Ashwini Bhide Deshpande

'Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, an outstanding vocalist of the famed ‘Jaipur-Atrauli’ Khayal Gayaki tradition of Indian Classical Music, represents the new generation of veterans worthy of wearing the mantle of the old masters….'

Born in a musical family, Ashwini completed ‘Sangeet Visharad’ of the ‘Gandharva Mahavidyalaya’ at the young age of 16 and won the  

President’s Gold Medal at the All India Radio Music Competition in 1977. After grasping the rudiments of Hindustani Classical music under the late Pt. Narayanrao Datar, she began imbibing all the traditional aspects of stylized Jaipur Gayaki under the strict tutelage of her mother, mentor and Guru, Smt. Manik Bhide.

Thoroughly grounded in the Jaipur Atrauli Khayal Gayaki tradition, Ashwini has developed into an artiste of immense public acclaim earning high praise from discerning critics and music lovers all over the globe. Ashwini’s musicianship is characterized by a blend of tonal  sweetness coupled with vitality and emotion and raga structure-architecture. Her raga delineation shows an unerring grasp over the grammar of the raga yet maintaining a soulfulness in her singing. Through this she has succeeded in building up her own loyal audience. She yearns to explore the pathos of rare and complex (‘achchop’) ragas characteristic of her Gharana. In this effort she has received invaluable  guidance from her Guru the late Pt. Ratnakar Pai, a senior stalwart of the Gharana. This, and of course, her mother’s unstinted support,  added to her own mature introspection lead Ashwini to new horizons of the ever-expanding terrain of Hindustani Classical Music.

Although a classicist by temperament and training, Ashwini is equally at ease with lighter varieties like Thumri-Dadra and Bhajans/Abhangs.  Add to this, her fluency in Sanskrit enriches her repertoire further by inclusion of stotras/stutis. Ashwini has added to her devotional repertoire by scoring the music herself of many of her devotional presentations.

Ashwini’s debut recording album was released in 1985 by HMV and several more have followed thereafter under various banners including Rhythm House, Times Music, Sony Music, Music Today, Navras Records and Universal Music among others.

In October 2004 Ashwini published a book ‘Ragarachananjali’ of her self-composed bandishes. The book has received rave reviews all over the  music world and the effort has been lauded for its musical creativity and artistic presentation. Continuing her creative effort she has  followed up with ‘Ragarachananjali 2’, her second book of bandishes in October 2010.

Ashwini has traveled extensively all over the globe participating in various prestigious music conferences and Sangeet Sammelans. Her live  concerts have been acclaimed for the sheer presentation delight, as much as for the aesthetic and musical quality. A 'top grade' artiste of  Akashwani and Doordarshan, Ashwini has featured in several national programmes and AIR Sangeet Sammelans.

As a teacher of competence, Ashwini devotes quality time to her promising disciples assuring continuity of the rich tradition of the Jaipur Gayaki. Ashwini has regularly participated in lecture-demonstrations on Hindustani Classical Music in various schools, colleges and sangeet  sabhas and contributes to the enlightenment of the unexposed audiences in India and abroad.

Ashwini's contribution to Hindustani classical vocal music has been acknowledged by way of awards and citations. She is recipient of the  Government of Manarashtra ‘Sanskritik Puraskar’ for 2011  the Sahyadri Doordarshan ‘Sangeet Ratna’ Puraskar for 2010. She was honoured with the ‘Pandit Jasraj Gaurav Puraskar’ on the occasion of the 75th birthday celebrations of the Maestro. She was awarded the ‘Rashtriya Kumar Gandharva Samman’ in 2005 by the Government of Madhya Pradesh - the first female Hindustani vocalist to have been decorated with this prestigious national award.

Ashwini, who is currently stationed in Mumbai, finally chose music as her first love forsaking a career in Biochemistry but not before  completing her doctorate at the esteemed Bhabha Atomic Research Center/ University of Mumbai.

Ashwini has traveled extensively all over the globe participating in various prestigious music conferences and Sangeet Sammelans. Her live  

concerts have been acclaimed for the sheer presentation delight, as much as for the aesthetic and musical quality. A 'top grade' artiste of  

Akashwani and Doordarshan, Ashwini has featured in several national programmes and AIR Sangeet Sammelans.

