Tribute! Angur Bala Devi

Angur Bala was born in the village of Indas of Burdwan district of undivided Bengal but her date of birth is uncertain. She was the daughter of Bijoli Bhushan Bannerjee who was an army officer and Angurbala received primary education in her village with scholarship showing that apart from singing and acting talents, she was also a good student. Nevertheless she had to quit formal education and had to join the stage and films at an early age for reasons of poverty. Her first training in music was from Mr. Amulya Majumder, who was a friend of her father. Later on she was given music lessons by Ustad Jeet Prasad. Khayal and Thumri lessons were provided by Ustad Ram Prasad Mishra. Ustad Jamiruddin Khan also taught her Thumris. At the age of eight she entered the stage under the guidance of dramatist Nripendra Chandra Basu in dancing and singing roles. Soon the Gramophone Company of India invited her to record songs. Kaala Tor Tarey Kadamtolay Cheye Thaki and Bandho Na Torikhani Amar E Nadikuley were her first two songs to be published as records. The record number was P 4721. Thereafter she became a regular with HMV cutting innumerable discs. 1923 was the year when her first film, a silent one Indrasabha was released. Her first talkie was Jamuna Puliney (1933)in which she played the role of Brindey. Soon she made her presence felt in singing roles in films like Radha Krishna (1933), Char Darvesh (1933), Naseeb Ka Chakkar (1936), Maa Ki Mamta (1936), Abartan (1936), Indira (1937)_, Devjani (1939)_ and several other films in many different Indian languages like Urdu, Tamil and Telugu.  


Angur Bala sings amar jiban nadir opare

As a record artiste also her popularity hit the sky and she was specially invited by The Nizam of Hyderabad to sing in court. In one of the discs during this period, her photo was printed on one side of a record with the photo of Hyderabad's Nizam on the other. That was the extent she impressed the Nizam with her songs and earned his respect. Her stage performances continued at the same time and her songs were a source of major attraction for all those who queued up for tickets of the plays. For the radio she started to sing from the very first day broadcasting was started. Her first song over the radio was Nithura Nagara Shyam. Her association with Najrul Islam broadened her field and she recorded several songs of Nazrul gradually achieving the status of a major exponent of such songs. She quit acting long back but never lost touch with music which was her first love.



Angur Bala Devi sing Ganguli (78 rpm) - Nazrul Geeti

Apart from a Gold disc from HMV, she was given the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy Award from Delhi and honorary D.Litt from Kalyani University. Angurbala was popularly known as Sangeet Samragyee or empress of the Music World along with contemporary artiste Miss Indubala,who was also her close personal friend. A documentary film, titled Teen Kanya featuring her along with two other artistes namely Indubala and _Kamala Jharia_ was made in 1972. She was appointed Nazrul music trainer by HMV. Even in advanced age she participated in music functions and gave public performances. About eighteen months before her death she suffered from a stroke that caused loss of memory. The end came on the seventh day of January, 1984. Her foster son Mr Amal Banerjee and his wife were present when she breathed her last.

Source: IMDb Mini Biography By: Dr. Jyoti Prakash Guha

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1271150/bio

Ustad Chand Khan and Dilli Gharana...

Daniel Neumann raised a few questions on the existence of Delhi Gharana once. According to Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkahnde, a gharana can exists when it has a different style of presenting the raagas. The difference largely is in the context of the performing patterns. However, Daniel Neumann must have got his answers when Ustad Chand Khan replied to his objections. The problem with the Gharana of Delhi has been that they have not been awarded due recognition in any sphere. Well there are a number of reasons for Delhi Gharana not getting due recognition in the recent past.

1) The previous two generations of Delhi Gharana were not involved in full time vocal music, they were Sarangi players. Those Sarangi players were in fact very good singers also, but they had taken up playing Sarangi under vow.

2) The second reason being that after partition, there was a lack of accountability, that who actually represents the Gharana. The people in Pakistan who are direct descendants of Miyan Achpal and Miyan Tanras Khan, claim to be the one’s who are representing the Gharana.

3) The lack of recognition by the government, the leading institutions and the leading contemporaries of the times. In recent times, it was noticed that in a few books and movies in this context, there was no mention of Delhi Gharana.

