Pt.Jitendra Abhisheki One of the most gifted Hindustani classical vocalists, Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki was also an accomplished composer. Born on 21st September 1933, Jitendra Abhisheki hailed from a priestly family traditionally attached to the shrine of Lord Shiva at Mangeshi in Goa. His father, Balwantrao a k a Bikambhat, was the temple priest as also a kirtankar. He initiated his son into the world of classical as well as devotional music from a tender age, even as he systematically taught young Jitendra both Sanskrit and Marathi. Proficiency in the two languages helped Jitendra immensely in his career as a musician and composer.

 

Growth as an Artist: Pandit Abhisheki passed the matriculation examination in 1949 and went on to study for a degree in Sanskrit literature. He then joined All India Radio at Mumbai for a brief but successful period. His stint with radio not only brought him in contact with several musicians, but also gave him the opportunity to harness his own musical talents by composing several pieces for various radio programmes. It was around this time that he started his training under the renowned teacher Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan.

 

He later got a scholarship from the Government of India for advanced training in Hindustani classical music. Before long, Pandit Abhisheki was composing music for Marathi plays. This meant setting to music songs in Marathi sangeet natak(musical drama) as well as background scores for what may be called ‘prose plays.’ All in all, he composed the music for as many as twenty-five Marathi plays, many of which are still being staged, using those same compositions by Abhisheki, by artists of the new generation.In the late sixties, he received the coveted Homi Bhabha fellowship, under which he taught music at the music school in the U.S run by the renowned sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.