Romance of Gauhar

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Publication: HT~City Page No: 1 Date: May 8, 2010 Headline: Romance of Gauhar Yajnaseni Chakraborty • [email protected] ikram Sampath, a unique combination of Romance of Gauhar V Carnatic vocalist and computer professional, and such peers as Shashimukhi now a certified author, and Phanibala, Gauhar was describes it as an obsession. among the first artistes of With a tawaif(courtesan), the Gramophone Company in what's more. But then, she is India. And Sampath's book no ordinary tawaif. She is describes how the Gramoph- Gauhar Jaan (1873-1930), one one Company's agent Frede- of the earliest female rick Geisberg was delighted Hindustani classical vocalists with her, and how her photo- (as opposed to a nautch girl graph reportedly appeared or a glorified prostitute), who on matchboxes in Austria. made this city her home, At the book launch, though she was originally renowned vocalist Girija Devi from Azamgarh. spoke of how she belonged to Sampath is the author of a the same gharana in Benaras new book on this remarkable as Gauhar, and described her woman, titled My Name is as an inspiration. Gauhar Jaan - The Life and "Gauhar's real achieve- Times of a Musician (Rupa & ment lies in the way she Co, Rs 595, hardcover). In the made Hindustani classical city recently for the book's music accessible to the mass- official launch, Sampath, also es through her huge reper- the author of Splendours of toire," says Sampath. "She Royal Mysore: The Untold In fact, she wasn't born well as her looks, but died in brought the art out of kothas Story of the Wodeyars, says he Gauhar Jaan, but as Eileen relative poverty in Mysore, and liberated women singers stumbled upon Gauhar Jaan's Angelina Yeoward, an broken-hearted and lonely. from exploitative patrons." name while researching for Armenian Christian who All this and more are part And at the end of all her his first book. later converted to Islam. of Sampath's book, but it isn't recorded songs (she even "The resonance in her During her career, she just about Gauhar. "I have sang Rabindra sangeet with a name struck me immediate- recorded about 600 songs in tried to paint a social picture, classical twist), as was the ly,"he says. So he decided to over 20 languages including too, of women who took up custom in those days, she find out more. And the more English, and wrote poetry in the challenge of recording in would announce herself with he learnt, the more obsessed Hindi and Urdu. She lived studios before the men, and a saucy "My name is Gauhar he became with the woman like a fairytaJe princess, whose achievements have Jaanl" in perfect English. who became one of the most charming her numerous been obliterated," he says. The book celebrates that celebrated vocalists of India. admirers with her voice as Incidentally, along with sense of mirth..

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