A legend among Indian classical musicians, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, born in 1922, was a singer in the Hindustani tradition, who accompanied his dizzyingly rapid and powerful improvisations with dramatic hand gestures. Joshi specialized in khayal singing, a style noted for its melodic flourishes. He also sang popular versions of devotional music and occasionally lent his vocal stylings to Bollywood films. Joshi's purism and passion made him ceaselessly creative; his career stretched from the pre-recording era until his retirement in 2002.