Songs for Her Lover: Afroz Bano

Gopis (cow herdesses) and Lord Krishna

Thumri,  a semi-classical genre of Hindustani music, arose out of the love/erotic Bhakti/sufi poetry that described an intimate direct relationship between Divinity and Individual. In particular, the ultimate subject of the thumri is the devotion and love felt for Lord Krishna.

Most thumris are composed and sung in the medieval dialect of Hindi, Braj Bhasa, spoken around Mathura, the northern Indian city associated with Lord Krishna.  It was in the area around Mathura that the Krishna legends and tradition especially captured the imagination of devotees.  Though thumris have been composed and performed in other regional dialects of Hindi, especially Avadhi and Bhojpuri, centered around the cities of Lucknow and Varanasi, respectively,  Braj Bhasa retains its strong hold on the language of this beautiful genre.Even though many listeners would find Braj difficult to follow compared with other dialects.   Some scholars have claimed that Braj has the most vowels of any form of Hindi, making it far easier to sing. But probably the real reason for the thumri staying so attached to the language is that it was, by the 17th century, the recognised literary dialect of north India.  Though the artistocracy used Persian and later Urdu as the ‘official’ and ‘Court’ language, the lingua franca of most people across that part of India known today as the Cow Belt, was Braj Bhasa.  

Thumris are primarily love songs, or intimate songs of devotional love for Krishna told from the perspective of a woman.  Ghazal, that other great genre of North Indian verse, by contrast, usually takes the man’s voice and speaks of the pain of separation.   This does not mean that men do not sing thumri or women are banned from signing ghazals. Most classical singers (male and female) have a vast repertoire of thumris which they render with as much care as any raga.  And where would we be without the ghazals of Farida Khanum or Iqbal Bano?  But the fact remains that thumris , many of which are filled with erotic and intimate imagery, are the ultimate vehicle for the expression of feminine love in Hindustani classical and semi-classical music.

Though the standard thumri  extols the passions that arise within the (female) heart of the Krishna devotee, a subject matter entirely ‘Hindu’, most thumris were written by Muslim musicians. The bulk of the composers remain anonymous and were likely to have been paid court musicians in the courts of large landlords (zamindars) or petty as well as major aristocratic households.  And indeed, the most acclaimed performers of the thumri are or have been Muslim: Khansahib Abdul Karim Khan, Barkat Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar, Iqbal Bano.  Pakistan, the world’s first confessional state, of course has made demands (overt as well as indirect) on artists to transform the subject matter/lyrics of thumris from Krisha-hymns to reflections on more appropriate Islamic themes. And the lyrics have been de-linked from Braj Bhasa and are usually sung in Punjabi. 

Tonight, it is my great pleasure to share an absolutely fantastically rendered collection of 5 thumris by the Indian artist Afroz Bano. Afroz Bano was initiated by Sadullah Khan of Sikar and subsequently trained with Faiyaz and Niyaz Ahmed Khan of the Kirana gharana. Her wide-ranging repertoire of thumri, dadra, and allied forms includes Rajasthani mand and folk songs. A top-grade artiste of All India Radio, Afroz Bano performs regularly and has several commercial albums to her credit, besides lending playback for commercial films and TV.

Track Listing:
01 Balma Nahin Aaye [Tilak Kamod]
02 Nadiya Kinare Moro gaon [Mishra Pilu]
03 Najariya Laagi rahi [Kaushik Dhwani]
04 Kesariya Balam [Mishra Maand]
05 Ho Gayi beriya [Mishra Bhairavi]

here

Spring Has Surely Passed: Nirmala Devi and Laxmi Shankar

1930s poster of Krisna and gopis (cow herdesses).
The love of the gopis for Krishna is the subject of thumri.

First of all, for those of you who absolutely have to have MP3 files the recent Evening with Mohd. Rafi album is now available in that format from the relevant post.

Tomorrow is one of those all too rare mid-week public holidays. ANZAC day, which for non-Antipodians is the Down Under equivalent of Memorial Day. Big parades of bemedalled old soldiers, usually quite a bit of rain and moments to remember those who were brave enough to put their lives on the line for their country.  It is also the occasion for a major football match (in Melbourne at least) which the sports media love to drum up as the moral equivalent of Gallipoli.

