IN the last week of February 1983, a , RUTH significant cultural event took place in the capital, but unfortunately, because no big names or labels were attached to it, and also because of lack of funds, it did not get the attention or the audiences it “ Se Sohni” deserved, and people did not even get to Geetika’s All-Women Classical Music Festival know of it until it was televised four days later. The event was “Bhairav Se Sohni”, the first ever all-women classical music festival. for the emergence of women performers and hear. Even more interesting was the The festival was organized by Geetika over was a sign of things to come, and that this fact that only two of them were acquainted three sessions on February 26 and 27, in would be the first of many such festivals. with each other before the festival, and Kamani auditorium, New . The Thakur , reputed that the details of the joint performance festival, covering both Hindustani and musicologist and Shannoji’s guide, had been verbally worked by them while Karnatic music, was unique in that all the pointed out in his introductory speech that travelling together on the train to Delhi. performers, both the main artistes and the in the recent past women singers have They must have played for an hour, accompanists, were women. The moving received a certain amount of recognition just going around the circle, passing a force behind the festival and behind but the majority of women instrumentalists rhythmic motif to each other, and doing Geetika is Dr , a reputed remain in oblivion because platforms are variations on it. They were able to grip vocalist, composer, and promoter of the not made available to them, He said the everyone’s attention, even though using arts. festival was the realization of Shanno’s five such different drums. They seemed to Imaginatively structured, the festival dream of a forum for women artistes, play to each other avoiding the temptation was the product of a great deal of particularly for those of them who play to put on a personal “show.” As dedicated hard work, and breathed the instruments traditionally played only by accompanists too, later in the festival, spirit of love for music. It took no small men. these women impressed with the courage to open the festival with relatively The first session then began with ‘Tal steadiness, complexity, discipline, and unknown artistes selected on the strength Vadya”, an unusual and fascinating richness of their rhythmic statements of their work and brought together from performance on five different percussion which combined well with the voicing of remote parts of the country. From instruments— with S. Padma on the such instruments the harmonium and the beginning to end the festival was mridangam, Sukanya Ramagopal on the sarangi. It was enlightening to see how, conducted with a grace and dignity which ghatam, Sasikala on the kanjira, P. for instance, P. Santhakumari was capable were truly refreshing in the context of Santhakumari on the thavil and Aban of playing complex musical ideas on the today’s music world where gimmicks and Mistry on the tabla’ The confidence thavil, which looked like a drum one could personality cults are increasingly coming radiated by these women and their superb see on the street, a folk instrument, and to to take precedence over the simple synchronization was a real treat to watch realize that there must be many such spontaneous relationship between musician, music and listener. This dignity was evident from the inauguration ceremony itself. There were no long pompous speeches or projection of personalities. Announcements were made with impressive dignity by Saroj Vashisht from backstage, instead of having a glittering compere on stage, as has come to be the usual practice. Inaugurating the festival, Begum Abida Ahmed expressed her happiness that the stage was now being claimed by women, who have always given the stage over to men. She hoped that the door thus opened

Photographs accompanying this article are Tal vadya: left to right: S. Padma on mridangam, Sasikala on kanjira, P. by Avinash Pasrieha. Santhakumari on thavil, Aban Mistry on tabla Sukanya Ramagopal on ghatam

2 MANUSHI instruments buriried in remote areas all accompanied on the harmonium by her playing of Shobha Kudesia, and the over the country. pupil Savitriben Jhaveri. Dr Mistry, who enjoyable lively performance on the same These five women from such different started taking singing lessons at the age instrument by Neelam Gupta. backgrounds were able to transcend of four from her aunt Mehroo Work- differences of region, of class, of different ingboxwalla, has done historical research music traditions with a rare ease and into the tabla and pakhawaj traditions, and extraordinary skill. It was one of the most is currently teaching music in Bombay. imaginative ways of combining the The session concluded with a moving instrumentalists of Hindustani and and inspiring performance by Asghari Karnanatic music. Begum of Tikamgarh (see interview with They were followed by Aruna her on page 8). She is one of the few Narayan Kalle’s solo performance on the women