Bhimrao Panchale's Marathi Ghazals Challenge Caste-Based Musical Traditions in India

Bhimrao Panchale, who hails from Amaravati and was born in 1951, has significantly influenced Marathi ghazal music, overcoming early criticism for his adaptation of the Urdu style. After nine years of classical music training, he turned to ghazals in 1972, learning devotional singing from his mother in the Varhadi dialect. His performances draw large crowds, challenging the dominance of Brahminical culture. Known as Ghazal Nawaz, Panchale composes by extensively reading poetry. The ghazal genre was structured by Suresh Bhat, who passed away in 2003. Other Dalit musical traditions include Buddha-Bhim-Geete and The Casteless Collective. Researchers Keshav Waghmare and Yogesh Maitreya document Marathi Dalit artists. Panchale's gentle voice contrasts with Hindustani singers, and he chooses ghazals regardless of their authorship. Suraj Yengde, a W. E. B. Du Bois Fellow, published Caste Matters in 2019.