Tonight’s post has not a thing to do with either of those events. Which is not to say war and football and soldiers are not worthy of being toasted by the Washerman’s Dog. Not at all.  Simply, I’m in the mood for an album I’ve had for some time and which I’m eager to share with you.

I’ve mentioned the thumri before. But just to refresh the old grey matter, here is a concise summary: Thumri is a common style of light classical music.  The text is romantic and devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna.  The language is a dialect of Hindi called Brij bhasha.  This style is characterized by a greater flexibility with the raga.  The compositions are usually set to kaherava of 8 beats, addha tal of 16 beats, or dipchandi of 14 beats.  It arose in popularity during the 19th century. (http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/thumri.htm)

The singers tonight are Nirmala Devi and Laxmi Shankar. Nirmala Devi is the mother of the Bollywood dancer-par-excellence, Govinda, and is a classically trained singer of the Patiala gharana. Nirmala, born a Muslim, who converted to Hinduism and changed her name enjoyed a brief acting career of her own in Bombay in the 1940s and was married to the actor, Arun Ahuja. Unfortunately, his career was less than stellar and he died young leaving Nirmala a single mother.  She is regarded as one of the finest thumri singers of her generation.

Laxmi Shankar is a classically trained South Indian dancer. She fell in with the dancer/musician Uday Shankar, older brother of Ravi, in the 1940s and eventually married another brother, Rajendra (Raju). When her dancing career was derailed by illness she became a disciple of khayal singer, Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan, and found a new facility and passion for thumri, khayal and bhajan.

The four thumris on this 1966 EMI release were composed by Laxmi Shankar’s teacher, Ustad Abdul Rehman Khansahib.  Two are sung by both women and then each diva gets a chance to explore the music on her own.  Both have delicate, diaphanous voices which match the lyrics especially well.

This album is a real gem and evidence of the depth of Hindustani music beyond the big names. The title track Sawan Beeta Jaye (Should Spring Pass) is the standout number with the two voices rising repeatedly like a swirl of birds high in the sky. But the remaining three tracks are very nice too. Singing in Braj-Hindi, which is the mother tongue of neither artist, both singers bring a precision and ease to the pronunciation of the lyrics that is allows them to really soar vocally.

And of course, I can’t help but point out (yet again) how wonderful it is to have music from a distinctly Hindu tradition being composed and performed by those from the Islamic tradition.  This is the sort of world I like and pray for, where we just get on with beauty and forget the boundaries and walls.

A perfect way to wind down for the mid-week break!

         Track Listing:

01.  Naina More Taras Rahe Hai

02.  Kare Manmani

03.  Sawan Beeta Jaye

04. Na Mane More Baat

Listen here (MP3).

Mother and Daughter: Kajjan Begum and Mehnaz (Fresh Link)

Tonight we have some really soulful singing from a mother and daughter duo.  

Kajjan Begum

Kajjan Begum (mother) was an Indian singer trained in the Banaras gharana and who moved to Pakistan after the Partition. Not much else is readily available on the internet about her. But one assumes, with all the caveats embedded in that word, that she came from the Lucknow, Banaras, Mirzapur, Allahabad area of easternUttar Pradesh and that she emerged out of the then-dying tawwaif (courtesan) tradition.

Mehnaz

Mehnaz, (daughter) was born in 1956 and during her prime was an extremely popular and successful playback singer in Lollywood. But her real passion was the ghazal, which she sang in many films and concerts throughout her active years.  She is now settled in the USA.

Not much more to say about these two and so it should be. Let the music speak for itself. This collection of Kajjan Begum and Mehnaz singing folk songs and thumri based songs is spectacular.  I wish I knew more about when these recordings were made for Pakistan TV but I would guess in the late 70s and 80s.  But then take a look at track 9, Hare Hare Bans. Doesn’t sound like that would pass the Mullah Censor Board of the past several decades.  Whatever, whenever, the voices of both women are strong and distinctive and perfectly suited to the folksy flavor of the songs. The light-classical thumris and dadras beautiful gems that have quickly become some of my favorites.

            Track Listing:

       01 Banri ne Ajab Shahana

02 Shah Mera biyahan Aaya

03 Barkha Laagi Mori

04 Mori Chooriyan Kurki Jaain

05 Amman Mere Bawa Ko

06 Sajan Ye Mat Janiyo

07 Kagwa Too Urr Gaiyo

08 Goondho Ri Malan

09 Hare Hare Bans

10 Chali Re Naee Nar

11 Sahki Ri Morey Nain

12 Kal Naheen Aao

13 Ghri Sawan Ki Badarya (Kajri)

14 MainSooye Gayee Goyyan (Dadra)

Listen here.

