Today is 98th birth anniversary of well-known Indian classical singer Pandit Kumar Gandharva who was&nbsp;famous for his vocal style and his refusal to be bound by the tradition of any Gharana. Originally he was known as Shivaputra Siddharamayya Komkalimath.<br />”<br />” The name, Kumar Gandharva, is a title given to him when he was a child prodigy; a Gandharva is a musical spirit in Hindu mythology. Gandharva was born in Sulebhavi near Belgaum, Karnataka, &nbsp;in a Kannada-speaking Lingayat family. By the age of five, he had already shown signs of being a musical prodigy.&nbsp;<br />”<br />”He first appeared on stage at the age of 10. When he was 11, his father sent him to study music under the well-known classical teacher, B.R. Deodhar. His mastery of technique and musical knowledge was so rapid that Gandharva himself was teaching at the school before he turned 20. By his early 20s, Gandharva was seen as a star of music and was praised by critics.<br />”<br />”Gandharva also experimented with various forms of singing such as Nirguni bhajans (devotional songs), folk songs, and both ragas and presentations. His innovative approach to music led to the creation of new ragas from combinations of older ragas.<br />”<br />