Hindustani classical · 1926–2000
Pandit Suresh Haldankar
The stage voice that became a teacher's voice.
- Instrument
- Khayal vocal
- Born
- 18 December 1926, Goa
- Died
- 17 January 2000, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Official website & social links
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Where to start
Begin listening
Shri Ananta Madhusudan
Release - Topic
Label-distributed release on an automatically generated YouTube topic channel.
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On screen
Songs & films
- Vocalist
- Stage actor
- Teacher
Biography
Life
Suresh Haldankar was born in Goa on 18 December 1926, into a Daivadnya family, at a time when Goa was still under Portuguese rule. He learned Hindustani classical music from Jagannathbuwa Purohit, Ganpatrao Dewaskar and Manhar Barve.
He came to prominence in the Bombay musical world of the 1950s, performing in Marathi sangeet natak and acting alongside Bal Gandharva. His best-remembered stage performance was in the musical Honaji Bala, and after hearing him in Shri Ranga Kamala Kanta the writer Acharya Atre gave him the title "Maharashtra Gandharva". His natya sangeet and devotional records, among them "Vithu maza lekurwala" and "Govinda re gopala", stayed popular long after he had stepped back from the concert platform.
His performing career did not sustain the promise of those early years, and he spent much of his later life teaching classical music from a chawl in Dadar, Mumbai. Among his students was the vocalist Prabhakar Karekar. He died in Mumbai on 17 January 2000.
Musical contribution
What they brought to music
Khayal training put to the service of natya sangeet and bhaktigeet, with a clear, carrying stage voice.
Lineage & company
Teachers, students and musical connections
People
Grouped by the kind of relationship the sources record — who taught this musician, who they taught, family, and the people they played with.
Teachers and gurus
- Jagannathbuwa Purohitteacher
Agra gharana.
Suresh Haldankar — Wikipedia - Ganpatrao DewaskarteacherSuresh Haldankar — Wikipedia
- Manhar BarveteacherSuresh Haldankar — Wikipedia
Students and disciples
Prabhakar KarekardiscipleHis notable student.
Suresh Haldankar — Wikipedia
Collaborators and accompanists
- Bal Gandharvacollaborator
Acted alongside him in Marathi sangeet natak.
Suresh Haldankar — Wikipedia
Recognition
Honours and recognition
- Maharashtra GandharvaTitle conferred by Acharya Atre after hearing him sing in Shri Ranga Kamala Kanta.
Community
Memories from the community
Personal recollections, not verified history
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Provenance
Sources and image credits
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