Aneyanerikondu.... | Basavanna | Vachana | Pt. Siddaram Jambaldinni

PANDIT SIDHARAM JAMABLDINNI (20.9.1918 to 31.12.1988) Born at Jambaldinni village in Manvi taluk of Raichur district on 20.9.1918, Sidharam was initiated into classical music by Ganayogi Panchakshari Gavai. He became a very fond pupil of Gavai. After the death of Gavai, Sidharam came to Gadag to teach music to the students of Veereshwara Punyashrama for two years from 1944. Sidharam shot into prominence after learning all the nuances of Gwalior gharane from Panchakshari Gavai. However, the irrepressible zeal to learn more drove him to Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur. After having been mastered in Gwalior gharane , Sidharam achieved command over Jaipur gharane from Mansur. He spent 15 years in learning with Mansur. During the summit of the SAARC Nations held in Bengaluru in 1986, a Hindustani vocal music programme was organised at the Ravindra Kalakshetra. Well known Hindustani vocalist Pandit Ramesh Nadkarni of Mumbai, who was accidentally passing through the Kalakshetra, heard the melodious singing. “Oh! What an unsolicited opportunity for me to listen to the great Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur,” Nadkarni exclaimed. But when he entered the Kalakshetra he was perplexed. It was not Mansur! Someone else was singing. That someone else was none other than one of the most celebrated genius vocalists India and Karnataka had ever seen, ‘Sangeeta Sudhakara’ titled, a priceless musical gem and the pride son of Kalyana Karnataka — Pandit Sidharam Jambaldinni! Nadkarni, many others who would simply listen to Jambaldinni would have taken pride. They would not have even an iota of doubt that it was Mansur. The revolutionary changes he brought about in Hindustani music are really unprecedented. He changed the very complexion of singing of vachanas. He would always insist that not only vachanas should be sung in pure Hindustani classical but vachana itself could be a cheej. Having been born and brought up in acute poverty, Jambaldinni braved all odds to carve a niche for himself in Hindustani vocal. He joined music department in the Sharanabasaveshwara College, Kalaburagi. Though it gave him some kind of financial security, his talent was limited to teaching. He could not blossom like his contemporary doyens. He had deep regrets that Karnataka was not a proper place to blossom in music as the state lacked patronage. Both Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Jambaldinni in 1969 decided to leave Karnataka for once and settle in Maharashtra for their music career. Joshi went and created a history while Jambaldinni did not and remained deprived. For Jambaldinni it was a bolt from the blue when he was struck with esophageal carcinoma (cancer) in 1988. He underwent traumatic experiences as life became highly miserable. Being fully aware of mountainous difficulties in the path of musical career, he consciously avoided his offspring from making music a full-fledged career. He breathed his last on 31.12.1988 after living a very purposeful life.