About Begun Gun Gave
Begun Gun Gave is a studio album by Indian classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, released in 1993. The label Venus issued the recording on compact disc as part of its classical music catalog. The album captures Joshi’s renditions in the khayal style of Hindustani classical music, a genre he mastered over his six-decade career.
Joshi performs two raga compositions on the album. The first track features Raga Gurjari Todi, a complex and emotionally expressive raga from the Todi thaat. The second track presents Raga Bhimpalasi, a late-afternoon raga known for its lyrical and introspective character. Both performances adhere to the traditional alaap-jor-jhala structure followed by composed bandish (fixed melodic compositions) and improvisational expansions.
The recording session’s exact date and location remain undocumented in available sources. The album’s production aligns with Joshi’s late-career phase, during which he continued to refine his signature vocal techniques, including intricate taan patterns and nuanced meend (glissando). The accompaniment details, including supporting artists on tabla or harmonium, are not specified in the release metadata.
Venus marketed the album as part of its classical series, targeting audiences of Hindustani vocal music. The 1993 release coincided with Joshi’s established reputation as a leading exponent of the Kirana gharana, a school known for its emphasis on breath control and sustained notes. The album’s title, Begun Gun Gave, translates roughly to \"the virtues began to sing,\" though its precise thematic connection to the recordings is unclear from available materials.
The total runtime of the album is not officially listed, but the two-track format suggests an extended exploration of each raga, typical of Joshi’s concert-style recordings. The CD release followed his earlier works on vinyl and cassette, reflecting the industry’s transition to digital formats in the 1990s. No reissues or remastered editions of this specific album have been documented.