before Kumar Gandharva and the one after him,” he said.