The story is quite different from this. Actually, after tracing back the origins of Ustad Chand Khan’s family traditions, it can be seen that Meer Bula Kalawant, who was one of the two court musicians of Baadshah Shams Iltumish was the paternal ancestor of Ustad Chand Khan. Now, Meer Bula Kalawant was a contemporary to Hazrat Amir Khusrau. The descendants of this very family were the court singh of Maharaja Nahar Singh of Ballabhgarh, in Haryana. Raja Nahar Singh was the ruler of 101 villages in and around Ballabhgarh. Two of the court musicians of his times were Meer Allahbuqsh and Meer Umarbaqsh. Ustad Chand Khan represented the fourth generation after Meer Umarbaqsh. All of the generations except Sangi Khan and Mamman Khan were court vocalists, not accompanists. So, the doubt about Delhi Gharana not being a Vocal Gharana is not worth raising. The same tradition of vocal music was taken up by Ustad Chand Khan and it has been carried for ward by Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan who still lives in Suwiwalan at his ancestral place called ‘Mausiqui Manzil’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBNCLfb2kDw ... A beautiful rendering of Puriya Dhanashree by Ustad Naseer Ahmed Khan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvZJiETYlUM&feature=related ... Jog Kauns by Usyad Iqbal Ahmed Khan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBINFf_2TNQ&feature=related ... Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan @ Harballabh Festival Jallandhar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BY-utxQclw&feature=related ... Miyan Ki Todi, Ustad Naseer Ahmed Khan

Presently the tradition of Delhi Gharana has been burdened on Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan. The traditions of vocalism was carried forward by the disciples of Miyan Tanras Khan. Badshah Bahadursijhah Zafar was the last Emperor of the Mughals in India and during his times, it it believed that the Gharana was officially established by a disciple of Miyan Achpal. Miyan Tanras Khan was a disciple of Miyan Achpal. Also, the birth of the Patiala Gharana took place when two people named Ali Buqsh and Fateh Ali were presented to Miyan Tanras Khan to accept them as disciples. At that time, Miyan Tanras Khan was in Jaipur.

Well, it is very painful to know that people question and criticize probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest Gharana of Khayal Gayaki. Khayal started from Hazrat Amir Khusrau Dehalvi, and since the traditions have been carried forward by the family of people who were contemporaries of his. Delhi Gharana, is the home for Khayal. It has had disturbing times. But, it still remains to be one of the quest for a Khayal lover. Ustad Naseer Ahmed Khan, another great vocalist of the century was also a part of the Delhi tradition. It is pretty ironic, the whole situation of Delhi Gharana itself. But the recent developments and the steps that are being taken to correct and put everything right in place will prove to be successful. 

Written by Kovid Rathee for HarmoNYom (5/8/2011):

http://kovidrathee.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/ustad-chand-khan-and-dilli-gharana/

Delhi Gharana: The Delhi Gharana was represented by Tanras Khan and Shabbu Khan. The highlights of Delhi Gharana are its pleasing vistaar and exquisite compositions.
Founders: Ustad Mamman Khan
Exponents: Ustad Chand Khan, Ustad Nasir Ahmed Khan, Ustad Usman Khan, Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan and Pandit Krishna Bisht. 

Concert! FRIDAY MAY 20, 8PM - Dhrupad Vocalist Ud. Wasifuddin Dagar in NYC!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!   

FRIDAY MAY 20 @ 8:00 PM

  

HarmoNYom presents as part of The Music Room Project!

 (Photo courtesy: S. Thanthoni)

North Indian Maestro Dhrupad Vocalist Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar.

Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar was honored by the President of India with the Padma Shri award in 2010. 

The Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilan award in India.

Accompanied by Qamar Dagar & Laurence Bastit on tanpura  

& Mohan Shyam Sharma on Pakhwaj.  



Venue: Mandala @ Anamika Navatnam (Doors open at 7:15pm)

344 West 38 St. (8/9 Aves), 5 Fl., New York, NY - Directions  

Subways: A/C/E to Port Authority and 1/2/3, N/Q/R, 7 to Times Square/42 Street

Tickets: $40, $25 (Students w/ID, Seniors and Children - 18)

Tickets online (Limited Space): www.musicroom.eventbrite.com/     

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Ustad F. Wasifuddin Dagar represents the 20th generation of dedicated dagarvani, dhrupad singers in the Dagar family. He is the nephew of Ustad N. Zahiruddin Dagar and son of Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar, the legendary younger "Dagar Brothers". Though traditionally his family has always performed dhrupad as a duet (jugalbandi), Wasif (shortened name) successfully presents the dynamic of a duet in a solo performance by maintaining the distinct musical approaches and styles of both his father and uncle.

Wasif's early training was with his uncle Ustad N. Zahiruddin Dagar, and his father Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar. Wasif also had the good fortune of the tutelage of his grand uncle Ustad Rahimuddin Khan Dagar, a dhrupad exponent and his grandfather's younger brother. Other elders including uncles Ustad N. Aminuddin Dagar, and Ustad N. Mohiuddin Dagar (renowned vina virtuoso) have also greatly influenced him. Wasif continues to benefit from the knowledge, experience and guidance of his uncles Ustad. R. Fahimuddin Dagar, Ustad Z. Fariduddin Dagar, and Ustad. H. Sayeeduddin Dagar. 

Since the demise of his uncle Ustad N. Zahiruddin Dagar in 1994, Wasif has been carrying on the tradition of Dagarvani solo.

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