Just noticed this thread. I have so much to share about Gangubai-ji, having gotten to interact with her for two whole days while volunteering for SPICMACAY many years ago. She reminds me of DKP in many ways (timbre of voice, her humility, and for being another "pADu paTTammAL" -- see postscript)
Here's another article. Although this somewhat overlaps with the previous two from Hindu, I think it is very touching in parts:
http://music.calarts.edu/~bansuri/pages/gangubai.html
Here's a Bageshree rendered in her later years:
http://www.sangeethapriya.org/~asokan/H ... eshree.mp3
Here are some clips from Rajan Parrikar's SAWF articles:
Abhogi:
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kanada/gangubai_abhogik.ram
Alhaiya Bilawal:
http://www.sawf.org/audio/bilawal/gangu ... ilawal.ram
And here are some examples of her sense of humor, which I witnessed firsthand (I have retained the original Marathi and tried to provide a faithful translation):
1. When asked why her voice and her daughter Krishna's voice are so different (Gangubai's is way more masculine -- see Bageshree and Alhaiya Bilawal clips), she said:
"गंगूबाई गाते तेव्हा गगनाला पोचतं, कृष्णा गाते तेव्हा हृदयाला पोचतं"
(Gangubai's singing reaches the heavens, but Krishna's reaches the heart.)
2. When asked to speak at a function in the Taj Hotel, Mumbai, for Bhimsen Joshi's 75th birthday (around 1997, when she was around 85):
[Gangubai tries to stand up and reach the mike.]
Organizer: आपण बसून बोला (Please sit down and speak.)
Gangubai [now standing]: मी काय म्हातारी दिसते काय? (Do I look like an old woman?)
Regards,
Ganesh
PS: I believe Ariyakudi referred to DKP as pADu paTTammAL (She who struggled a lot, also a pun on DKP's name), because she worked hard on her music (by practicing each piece until it was perfect, etc.) However, IMO, since Gangubai struggled a lot in her earlier years (financially, caste and family problems -- see articles) this applies to her too.
just like the coolkarni put it in one of the thread about GH.