Keshav Ginde

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Keshav Ginde

Keshav Ginde (born 5 September 1942) is an Indian classical flutist.[1]

Dr.Pt. Keshav Laxman Ginde ( केशव लक्ष्मण गिंडे ) a world renowned Indian classical flutist, senior musicologist, researcher, developer and innovator. He was born in a musical family in Belgaum ,India on 5 September 1942. With his design of Keshav Venu (केशववेणू), Pt. Ginde has revolutionized the Indian Bamboo flute. Not only does Keshav Venu have the capacity to fulfill all the musical and aesthetic needs of the performer, but also dispenses the need for using 3 separate flutes to achieve 4 octaves while playing. It also surpasses the limitations inherent in the traditional 6-hole Indian flutes.

Early Life and Training Pt.Dr. Ginde started his musical training at the tender age of 6. He was taught to play Mridangam by his grandfather Pt. Damodar Ginde as accompaniment for Warkari Bhajans (devotional compositions). Soon after, he switched instruments and took up the flute. He started taking general music lessons from Pt. Narayanrao (Babi) Borkar from the age of 9. He received advanced training in the flute from Pt. Haripad Choudhary and Pt. Devendra Murdeshwar, both students of the renowned flute maestro and inventor, Pt Pannalal Ghosh. As a result, Pt Ginde’s playing style was deeply influenced by Pt Ghosh’s, which emphasizes Gayaki and Tantkari (Beenkari) styles of playing and rendering ragas in Dhrupad style.


Academic Qualifications

• B.E. Mechanical • Doctorate in music – From Savitribai Phule University, Pune. Thesis – Fundamental Principles of Flute designs


Professional life

He started his professional career as an engineer at Walchand Nagar Industries in 1964. Based on his experience, NITI Mumbai conferred upon him a degree in Industrial Engineering. In 1972, he joined Kinetic Engineering as Project Engineer. From 1975-1978 he worked at J.P. Mukherjee Associate as Project manager. Pt. Ginde returned to Kinetic Engineering as Project Manager. In 1984, he was transferred to Kinetic Honda Limited and retired as General Manager in 2004.


Teachership

Pt.Dr. Ginde has trained students from all over the world in Indian classical music, flute playing and designing. His students are now well-renowned musicians in their own right. Many of them are also working on new innovations, coming up with new strategies and designs to expand the range and depth of flute music. He holds the title of ‘Guru’ in the Lalit Kala Kendra, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Shivaji University, Akhil Bhartiya Gandharv Mahavidyalaya and Bharati Vidyapeeth. He is also an examiner for Acharya and doctorate examinations at Akhil Bhartiya Gandharv Mahavidyalaya Some students of his reputed students include: Shashikant Chinchore, Dr.AnilAvchat, Prakash Behere, Azharuddin Sheikh, Deepak Bhanuse, Dhaval Joshi, Dr.Ashutosh Jategavkar,Jitendra Rokde,Niranjan Bhalerao, Girish Pal and Rajiv Ranade. He has further passed on his legacy in the making of flutes by teaching disciples Subhash Thakur (Punam Flutes Delhi), Ramchandra Dhotre, Tejkumar Sharma, Azharuddin Sheikh, Ashutosh Jategavkar, Raju Salve and Aakash Bhoumik and many more.


Amulya Jyoti Public Trust

Amulya Jyoti Public Trust is an organization started in 1989 by Pt. Ginde for propagation, publicity, enlightenment and research on flutes. Its secondary goals are to provide a platform for national reputed senior performers as well as upcoming flutists and musicians of India. Amulya Jyoti organizes free of cost the AmulyaJyoti Sangeet Mahotsav as tribute to Pt Ginde’s Dada-Guru, flute maestro Pt. Pannalal Ghosh. Awards and Scholarships are conferred to worthy candidates for propagation of flute and music. Since 2014, the “Venu-Ratna” award is bestowed upon senior flutists for their invaluable contribution in the field of Indian classical music. Seminars, workshops and exhibitions with flutes from 40 nations from all around the world are also conducted. Some notable flutists who have performed in the AmulyaJyoti Sangeet Mahotsav are Devendra Murdeshwar, Rajendra Kulkarni, Raghunath Seth, Nityanand Haldipur, Ronu Mujumdar, Rajendra Prasanna and Paras Nath. Other artists who have also played in the Mahotsav are Arvind Parikh (sitar), Shahid Parvez Khan (sitar), Usman Khan (sitar), Dr. Chaitanya Kunte (harmonium), Appa Jalgaonkar (harmonium), Dr. Vikas Kashalkar (vocal), Dr. Suhasini Koratkar (vocal) and Uday Bhavalkar (dhrupad vocal) etc.