singers to have taken up and sarangi. She is the first and only woman excelled in , traditionally a player of the sarangi in India. She started jealously guarded male preserve, never training seven years ago under her father taught to women. This grand old lady of sarangi maestro Pandit . The music, disciple of Ustad Zahoor Khan, sarangi has usually been treated as an has maintained her devotion to music accompanying instrument but her father through a lifetime of incredible hardships, has helped develop its potential as a main including 30 years of not being allowed to instrument. Her able performance was practice singing. The evening session ample evidence of this potential. began with K. Dhanalaksmi and K. Bageshwari Qamar playing shehnai The session concluded with Dr Prabha Deivakunjaram, two sisters,playing accompanied by Neelam Gupta duets,on the nadaswaram, a difficult wind on tabla instrument not traditionally played by After the festival, we talked to some of women. the musicians. What they had to say shed They were followed by eminent considerable light on the predicament and violinist Dr N. Rajam, accompanied by her the straggle of women artistes today. 17 year old daughter Sangeeta who has 24 year old Neelam Gupta works as been trained since the age of four by her tabla accompanist at Jwaladevi Mahila mother. A delightful coordination between College, Kanpur. She said: “I used to learn mother and daughter drew out the nuances dance. While dancing, I became attracted of the instrument with sensitivity. Dr Rajam, to the tabla, and began to learn from who was initiated into music by her father, Keshavanand Sharmaji. I have now been and trained by Pandit Onkarnath Thakur, learning tabla for 10 years. I am the only is known for her lyrical style and technical woman tabla player in Kanpur. I do not skill. She teaches at the Benares Hindu come from a family of musicians, but my University, . father is a music lover and has always Aruna Kalle on sarangi The festival fittingly concluded with encouraged me. I feel that this festival was Shannoji’s melodic and emotive classical a very good idea. As a tabla player, I Atre, a well known vocalist in Hindustani singing. constantly face discrimination and music, who is now reader of music at All the accompanists for both vocalists prejudice. Many singers and SNDT women’s university, Bombay. She and instrumentalists were women. instrumentalists flatly refuse to play with was trained in the gurukul system by Outstanding among them was Vasanta women accompanists. Some of them Suresh Babu. Nane and his famous sister Mhapsekar, considered by many to be the declare: ‘The women who can accompany . most eminent living harmonium player in me has not been born.’ Since the tabla is The morning session on February 27 the country. She has accompanied most an accompanying instrument, we are opened with Bageshwari Qamar on the of the best known singers and dependent on main performers and are shehnai. Disciple of and instrumentalists. Her interpretation of the adversely affected by their prejudice. This daughter of shehnai player Jagdish Qamar, various was more than an pre-judice is particularly strong against she is the first woman to have taken to accompaniment—it acquired the women tabla players. My aim is to further this difficult wind instrument. significance of background colour in a develop my tabla playing.” She was followed by Dr Aban Mistry’s painting. Also noteworthy was the While Neelam was speaking, Dr. Aban scholarly performance on the tabla, impressively sturdy and controlled tabla Mistry came up, and passionately agreed

MARCH-APRIL 1983 No.15 with her that women tabla players performance a month. For women players, the mridangam since the age of 11. constantly encounter prejudice. She said: the situation is even more difficult. Says Mridangam is a main accompanying “Not only men but even some women Sukanya: “Most male singers refuse to be instrument so she gets relatively more performers refuse to be accompanied by accompanied by women artistes. Some do opportunities to perform professionally, women tabla players. The accompanists agree, but on the whole, it is only women but she also usually accompanies women are always considered to hold a secondary who encourage women. Some women also artistes since men object to accompanists. status, even though their art requires just do not want women accompanists, but Her husband, who is a bank officer, had as much devotion and hard work. In fact, mostly we do accompany women singers.” come with her to Delhi. He remarked: “I the main player or singer can pause during She says that she took up ghatam love music so I allow her to perform.” the performance but the tabla player because “I want to prove that I can play K. Deivakunjaram Dhanalakshmi come cannot stop even for a moment, lest the ghatam. At the beginning nobody from a family with a long tradition of rhythm be broken. I learnt singing and encouraged me so I took it as a challenge. nadaswaram playing but they are the first playing for 27 years but I took up and I want to develop it further and prove that women in