Bhimsen Joshi - A Story of Passion
by Falguni Gokhale
“Bhimsen Joshi - A Story of Passion” by Falguni Gokhale. Published by Tota Books. A biography of one of India’s most famous classical singers for the little ones.
Bhimsen Joshi was born in a small village in Karnataka. His father was a teacher. He was exposed to music at a very young age as his mother sang devotional songs. He loved music and was fascinated by musicians. He would not miss an opportunity to listen to music and would accompany musical troupes and end up in unknown places with them.
His father did not want him to study music. However, Bhimu knew that he had to become a musician. He left home in the quest of finding a good teacher who would teach him music. The book traces his extraordinary journey to become one of the greatest classical singers ever.
My seven year old loves true stories and enjoyed this book. We discussed how grit, passion, determination and hard work are essential to make dreams come true. We listened to a couple of songs sung by Bhimsenji as well.
The book is part of the “Books to Inspire” series by Tota. The versatile personality of Bhimsenji has been portrayed so well. He was a true all rounder. In addition to music, he also loved swimming, yoga, football and so many other things. To quote him - “Had I not been a classical singer, I would have loved to spend my entire life in a garage fine-tuning a Fiat or a Maruti.” The book is apt for children aged 5+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Tota Books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.