Flute Research

1. Keshav Venu

There are some limitations inherent to playing Indian classical music on the flute. The range of the traditional flute is 2-2.66 octaves, which complicates the playing of ragas like Malkauns, Miya Malhar and Darbari Kanada which are traditionally played in the middle and lower octaves. To play these ragas, the flutist has to change flutes, making the performance discontinuous, as well as interrupting the creative thought process of the musician. Making use of his engineering background, Pt. Ginde designed Keshav Venu – a 12-hole, 44-inch flute ranging 3.615 octaves or 3.66 Saptaks. It took him 24 years of monumental research and effort to create this transcendental flute. Pt. Ginde has also conducted significant research on materials, trying to make the flute more durable and water resistant by replacing or reinforcing the traditional material, bamboo. He experimented with PVC and acrylic pipes. While these provided for great durability and resilience, the tonality achieved by the bamboo flute was lost. After careful observation, Pt. Ginde realized that major portion of the tonality comes from the blowing piece, and not the entire length of the flute. So, he started to develop hybrid flutes – keeping the short blowing piece bamboo and changing the remaining length that experiences the most wear and tear to PVC. He discovered the optimal bamboo-to-PVC ratio for Keshav Venu – 12 inches of bamboo at the blowing end and remaining 32 inches PVC.

Key features of Keshav Venu:

• 3.615octaves or 3.66 Saptaks range that is from Ati Kharj Komal Nishad to Atitaar Madhyam along with the tonality of vocal and string instrumental music. The extended range provides 45 notes, while the traditional flute provides 29-31 notes. As a result, monotony and repetition in performance can easily be avoided. The musical quality of Taan, Khatka, Murki, Staccato, Beenkari is enhanced. The wide range of notes available to the flutist makes the raga more effective, deep and enjoyable in its presentation.

• Techniques like Meend, Gamak and Ghasset are easier to produce on Keshav Venu than on the traditional flute. Thus, ragas like Shankara , Bhoop, Bihag, Kalawati, Kamod, Kedar can be played more effectively and correctly.


2. Anahat Venu:

Anahat Venu is a 12 feet long flute (made from PVC pipe) which plays complete Kharaj and Laraj octaves. It is designed to reach very low frequencies of nearly 70 Hz.It has been recognized and registered by the Limca Book of Records and the Golden Book of Records under the name of his disciple Azharuddin Sheikh.

3. Chaitanya Venu: Chaitanya Venu is a 1-inch long flute made to achieve high twitter octave. It is also recognized and registered by the Limca Book of Records and the Golden Book of Records under the name of his disciple Azharuddin Sheikh.

4. Madhav Venu:

Madhav Venu is a 4.5 feet long flute which can produce Madhya, kharaj and laraj octaves.

Ongoing Research

• The entire length of Keshav Venu can be divided into 3 major portions – the blowing portion, the central portion (consisting of 7 finger holes) and the remaining 4 holes that are played using keys. Pt.Dr. Ginde is working on making Keshav Venu which can be dismantled into these 3 portions. This would make travelling easier as then it can be stored in a single, small box of 15 inches. In addition, this flute becomes suitable for mass production and thus, cost effective.

• The lowest note produced by Anahat Venu (12 feet) is 70 Hz. Pt. Dr. Ginde is working on its next stage, which will be 16–18 feet in length and will produce notes from 25 to 100 Hz.

Compositions

• Ruturang – Symphony of various flutes depicting the different moods of the 6 seasons and their representation in music with 12 ragas. • Kalyan Navrang Saga – Orchestra showing 24 facets of ‘Kalyan Ang’ ragas • Malhar Sagar– Orchestra showing shades of Varsha Ritu (monsoon) with the use of different ‘Malhar Ang’ ragas. • Anand Sagar.

Records

• Limca book of Records (for Keshav Venu, Anahat Venu and Chaitanya Venu) • Golden Book of records for playing in 7 octaves by using 3 flutes 1) Keshav Venu (केशववेणू) – Playing range of 3.615 Octaves or 3.66 Saptaks 2) Anahat Venu (अनाहतवेणू) - Complete Kharaj and laraj octave 3) Chaitanya Venu (चैतन्यवेणू) – Super High Twitter octave

• Keshav Venu is certified by R&D Department of Guinness Book of World Records. • Keshav Venu is preserved in Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi, India.


