Gururao Deshpande

Guru Rao Deshpande (1889–1982) was a singer from Karnataka, India His father, Narayanrao Deshpande, was a Carnatic musician who planned for his son to become a lawyer. However, the young Gururao had exhibited an intense attraction for Hindustani classical music. His parents had him tutored by vocalists Dattopant Joshi and T. K.Pitre, when he was just ten years old.

Recognition

Gururao with Bhimsen Joshi
Renowned musician Bhimsen Joshi did not hear Gururao Deshpande sing until the latter was well known. He then celebrated "Shastabdi Samaroh" for Gururao Deshpande on 14 April 1962, in Pune. During this function, guest of honour Krishna Rao described Deshpande’s music as the "finest of pearls strung together".

Gururao and literature
He was versed both in Kannada and English and enjoyed reading both languages. He mastered Kumaravyasa Bharata and Lakshmish Bharata, the two great epics of Kannada literature. His innovation was to recite both these epics in Hindustani music Gamaka style, inspired by Bharat Bindurao.

He earned presenting the long discourses of Kumaravyasa and Lakshmisha Bharata. Throughout these Gamaka recitals across the State, Gururao was accompanied by Betageri Krishna Sharma, who provided the 'Vyakhyana' (interpretation in prose). The Gamaka conference at Hubli crowned Gururao with the title 'Gamaka Gauri Shankara'. Gnyanpeeth poet D. R. Bendre kept close association with Gururao via discussions of Kannada literature. Gururao was equally proficient in English. He passed Inter Arts (a great feat) and admired Wordsworth, Milton and Shakespeare. Gururao studied astrology and practiced it for leisure.

Students

Gururao with Students
Pandit Narayan Rao Majumdar
Pandit Vinayak Malharrao Torvi
Smt Lata Nadgir
Sri B N Lonkhadi
Smt Mala Dixit
Smt Vijaya Lingsur
Sri Dheerendra Havanur
Smt Sunanda Kadapa
Smt Ratnaprabha Joshi
Sri Chidambar Torvi.