the family to have learnt the stuck to tabla playing because I was I can do it as well as men can.” instrument. Their father taught them to determined to prove that I could do it.” Sasikala, 20 years old, was play, but their brothers were not We also talked to the troupe of artists accompanied from Bangalore to Delhi by interested in learning. There are now a few from South India. Sukanya Ramagopal, 25 her guru M.P. Ramachar. Sasikala first women players of nadaswaram, among years old, is the only woman player of the whom these two sisters are perhaps the ghatam in India. She told us about herself: best known. They have given about 1,000 “First I learnt mridangam but then I became performances. They earn a living and interested in this instrument because it was support their families by their playing. something different. My husband does They have travelled in South India and not discourage me from performing. Just also Malaysia and Singapore to give now he is looking after the baby while I am public performances. Since the here in Delhi. But for two years after my nadaswaram is not considered a main marriage, I could not play due to certain instrument for concerts, they perform family problems—my husband’s illness mostly in temples and at weddings. and my pregnancy. Now I usually practise Deivakunjaram is 27 and her sister 29. in the afternoons. There is a lady violinist She said: “Our mother keeps insisting that living near my house so we often practise we should get married soon, but we have together.” not yet agreed because we think that after Sukanya comes from a family of marriage we may not be allowed to play, musicologists. Her great grandfather was and also once we have children, it will be an eminent Tamil researcher, and many of difficult for practise and to perform. I Santhakumari on thavil her forefathers were composers. She is married after I am 30 years old. If I do not however.the only woman professional in learnt bharata natyam, and then learnt to marry at all, I may have to face problems the family. Though she sees herself as a play the mridangam. Four years ago, she and insecurities in old age.” professional, and takes her commitment to began to learn the kanjira which is played P. Santhakumari, 32 is the only woman music with high seriousness, when we by very few women. Her family player of the thavil in Tamtlnadu. She has asked if she can and does earn a living by encourages her, though she is the only an impressive command over the instru- her playing, she said: “It is a side earning professional musician in the family. She ment, which she started learning to play for me because my husband is earning. I has been learning music since the age of when she was 15 years old. Thavil am not at all bothered about the money. If 11. She agreed with Sukanya, saying: “I playing is not normally taught to women I get an opportunity to perform I am very don’t need to earn a living by my music. but she got inspired to learn after hearing happy because I want to improve myself.” Among us, ladies don’t earn. They stay at some women thavil players from Kerala She also said that since ehatam is home. Men earn.” When we asked what and Srilanka. Since her guru Rajagopalan considered a secondary accompanying she would do if after marriage her husband is a good friend of her father who is a instrument, the players are not paid much. were to object to her performing in public, nadaswaram player, he willingly taught her The maximum payment for a performance her guru urged her to say that she, will to play the thavil. is Rs 150 to 200 and one can be paid as marry only a mao who is agreeable to her Santhakumari is employed as a regular little as Rs 15 or 20, Also, the musicians performing as a professional. player in a temple at Dindigul, where she are kept busy only during festival seasons. V. Padma, 27 years old, come from a earns Rs 350 a month. Her husband, who At other times, they may not get even one family of musicians, and has been playing plays; the nadaswaram in another temple,

4 MANUSHI earns Rs 500 a month. She has two small children who she brought with her to Delhi. When we asked how she gets time for music, with her household responsibilities, she said she has to make the time since it is a question of earning her living. Since she plays daily in the temple, she does not need to spend extra time on practice. All the women from the South vociferously agreed with Sukanya when she said: “This festival was a very good idea. Women do not get encouragement in the general festivals. Also, it was an introduction for us. I never knew, for example, that if there are such good women tabla artistes. I did not even know the K. Deivakunjaram and K. Dhanalakshmi on nadaswaram others from South India, except V. Padma.” This was the first time that these South courtesans in medieval times, therefore the , ex wife of Shankar, Indian women artistes had performed in tendency persists in middle class families and daughter of . She is North lndia. to say : ‘Oh our daughter-in-law is one of the great musicians of India, but Shannoji too felt that one of the most interested in music but thank god, there is she has for years not performed in public.” rewarding results of the festival was that no need for her to go on stage, to play for A major problem faced by Geetika in “the artistes felt very happy, elevated, a living.’ Though a few women have made organizing the festival was the lack of satisfied. It was a great experience to a name for themselves, the majority still funds which also led to the sad spectacle witness their dedication — some of them encounter a great deal of prejudice. Star of half empty halls. The festival cost about travelling long distances with small babies performers ask which woman accompanist Rs 70,000 since the hall had to be hired, in their arms. In spite of all the can possibly be good enough to play with and the musicians were all paid. Though responsibilities they shoulder, women did their sarod or their singing. I feel that even some of them would have willingly it ! And I felt that they maintained a high if it is true that a particular woman performed free of charge, Shannoji says : standard, They all said that such a festival accompanist is not so good, she needs to “Since the idea was to move towards should be organized every year.” be encouraged, how else will she improve? making women artistes professional-ly Explaining why she felt the need for We as women should encourage women. independent, I wanted them to be paid.” such a festival, Shannoji said : “I feel that There were certain women performers who The rates differed for different artistes, music is one way for women to break out refused to play at this festival because they depending on how well known they are, of the suffocation in which they have been were not willing to be accompanied by and therefore how much they are caught for centuries. When a woman women. Those who did agree, took a step accustomed to charge. However, they were expresses in the form of music the pain, forward. For example, Asghari Begum was all very helpful and reduced their normal the suffocation, the tenderness, the love singing dhrupad which is always sung rates considerably. As one of them, which dwell in her mind, she is able to with the pakhawaj, not with the tabla. Yet expressing her willingness to cooperate communicate the world the anguish of her since we did not have a woman pakhawaj fully, replied when Shannoji asked how heart. It is the woman who introduces player here, she agreed to be accompanied much she would charge : “What can I say music to children, who sings lullabies, who by a tabla player, to a sister musician ?” teaches children to smile, to speak. Music I want more opportunities to be Shannoji described how the financial is in her very being, she is the embodiment available to women accompanists. This dependence Geetika was forced into all the ragas, the emotions, Therefore I feel festival was an attempt to make the crippled the organizers and caused the quality of her art will be higher if she is audience receptive, and also to encourage innumerable problems : “We approached allowed to develop it, because she is the artistes, to give them recognition as Sangeet Natate Akademi for funds. We did closer to life’s struggle than is a man.. professionals, I did not go out of my way nor receive any answer in writing but were I want more women on the scene, at to get women players of instruments which finally told verbally that since the Akademi every level. In North India, professional women commonly play, such as sitar and does not stand for discrimination between women musicians have come to be looked sarod. However, I wanted a woman men and women, they could not fund an down upon. Women professionals were surbahar player and I would have liked all women festival Early in 1982 I applied

MARCH-APRIL 1983 No.15 to the Sahitya Kala Parishad, and spent their so-called rules and regulations who My father was a great Arya Samajist. a year running around, completing various drive us to the cigarette and bidi wallas. He believed in education for women, but bureaucratic procedures. They have lots Businessmen have no value for art. They within the house. He was very conserva- of money and even if they had granted are more interested in selling cigarettes tive so there was no question of his Rs 10,000,1 was determined to go ahead than in promoting art. allowing his daughters to go to and do it, raising the rest of the money However, I do intend to do it again. I maharaja’s court, to listen to the through advertisements in the brochure. will not be defeated. This time, I will not professional musicians there, or to perform Since a year had passed and there was go in for commercial sponsorship. Geetika there as profession When I was about 12, no answer from the Parishad, we were has organized many other programmes my father allowed my brother to start compelled to approach business houses .without commercial sponsorship, and taking lessons from Raghunath Rao to sponsor the festival. We thought of has met with resounding success. We Musalgaonkar, an eminent ustad, but I having three sponsors- one for each have managed every thing ourselves and was told