Notable Performances 1. India

• Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav, Pune, Maharashtra, 6 Dec.1973

• Pt. Ginde is Aakashwani (AIR) Top Grade artist and performing for last 5 decades since 1970 on AIR, Doordarshan, VividhBharati and Sahyadri with numerous national programs.Pt.Dr. Ginde has performed live at numerous Aakashwani Sangeet Sammelans

• 75th Anniversary of Fergusson College Pune, Maharashtra, 1960 in front of many esteemed personalities such as Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve, President Dr.Rajendra Prasad, Finance minister C.D. Deshmukh and Chief Minister Yashwantrao Chavan.

• Concerts organized and archived by Central Production Centre (CPC), Delhi.

• Numerous concerts organized by Sanskar Bharati.

2. USA Tour 2002-03 & 2003-04

• Houston University

• Austin University

• Barsana Dham, Austin

• Kannada Vrinda, Houston

• Vedanta Society of Greater Houston


Music Community Work • President of Amulya Jyoti Public Trust operational in Pune since 1989 for propagation, publicity and enlightenment of flute, Indian Classical Music as well as research and development of Indian Flute among general public.

• Conducting Concerts since 1966 to provide platform for senior flutists and artists of national repute and upcoming flutists of India. Seminars and World Flute Exhibitions are conducted.

• Established Pt. Pannalal Ghosh Basari Vidyapeeth, Pune which is operational since 1975 where students from Japan, USA, France, England, Germany, Israel and others take advantage of advanced training in flute and Keshav Venu.

• Since 2014, Venu Ratna Award is bestowed to Senior Flutists for their invaluable contribution towards flute and music.

• Anam Prem organizes Dr.Pt. Keshav Laxman Ginde’s flute performances free of charge all over India for handicapped (दिव्यांग) and mentally challenged children since 2016.This is appreciated by handicapped children, their parents and relatives.

Lecture Demonstrations 1. Department of Arts and Humanities, University of Houston, USA, 2005

2. Lecture and live performance at Ekta Center, Los Angeles, USA

3. National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) Mumbai, India in the world seminar on “Continuity and Change: Indian Music” organized by ITC – Sangeet Research Academy (West) in 2000

4. Department of Music and Drama, A&M University, USA; two lecture demonstrations, (USA Tour 2002-04)

5. Science and performing Arts event of India International Science Festival (IISF) – 2019 &2020

Media Interviews • Television: Doordarshan – Mumbai, Ahemdabad, Delhi and CPC Delhi

• Radio: Aakashwani – Pune, Vividh Bharati Mumbai and Delhi

• Print: The Times of India, Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Punjab Kesari, Maharashtra Herald, Sakal, Loksatta and Tarun Bharat


Awards and Achievements

1)Venu Vidwan conferred by Jagadguru Shankaracharya– ShringeriPeeth, Karnataka, India -2001

2)Senior Fellowship Award granted by Cultural Ministry – Government of India – 2014

3)Life Time Achievement award given by Sahara Pariwar – Lucknow, India for invaluable contribution in field of music – 1 April 2006.

4)National Award bestowed by FIE Foundation Ichalkaranji, Maharashtra- 10 May 2011

5) Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music Lifetime Achievement Award given by Cultural Ministry Government of Maharashtra –11 January 2019

6) Eminent Citizen Award –Pune Municipal Corporation, 15 August 1996

7) Maharashtra Ratna Bhushan Award – Mumbai – 15 August 1999

Publications

• Boook - Venu Vigyan (Marathi). Translations: Venu Ved (Hindi), Venu Vedh (English)

• बासरी वाद्यरचनेची मूलतत्वे (Fundamental Principles of Flute Design) Thesis for Senior Fellowship Cultural Ministry Government of India

• Akhil Bhartiya Gandharv Mahavidyalay Mandal (अखिल भारतीय गांधर्व महाविद्यालय) in their magazine “World of Gandharvas” as “The Flute & Its Evolution”.

• By Aum Nada Brahma (ॐनादब्रह्मा) -1996 as “VaatChal Vaunshichi” (वाटचालवंशिची). Magazine of wind Instrument (Special).

• Diwali Magazine “Basari Cha Naad” (बासरीचा नाद) by Dr. Anil Avchat 1993. Chaitrali (चैत्राली) 1998 Diwali Magazine as “Swarancha Badshah”(स्वरांचा बादशहा)

• Series of articles on Flute & Its Development released by Sangeet Kala Vihar in 3 languages viz. Marathi, Hindi, and Gujarati.


Albums and CD’S

• Flavours of Keshav Venu • Flute Ecstasy • Mohani Murli • World record flute • Muralike Madhugat • Kunjwan Me Gunjan • Venu Bhajanamrut • Venu Sarang • Ruturang • Bhairav to Bhairavi • Malhar Sagar

References[edit]

  1. Dhaneshwar, Amarendra (31 July 2009). "Flute stop!". Times of India. Retrieved 14 May 2010.

External links[edit]


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