Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish - Introduction

S.D. Batish Passes away July 29, 2006 It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of a great man, my father (Papajee), Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish. He was fighting congestive heart failure for nearly 2 years. He died peacefully this morning at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz California. He leaves his wife Smt. Shanta Devi Batish, his five children - Smt. Surendra Devi Batish, Shri Tarun Kumar Batish, Smt. Vijay Laxmi Batish, Shri Ashwin Kumar Batish, and Shri Ravi Kumar Batish and eight wonderful grand children that loved him so dearly. Private services are being planned. Panditji would have been 92 in December this year. Condolences can be emailed to batishs@gmail.com, faxed to (831) 423-5172 or mailed to Batishs, 1310 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA. To all my father's fans, please stay in touch. He leaves us with a tremendous legacy that we will share with you all in the very near future. It was his wish to never stop reaching out to spread the musical word. He believed if we all spent more time studying music and other arts the world would be heaven. He often said "with music you no longer need to try going to heaven, you are already there!" We will sorely miss his presence and his phenominal grasp of culture, language, musical abilities, and humanity. I can only say that I and the rest of the Batish family members will try our level best to bring to you the teaching of this great personality. I aim to archive all his works and memorabilia at his home in Santa Cruz, California. USA and am seriously considering creating a non-profit foundation to carry on the work of my father. You are invited to visit his personal site at www.sdbatish.com. Any old images, music, trivia on my father's professional musical career will be greatly cherished by my family. With great love and a very sad heart, Ashwin Batish info [at] batish.com   S. D. Batish has been a stalwart on the Indian music scene since 1936. His songs have been broadcast from All India Radio nationwide. His old movies are regularly shown on the Indian TV. He is a true master of the various vocal, and instrumental styles of the North Indian musical tradition - including Bhajans, Geet, Thumri, Folk, Ghazals, Film Sangeet, and Classical. Some of his outstanding films are Betab, Bahu Beti, Toofan, Harjeet, Tipu Sultan, Ham Bhi Kuch Kam Nahin, and Amar Keertan. His songs have been sung by such top artists as Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Talat Mahmood, Mohomad Rafi, Sudha Malhotra, Manna Dey, Geeta Dutt. Some of his all time hit songs are, Pagadi Sambhal Jatta, Khamosh Nigahen, Aakhen Kehe Gayi Dil Ki Baat. A senior artist of His Master's Voice, EMI, India, his fans remember his powerful rendition of the Ghalib Ghazals; Daayam Para Hua Tere Dar Par, and Lazim Thaa Ke Dekho Meraa Rastaa. He is also an outstanding artist of All India Radio. He made a visible mark in the field of Classical music when under the music direction of S. D. Burman he sang the songs Poocho Na Kaise Maine Raina Bitaii in Raga Aheer Bhairava, and Mana Mohan Mana Me Ho Tumhin in Raga Adana from the movies Meri Surat Teri Ankhen and Kaise Kahoon. His inimitable rendering style in these songs earned him the Tansen Award for outstanding vocalist, from the leading organization of Bombay - devoted to the cause of Indian Classical Music, Sur Singaar Samsad. Batish also sang in various films where music was composed by virtuosos like O. P. Nayyar, Anil Vishwas, Pandit Gobind Ram, Madan Mohan, Pandit Khemraj Prakash, Gulam Mohamad, Alla Rakha, Shankar Jaikishan, Badri Prasad, and Roshan. It was for Mr. Roshan he sang the all time famous quawali Na To Kaaravan Ki Talaash Hai from the movie Barsaat Ki Raat. In 1970, upon invitation of the University of California, Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish came to teach music of India at the Santa Cruz campus. Later he, along with his son, Ashwin, founded the Batish Institute of Music and Fine Arts. For the past 20 years he has devoted all his energies towards creating these educational works incorporating Northern and Southern ragas. His research on the 72 Melas and their derivative ragas has provided over 2500 compositions of Carnatic ragas rendered in the North Indian tradition, a magnanimous achievement and a musical legacy to be relished by the present and oncoming generations! He has recently finished composing over 700 Chalans one for every raga as given in the Ragopedia collection - a compendium of exotic North Indian raga scales. Then there was this time he spent with the Beatles

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