there was no need for me to take session. However, around January 20,1983, have always full halls. This time, we are lessons with him. I used to hear the lessons the Modis, makers of Four Square Kings not even sure whether all the money spent but was not allowed to participate, When cigarettes, offered to sponsor the whole by us will be recovered, since the brochure I was filling the form for the matriculation festival, saying they were not interested sale proceeds are still coming in. We examination, I, without asking anyone, put in doing it piecemeal. They made a very members of Geetika have spent out of our down music as one of my subjects, thinking attractive offer, saying they would spend own pockets, and paid for everything in that once I had taken it as a subject, I about Rs 30,000 on publicity, and also advance.” would have to be allowed to learn seriously. organize ticket sales. Shanno Khurana hails from Shahpur By this time, my father had seen the We had not planned to sell tickets. near Sargoda. Her father, an engineer, was ustad was a very gentlemanly person, so Since this was the first festival of its kind, settled in Jodhpur state. Describing how he allowed me to learn from him. I learnt we had wanted to give out free invitations her involvement with music grew, she said: for about five years, and then, when I was so as to acquaint the Delhi audience with nearly 18, I was married. the idea, and also to have full halls for the My husband’s family had nothing at encouragement of the artistes. all to do with music. But my husband saw However, since the Modis were so music in me and he encouraged me to go confident of their ability to manage the ahead. It was only his support that made it whole show, we agreed, though it sounded possible for me to continue practising, and too good to be true. Over the next month, to perform professionally. Otherwise, it they kept delaying and hanging fire. We would have then. I have seen so many, had to keep chasing them but they were many very bright and talented young never available. They also kept changing girls giving up music after marriage, and their differ and contradicting themselves. just becoming housewives. So many girls We were getting frantic since time was are finished that way.” passing, it was now too late for us to make After completing her training under alternative arrangements, but we could see , and doing her no signs of the promised publicity. Finally, Ph.D on Khayal Gayaki and Rajasthani they issued three advertisements whereas folk music, Shannoji founded Geetika in earlier they had promised more than ten. 1968. Earlier she had composed and acted Also, the tickets were not handed over to Shanno Khurana in two highly successful Punjabi operas the sales counters on time, with the result Heer Ranjha and Sohni Mahiwal. Shannoji that many people who did see the “I come from a family of engineers, not a says that one of the main aims of Geetika announcements and went to buy tickets family of musicians. When I was small I is to bring classical music as close to the on the first day had to go away used to listen to my older sister taking people as possible. Geetika has always disappointed. It is these Modis who are music lessions. When I was three and a experimented with new and innovative responsible for the half empty halls We half years old, I one day climbed on a ideas. In 1970, it staged the first ever opera could have easily filled the hall with invitees chair to reach the door bolt, and after in . Entitled Jahanara, it was based but afterthe ticket sales had been so shutting myself into the room, began to on 60 ragas.This was followed by mismanaged, we were helpless. It was pick out a tune on my sister’s harmonium. Chitralekha, the first ever Hindi opera, really sad that the artistes had to play to After that i began to play whatever tunes based on 80 ragas. Sundari, a Punjabi half empty halls. heard floating aound. My brother had a opera, was the first to present the ragas It is these government Akademis with nice voice and we used to sing together. of, the shabads of Guru Granth Saheb in

6 MANUSHI opera form. In October1982, Geetika are more likely to support art with the aim group of instruments to them. Rather, they organized a very successful festival of of profiteering than from love of art. The were finally getting long overdue , and . Representatives atmosphere of competition fostered by this recognition as musicians. of three schools from different parts of the kind of patronage does not appear to be Today, when even habitual concert country participated in this festival. congenial or encouraging for the majority goers, not to speak of the majority of us, One fact which emerged very clearly of women artistes, who have nothing but have been attuned to react to “big names” from what the women musicians had to their talent on which to depend. It was rather than to respond freely to the quality say, was that more even than in other evident even from the range of talent of music as we hear it, to trust the evidence professions, a woman in the music displayed at this festival that ability