New Delhi: Begum Akhtar, one of the greatest ghazal and semi-classical singers, was once traveling from Lucknow to Bhopal when a young boy quietly placed a chit in her hand. there was one in that paper Ghazal written on it. The young boy was none other than Shakeel Badayuni who grew up to become a famous poet. Begum Akhtar composed GhazalAnd immortalized it in song – O love, I cried at your end,
Ghazal Now Mumbai’s Avanti is part of a powerful musical performance by Patel and her group – where they combine storytelling, history and music. They call this celebration of female singers from the past oh singer,
After reciting this anecdote about Begum Akhtar, the group presents a soulful rendition of the ghazal. Similar stories and melodious songs are interspersed with audience dialogue and conversation between the performers on stage after the performance.
From Cha Rahi Kali Ghata And it’s been a while For traditional Dadra and Hori, they slowly explore the work of each singer (singer). The group tells fascinating stories about that particular look or artist between songs. Some of the featured artists are Begum Akhtar, Iqbal Bano, Gauhar Jaan and Nirmala Devi.
The performance is nothing short of a masterpiece of melody and rhythm, blending the rich traditional sounds of Indian semi-classical music with engaging storytelling. All its story-song-story breaks provide exactly the kind of respite the audience loves.
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popularizing the classics
A section is devoted to Iqbal Bano. He begins by telling the famous story of him singing ‘Hum Dekhenge’ wearing a black saree, recording his resistance to the General Zia-ul-Haq regime of Pakistan.
In addition to anecdotes from the cast, the group also teaches the audience about Dadar, Thumriand their various forms by talking amongst themselves, exemplifying them through musical performances.
It is the group’s way of popularizing semi-classical music forms, which are predominantly sung by women.
singer and dancer (singers and dancers), as traditional female entertainers were popularly called, have been banned as women in the realm of prostitution and sex work. But many of these women contributed greatly to the preservation and nurturing of India’s diverse musical styles, including music Care, Thumri, Dadar, Hori, Swing, tealAnd Ghazal,
a new generation of artists
Avanti Patel, who has been learning music from renowned Hindustani classical singer Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande since the age of five, conceptualized the show because she felt the traditional forms, especially Thumriwere getting lost
“It attracted me as a music student and I wanted to do a show with Thumri as a focus point. So I presented the concept to Harkat Studio for a grant and I got it,” Patel told ThePrint.
However, he added that the real challenge is to turn this concept into reality for their first virtual show in January 2022.
“After talking with a group of musician friends, we managed to do it. Our first virtual show was a huge success.”
Patel is part of a new generation of artists who don’t see music as just music. They bring an analytical perspective, they want to experiment with new forms.
Classical music, in its traditional form, is usually performed in a formal setting where there is an invisible barrier between the performer and the audience. Even enjoying it requires a certain level of knowledge.
By oh singerPatel and his group hope to change that. They want everyone to feel connected to the music, which is why they often perform in smaller groups and more intimately. meeting Settings, letting go of platform limitations.
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again One era gone
His stage setting tries to recreate the era singer Will sing The mike is decorated with jasmine flowers and an antique gramophone is placed in the corner. Two women dressed in beautiful silk sarees, adorned with jewels and hair in a bun gajra Sit with the musicians accompanying him. their pass – a Mughal-era ornament that rests on the side of one’s head – and their elaborate earrings shimmer under the light. What unfolds over the next two hours is an engaging musical ballad that takes you through various singing forms and seasons.
The group paid particular attention to what they wore. In popular culture, courtesan Or singer Most of the Kathak dancers are shown wearing tight-fitting clothes. According to Patel, there exists a category of women who wear sarees, hardly show any skin and sit with a Tanpura and sing.
“They fought hard to differentiate themselves from the women involved in prostitution. Although we are not morally against it, but it would have been unfair to her. singer To put her in the same category, so we decided to wear saris like her,” said Patel.
Patel’s master sister Or co-learner Rutuja Lad is the other lead vocalist. Patel’s old friend Akshay Jadhav plays the tabla. Also part of the group are sarangi player Vanraj Shastri and harmonium player Nusrat Apoorva from Ahmedabad. It was challenging to adapt to this type of performance which required a lot of speaking and stage awareness. This is where directors Mallika Singh and Meghna Tailang came in.
“It is a habit for us musicians to come on stage, play our instrument and go back. But here we also got to tell stories, engage with the audience in between our musical performances. It was quite challenging, but we are getting used to it.
For Jadhav, a veteran tabla player who also plays Bollywood songs, being a part of the show is a soulful experience.
“The co-composers and many people keep asking when is the next show oh singer Is Happening. For us, it is music for the soul,” he told ThePrint.
striving for accurate representation
from Saba Diwan tawaifnama to Vikram Sampat my name is gauhar jaanResearching and referencing the many such books and academic articles is part of Patel’s pastime.
“There is also a lot of anecdotal wisdom, for example the stories that our guru Ashwini Bhide Deshpande ji shares. His aunt Shobha was a student of Gurtu, who is a big name ThumriPatel said.
songs sung in oh singer Known as the era of Gauhar Jaan India’s first ‘Recording Superstar’.
Few know that when recording technology arrived in India, it was mostly women, historian Vikram Sampath told ThePrint courtesan And devdasi community who first recorded their songs.
“But their stories have been completely consigned to the dustbin of history. My team and I are also working on a collection of Indian music. We’ve digitized the original recordings of many of these women and made them available to the public on SoundCloud. o singing The project is a good initiative with the concept of rediscovering various aspects of Indian culture.
Varun Grover, Kalki Koechlin and Kabir Bedi attended his performance. group is Display on March 8 in Borivali, Mumbai and on March 11 in Thane, Mumbai.
(Editing by Therese Sudeep)