Review        CD Information        Liner Notes

Review

This would always be a special CD set. It not only features one of the oldest recordings available, but also the founder of Kirana Gharana, Khan Sahib Ustad Abdul Karim Khan.

EMI, originally HMV, started operations in India in 1902, just a few years after it was founded in Britain. From then on they have been recording most of the classical (and popular) music that is recorded in India. Only in the last decade has their overwhelming presence in the Indian music industry deminished. Currently it is owned in India by the RPG group, but continues to be an associate member of the EMI group of companies. The CD was issued in 1991 as a part of the best of nine decades series.

The album is a set of two CDs. The first one consists of 23 tracks by Ustad Abdul Karim Khan. All the tracks were recorded on 78 rpm in 1905. The second CD has 8 tracks by Mohammad Bandi , recorded in 1907/8 and 9 tracks by Achhan Bai recorded in 1908/10.

As can be expected the recordings are not all that crisp and clear. But then these are purely for the sake of history rather than high fidility. So this cd gets one star for the recording quality.

The old recordings of that time also had a severe time limitation. Each record could be only a few minutes long. Thus all the tracks on the cd are no more than 5 minutes long, and some even as small as one minute, explaining the rather high number of tracks on the cd set.

The first cd covers quite a few Ragas, including such rare ones as Zilla and Sugaree. The thans are generally fast and short. The vocal range is of Khan Sahib is quite good, though the higher octave seems to be distorted probably because of the clipping in the those early recorders. Most Ragas begin with a short exposition of the chiz followed by the thans. There are some Thumris too. The ones in Raga Zilla and Kafi are quite fast paced from the beginning itself ... a somewhat unknown concept to me. There is even a Ghazal, the track 11. I could not make the wordings well enough to make out which ghazal it is, though.

The CD is satisfying, even if not very pleasing, just because of the historical significance of such a recording. There are several instances of the brilliance of khan sahib. Infact a few times I felt as if I was listening to a bad recording of Pt Bhimsen Joshi !

The second cd has mainly Thumris and other light classical forms. Mohammad Bandi was a female thumri singer of eminence around the turn of the last century. Then there are 9 tracks by Acchan Bai, another thumri singer of fame during that time. These tracks give a glipse of the thumri singing of that era ... though one supposes the thumris have been sung in a short span instead of the usual leasurely pace that must have been the norm in the mehfils of that time. One interesting note is that some of the tracks announce the name of the artist in the beginning or at the end !

Overall I'd rate the music at 3 stars, for the lack of anything to compare with. But for classical history buffs this 2 cd set a must have, especially at the 4.40$ that namste.com (see Where to Buy) charges for this (and many other) cd.

CD Information

Tracks

CD No 1 : CMC 182519

By Ustad Abdul Karim Khan

1. Raga Jogia : Khayal in Jhaptaal
2. Raga Lalat : Khayal
3. Raga Hindol : Khayal
4. Raga Jaunpuri : Tarana
5. Raga Sarang : Tarana
6. Raga Sarang : Khayal
7. Raga Bhairavi : Thumri
8. Raga Zilla : Thumri
9. Raga Kafi : Thumri
10. Raga Desh : Thumri
11. Ghazal : Dadra Taal
12. Raga Jinjhoti : Bhajan
13. Raga Khambaj
14. Raga Bhopali : Khayal
15. Raga Shankara : Tarana
16. Raga Bahar : Khayal
17. Raga Basant
18. Khayal in Ektaal
19. Khayal in Ektaal
20. Raga Sohni : Tarana
21. Raga Sugaree : Khayal
22. Raga malkauns : Khayal

CD No 2 : CMC 182520

By Mohammad Bandi

1. Raga Bhairavi : Thumri
2. Raga Bhairavi : Thumri
3. Raga Bhairavi : Dadra
4. Raga Barwa : Vilambit Khayal in Teentaal
5. Raga kafi : Thumri
6. Raga Sindhu Kafi
7. Kajri-Qawali
8. Holi : Jat Taal

By Achhan Bai

9. Raga Piloo : Thumri
10. Raga Piloo - Barwa
11. Raga Desh
12. Raga khamaj
13. Thumri
14. Raga kafi
15. Holi
16. Chaiti
17. Chaiti

Liner Notes

USTAD ABDUL KARIM KHAN

"Whatever he sang was music", exclaimed the great poet-musician Rabindranath Tagore at the death of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan. As Ghulam Rasool shared the sad news of the Ustad's demise with Ustad Faiyaz Khan, he mournfully uttered, "Hindustan se sur mar gaya" (music has passed away from India). Justly Abdul Karim Khan was the sweetest musician of his era. In his golden voice, Khansahib's music was brimming with pathos to the extent that the veteran sarangi nawaz Ustad Badal Khan said, "woh jo swara, jo panchain ya dhaivat Lagate hai wohi sachcha dhaivat hal, jantra so nahin mile to jantra ki ghalti hal, gale Ici nahin" (his application of"Pa"and"Dha" are real i.e. correct, in tune, if it is not in tune with the instrument, the latter is at fault), one of the highest tributes to be paid to a musician of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan's stature. Khan Sahib had an incredibly sweet voice, tonally so perfect that it was indistinguishable from the tanpura drone. Verily Abdul Karim Khan is a legend in the annals of Hindustani Music.