is not of reviews and awards rather than that of profession requires the support of her necessarily linked to recognition or fame. our own experience, this festival was a family in order to survive. The few women Some of the most brilliant players were also courageous effort to acknowledge the who do survive as musicians manage to the least known, the ones buried in small worth of several relatively unknown do so either because they come from villages, or eking out a meagre pittance by artistes, and thereby to assert the primacy families or musicians who are not hostile performing in temples or at weddings. of art over cults and coteries. to the idea of the women members of the However, one statement in the Geetika In her introduction to the first session, family performing, or because their families, brochure was rather disturbing. It claimed the announcer said : “The Rigveda names particularly fathers and husbands, are that “not many sons of the old masters 27 vidushis (learned women) who assisted supportive and encouraging. On the one find the music profession remunerative, in its composition... This festival too is a hand, many women of promising talent and so they have begun to diversify their festival of vidushis. Today, each of these have to give up music altogether, or merely talents. For instance, the sons of a sarangi vidushis is standing alone just as courage practise for their private pleasure as and maestro or a tabla ustad do not take to always stands alone.” We hope that this when they can make the time, because their fathers’ instruments. Since these two is only a beginning—both for the their families, husbands or in-laws object instruments are generally accompanying proliferation of women’s scholarship in the to their performing in public, and see any instruments, they take to sarod or sitar and field of music, and for their coming attempt to do so as a disgrace to the the like, in order to emerge as the main together to share their skill and their joy in family. On the other hand, even many male performer on the concert platform. But music. musicians prevent the women of their then, are we going to let the ancient sarangi families from developing their potential or go into oblivion, for not all instrumentalists from performing in public. can become soloists? It is here that women Sharbari Mukherjee in her essay can come forward.” This statement could Equal Property Rights entitled “Women and traditional lndian be interpreted to mean that as men leave It will be several months before we have music” in the Geetika brochure, gives one low paid and less recognized areas of a full picture of how much of N.T. Rama example of such exclusion of women : music, women should fill the gaps, thus Rao’s Telugu Desam programme on “Traditionally, women have never been coming to occupy the lowest and least women’s issues will be implemented. permitted to sing or learn dhrupad which remunerative rungs of the ladder, because However, we are pleasantly surprised at is said to be the divine music meant for the one major reason for men leaving the job the determination his party has shown in gods, and was always associated with of playing accompanying instruments, is rapidly beginning to redeem their campaign temple rituals. It was the male bastion that accompanists are poorly paid as pledges by introducing an Andhra Pradesh strictly taught to the male members of the compared to main performers. Fortunately, Amendment Bill to amend the Hindu family or to sons-in-law and the knowledge this statement seemed contrary to the spirit Succession Act. The aim is to make a share was sometimes handed down as dowry to of the festival, which broke new ground in available to daughters that equals that of those who married into the family of some several ways—by giving recognition to sons and to make daughters members of musicians of high status. But women were women accompanists as musicians in their the coparcenary for inheritance of never practitioners.” own right, by demonstrating the potential ancestral property. If the Bill is passed and It would appear that with the decline of of instruments usually considered enforced, it should have a strong impact the older forms of patronage extended by “secondary”, and by moving away from on the status of women in Andhra Pradesh, royal and noble families, many of the the dominant pattern in concerts today, where women have a long tradition of professional women musicians were which spotlights the “main” performer, relatively greater political involvement, pushed out of the field. Today musicians relegating the accompanists to the dating back to Telugu peaking social still depend for survival on patronage, background. The performers at the festival reformers of the late nineteenth century. though of a different kind. did not become so excellent and involved We would be glad to hear from those Patronage today comes either from.the in their music because men are now knowledgeable about women’s political state,or from private business houses who supposedly leaving this “secondary” activities in Andhra Pradesh.

MARCH-APRIL 1983 No.15