Varsity asks CM for music centre

If all goes well, Mumbai will soon have a centre of excellence in music as a tribute to legendary vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

If all goes well, Mumbai will soon have a centre of excellence in music as a tribute to legendary vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

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The University of Mumbai has written to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan requesting for a centre where music will be taught. Sources in the CM’s office said that the Chavan is seriously considering the proposal.

“He is a jewel produced by the state and we want to establish a gurukul centre of excellence in music in the name of Panditji,” said MS Kurhade, officer on special duty at the university.

Pandit Joshi, 89, passed away on Monday in Pune. The university wrote to the CM on Tuesday. The university broadly plans to invite renowned musicians to teach classical music to bright students from across the country, have a library with all of Panditji’s work, a research centre and an exhibit of musical instruments from cultures across the world.

The initiative was even discussed at the Governor’s Republic Day dinner and the CM is looking into the proposal. A recipient of Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, Joshi lent his voice as a dhrupad singer for a Bengali film based on the life of Tansen and later sang as a playback singer for Marathi film Gulacha Ganapati.