Music Pakistan: Thumris of Iqbal Bano (Fresh Link)

Iqbal Bano

Iqbal Bano died in 2009 and left a country, an audience and a music bereft.  In a land with a deep and rich tradition of music Iqbal Bano sat head and shoulders above her peers. This position is remarkable when you consider that among her peers she counted Farida Khanum, Mehdi Hasan and Ghulam Ali. And that she was not born into a family where making music was part of the tradition.

Born in pre-Partition Delhi, Iqbal Bano’s voice was noted by musical friends who recommended her to Ustad Chand Khan, a major figure the Delhi gharana.  The young (strong willed) girl was accepted and learned the usual forms of light classical music that were deemed the natural domain of the female personality: the thumri and dadra and ghazal.  This was not patronizing mentoring. It was serious work. In an fascinating interview several years before her passing, she spoke of how in the cold Delhi winters she would wrap herself in a shawl and come to her Ustad’s house for lessons.  Khan sahib would object and tell her to get rid of the shawl. “You want my voice,” she retorted, wrapping the shawl more tightly.  “What has the rest of my body to do with it?”

Ustad Chand Khan snapped back, “Stop this nonsense. Get rid of the shawl and lets’ get started.”

In a world where the ustad-shagird relationship is intensely intimate and respectful, and in which practice (riyaz) in harsh conditions and for long hours is considered not just beneficial but essential, Iqbal Bano was able to shape her immature but interesting voice into one of the iconic and deeply admired voices of her time. 

A few years after Partition, Iqbal moved to Multan in  Pakistan and pleaded with her Ustad to join her but he insisted (like most Delhi lovers) that he could never leave his dear city.  Iqbal Bano married a landlord who much to his credit did not interfere in his new wife’s passion for singing.  In Pakistan the young lady sang Thumris on national radio and gave live performances to a growing and admiring audience. In those days such groups existed who patronized classical music in Pakistan.  Film work, for which she felt very unqualified, developed, again to great approval from the audience and it was her interpretation of ghazal that forever earned her a special place in the fine arts of South Asia.

The thumri is a genre of Indian semi classical music with roots in both the courtesan (tawaif) culture of 19^th century north India as well as Krishna worship. In a tradition where most of the performers were Muslim, both the the romantic/erotic  and devotional aspects of thumri have been malleable, depending on the circumstance.  Traditionally, thumri is sung in either Braj bhasa  (the dialect of Hindi around Brindavan/Mathura associated with Krishna worship) and Poorvi (eastern UP Hindi). Iqbal Bano, perhaps to distance herself from the perception of performing a Hindu art, has always performed thumri in Punjabi. It certainly was a language she had greater knowledge of than dialect Hindi and whatever the ultimate reason or reasons for her singing in Punjabi it demonstrates her fierce commitment to do things her way without compromise.

Indeed, though her place as a supreme artist and cultural figure was secured years earlier, Iqbal Bano is dearly loved by many Pakistanis for standing up to the military ruler and great conservative Islamic crusader of her country, Gen. Zia  ul Haq. During his 11 years in control of Pakistan, Zia, had banned the public recitation of the poetry of left wing poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.  In 1985 in front of a huge audience Iqbal Bano defied the dictator’s dictat and sang a passionate rendition of one of Faiz’s poems, Hum Dekhenge (We Shall See), which in some ways could be seen as a loose Urdu equivalent of the American civil rights anthem, We Shall Overcome (though Faiz’s poem runs circles around the other song in its literary merit).  In a dark period of history Iqbal Bano demonstrated the true courage and moral leadership of public artists and inspired her countrymen and women to take courage. A few short years later the General was gone and the country was ruled by, of all things, a woman!

Tonight’s selection is a series of 8 wonderful thumris sung by the stupendous Iqbal Bano.

         Track Listing:

         01 Thumri Khamach

02 Thumri Tilak Kamod

03 Thumri Des

04 Thumri Peeloo

05 Thumri Peeloo

06 Thumri Bhairvin

07 Thumri Mishar Tilang

08 Thumri Tilak Kamod

Listen here.

 Iqbal Bano defying General Zia by singing Hum Dekhenge