Bhavageete, also spelt as Bhavageethe, is a form of expressionist poetry and light music. Literally meaning "emotion poetry", Bhavageete is a significant part of Indian music, which has represented the devotional and emotional facet of the Indians whilst representing the aura of the philosophy of Hinduism in the truest sense of the term. The emotional poetry sung in this genre pertains to themes of Love, Nature, Philosophy etc. Not much different from Ghazals, the genre involves expressing the deep desire of meeting the ultimate. Experiencing the "Omnipresence of the Omnipotent" is articulated amidst light music and perfect verbiage. The philosophy of life is all united with the strings of Bhavageete, which is a lot more than just being a particular form of expressionist poetry.
The genre of folk music became popular as a form of expressionist lyrics throughout India, notably in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Whilst the verve of the Kannada lyrics enriched the Karnataka Bhavageete, the Maharashtrian Bhavageete was typically based on Marathi poems. As a classical form of folk music, Bhavageete has gained applaud in the rich chronicles of Indian music, which is again exceptionally atmospheric. The elements of both classical music and folk music are ideally interwoven in the genre of Bhavageete. Rustic emotion, native wit and spontaneity form the base of Bhavageete that has pounded a million souls. It still stands as that bridge to connect the high and low with its musical and literary expression.
Bhavageete of Karnataka
The Bhavageete of Karnataka takes inspiration from modern Kannada poetry. Some of the well known modern Kannada poets whose works have been set to Bhavageete music include D. R. Bendre, Kuvempu, Gopalakrishna Adiga, K. S. Narasimhaswamy, K. S. Nissar Ahmed and N. S. Lakshminarayana Bhatta.
Some of the popular Bhavageete performers of Karnataka are P. Kalinga Rao, Mysore Ananthaswamy, C. Aswath, Padma Charan, H. K. Narayana, Balappa Hukkeri and Sangeetha Katti, and popular Bhavageetes in Kannada include "Anandamaya ee jagahrudaya" and "Oh nanna chetana" by Kuvempu, "Yaava Mohana Murali Kareyitu" by Gopalakrishna Adiga, "Jogada siri belakinalli" by K. S. Nissar Ahmed and "Hacchevu Kannadadha Deepa" by D. S. Karki.
Bhavageete of Maharashtra
The Bhavageete of Maharashtra draws inspiration from Marathi poetry. Some of the Marathi poets whose works have been adapted in Bhavageete include Suresh Bhat who made Marathi ghazals popular and Shanta Shelke. The notable Marathi Bhavageete composers, performers and singers include Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Sudhir Phadke, Arun Date and Suman Kalyanpur. Few of the popular Marathi Bhavageete lyrics comprise "Shukratara" and "Ya Janmavar", sung by Arun Date.
Related Articles:
Indian Music
Indian Philosophy
Traditional Indian Music
Ghazals
Indian Folk Music
Indian Classical Music
Kannada Poetry
Kannada Literature
Kuvempu
Marathi Literature