December 01, 2013 Mumbai : Ravindra Natya Mandir, Pandit Nivruttibua Sarnaik memorial concert

December 07, 2013 Kolkata :Kolkata, SRA Sangeet Sammelan

December 12, 2013 Pune :Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav - Jasrangi Jugalbandi with Pt Sanjeev Abhyankar

December 14, 2013 London :Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Center, Sama Arts Network Ltd

December 22, 2013 Ambad, Maharashtra :Ambad Sangeet Samaroha

December 23, 2013 Chennai : Chennai

December 29, 2013 Kolkata :Kolkata Club

January 05, 2014 Bangalore :Concert organized by Shri Ravindra Yavagal in memory of his father

January 09, 2014 Mumbai :Ravindra Natya Mandir, Swaranjali Sangeet Mahotsav

January 10, 2014 Pune :Swara Jhankar Sangeet Mahotsav

January 14, 2014 Mangalore :Shri Ramkrishna Mission

January 18, 2014 Mumbai :Vile Parle, Hridayesh Arts

Deepak Raja’s World of Hindustani Music

As a teacher of competence, Ashwini devotes quality time to her promising disciples assuring continuity of the rich tradition of the Jaipur  Gayaki. Ashwini has regularly participated in lecture-demonstrations on Hindustani Classical Music in various schools, colleges and sangeet  sabhas and contributes to the enlightenment of the unexposed audiences in India and abroad.

Ashwini’s debut recording album was released in 1985 by HMV and several more have followed thereafter under various banners including  Rhythm House, Times Music, Sony Music, Music Today, Navras Records and Universal Music among others.

1  Introducing Ashwini Bhide  HMV (Sa Re Ga Ma)  1985  Ragas Yaman, Tilak kamod and Bhajan

2  Rhythm House Classics  Rhythm House 1987 Ragas Pooriya Dhanashri, Bhoop, Bhajan

3  Ashwini Bhide Sings HMV (Sa Re Ga Ma) 1988  Ragas: Kedar, Khambavati and Bhoop Nat

4  Live for Femina Rhythm House 1989 Ragas: Nand and Bageshri

5  Morning Ragas Vol. 1  Rhythm House 1990 Ragas: Lalit and Bibhas

6  Morning Ragas Vol. 2 Rhythm House 1990 Ragas: Todi, Kabir Bhairav and Sukhiya Bilawal

7  Bhaktimala: Ganesh Vol. 2  Music Today  1991  Devotional music

8  Bhaktimala: Shakti Vol. 2  Music Today 1991 Devotional music

9  Bhaktimala: Krishna Vol. 1  Music Today 1991 Devotional music

10 Bhaktimala: Namastotram, Ganesh Music Today  1991 Devotional music

11 Young Masters  Music Today 1992 Ragas: Bhimapalas and Shudha Kalyan

12 Raag Rang Vol. 1  (Alurkar’s) Fountain Music Company  1996  Ragas: Bihaag, Bhinna Shadja and Bhajan

13 Raag Rang Vol. 2  (Alurkar’s) Fountain Music Company 1996 Ragas: Madhuvanti, Jhinjhoti, Jog and Nayaki Kanada

14 Pandharpuricha Nila Sagarika 1998 Devotional (Marathi Abhang)

15 Krishna Ninaad Music 1999 Ragas: Jaijaiwanti, Vachaspati, Megh Malhar, Jhoola and Bhajan

16 Women’s Series  Navras Records Also available under Sony Naad 1998 Ragas: Ahir Bhairav, Jaunpuri and Bhajan

17 Anandacha Kand Megh Music, Also available under Sony Naad  2000 Devotional (Marathi Abhang)

18 Ashwini Bhide Deshpande Vol. 1 Alurkar Music House 2000 Ragas: Bilaskhani Todi, Gujri Todi and Nat Bhairav

19 Ashwini Bhide Deshpande Vol 2 Alurkar Music House 2000 Ragas: Rageshri, Durga and Yaman

20 Golden Ragas Series Times Music 2000 Ragas: Multani, Gaud Malhar and Bhajan

21 Dwar Utsav 2002 Music Today 2002 Live Jugalbandi with Pt. Biswajit Roy Chaudhary (Sarod) Ragas: Jhinjhoti and Nayaki Kanada

22 Navagraha Puja Sony Music Set of 9 cassettes/CDs of devotional music 

23 Roop Pahata Lochani Self/ Anahat Naad 2004 Devotional (Marathi Abhang)

24 Ragarachananjali Rajhansa Prakashan 2004 Book and CD of self composed bandishes

25 Kari Badariya Self/ (available from Underscore Records) 2005 Ragas: Abhogi, Prateeksha, Jhula and Dadra

26 Sandhya Sense World Music 2006 Ragas: Bageshree, Hori and Bhajans

27 Soordas Self/ Universal Music 2009 Devotional, 9 bhajans of Soordas composed by the artist

28 Unmesh Self/ (available from Underscore Records) 2010 Ragas: Vibhavati, Pooriya Dhanashri, Patdeep,Manikauns

29 Ragarachananjali 2 Rajhansa Prakashan 2010 Book and CD of self composed bandishes

30 Arghyam East Meets West Music 2013 Arghyam, the offering - A tribute to Pandit Ravi Shankar

Raga: Utsav Janasanmodini, Utsav Bairagi Todi, Utsav Nandadhwani, Utsav Utsav Charukauns, Utsav Pancham se Gara.