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan was bom in a family of traditional musicians at Kirana (U.P.) in 1872. His family had matrimonial ties with the family of Ustad Bande Ali Khan, the legendary binkar with Ustads Hassu-Haddu Khan the kfiayal-maestros of Gwalior. Abdul Karim Khan received his music training from his father Kale Khan and uncle Abdullah Khan. He also received guidance from another uncle, Ustad Nanhe Khan who was a court-musician of the Nizam of Hyderabad. From Nanhe Khan, Abdul Karim Khan ,got the clues of gharanedar gayaki. Abdul Karim Khan had extraordinary talent since his very childhood. How he learnt to play on the bin (Veena), sitar, tabla and naggara is aybody's guess. A gramophone disc of his bin recital of ragas Darbari and Pilu was once available.

Abdul Karim Khan was married to Gafooran Bibi, elder sister of Abdul Wahid Khan, but he neglected his wife giving rise to bitterness of sorts between himself and Wahid Khan.

Abdul Karim Khan's contemporary Ustad Hyder Bux of Mysore durbar was an eminent sarangi player. He was married to Abdul Karim Khan's sister; it was Hyder Bux who introduced Abdul Karim Khan to the Mysore durbar, where he was exposed to Karnatak musicians and developed a fascination for the Karnatak mode of sargain rendition which he introduced, into Hindustani system along with several Karnatak ragas such as Karharpriya, Saveri, Banadhwani, Anand Bhairav etc. a pioneer effort in this direction.

In his early years Abdul Karim Khan performed with his younger brother, Abdul Haq. At Maharaja Siyajirao Gaekwad's court they outshined Ustad Ali Bux and Ustad Fateh Ali, the famous Aliya-Fatm of the Patiala gfiarana. Aliya-Fattu sang their well polished and favoured piece, 'tori aili-aili gaindi-gaindi First sab nar' in raga Basant and ended up with resounding success.

At the instance of the royal patron the young duo, Abdul Karim and Abdul Haq performed the same raga and the same bandish which they opted for and rendered it with such a flourish that the entire durbar was stunned at Aliya-Fattu being outrivalled in the fan-paltas. As Abdul Karim Khan-duo scaled up to the note, the upper Pancham and slid down to the upper "Sa", the entire durbar was swayed away and the Maharaja's joy of appreciation knew no bounds. From this upper "Sa", the brothers astonished the audience by linking it up uninterruptedly with the bandish, "soc/~ samajh nadan" in the raga Pilu, and after elaborating it line by line and phrase by phrase, emphasising the inherent mood, they concluded the piece 'with the same upper "Sa" froTM where they had picked it up. Highly impressed with the charming style of Abdul Karim and Abdul. Haq, the Maharaja appointed them as court-musicians.

There were two stages of Abdul Karim Khan's gayaki: in his youthful days his style was marked for its vigeur, full of 'fikrebandi' and 'tanbazi' in a very fast tempo. Some of the available recordings of that period give an obvious impression that he was under the spell of the Patiala gharana gayaki. But in the later phase of his life Abdul Karim Khan was highly influenced by the sur-oriented gayaki of Ustad Rahmat Khan. At Kurundwad, Abdul Karim had the opportunity of exposure of Ustad Rahmat Khan's music. Rahmat Khan's Malkauns and Bhairavi created deep impact on Abdul Karim Khan's aesthetics, which gave a completely new orientation to his style. Now the alap part was the mainstay of Khansahib's music. He took great pains to mould his voice in a melodious strain, with unflagging practice, he sustained its power and tonal perfection. Once Pt. Dilip Chandra Bedi remarked, "Vilambit kheyal, me sur lagane ka andaz Abdul Karim Khan ne Rahmat Khansahib se paya tha, lekin Rahmat Khan ki tano Ice hal Pench woh nahin samajh paye. Rahmac Khan ke surile andaz Ica asar Abdul Karim par kitaha para tha yeh unke Malkosh aur 5tamuna Ice tlr' ke records se para chalta hal" (Abdul Karim Khan had imbibed the art of swara application from Rahmat Khansahib, one can estimate from Abdul'Karim Khan's rendering of Malkosh and the Bhairavi piece, 'Jamuna ke tif). Thakur Jaidev Singh, the eminent musicologist, observed that though Ustad Abdul Karim Khan was well at home with tabla playing, yet in his presentation, rhythmic play (layakari) was replaced by tans dominated with gamaks. But in chhota kheyal he used to take to bol tans,

The Khansahib equally excelled in thumari singing,' though his style neither belonged to the Poorbi nor Punjabi ang. He had his own way of thumari renderings somewhat inter-acting with the bhavageet and natya sangeet of Maharashtra in style, which was his own creation approximating to kheyal, singing yet never ]osing its identity. His thumari progresses in a leisurely langour with ample abandonment. No doubt Khansahib gave a tonal effect to his thumari rendering within the framework of classicalist restraint.

It has more emotive appeal because of the lachak of its swam (use of kans is denoted by the term lachak). His thumari spills emotional appeal.

The raga-alap system in course of the bandish is lacking in both Gwalior and Jaipur schools of kheyal singing. It is untraceable even in Agra gharana-gayaki. Abdul Karim Khan for the first time introduced this system in vilambit (slow tempo) kheyal supported by an excellent tabla-theka by Shamsuddin Khan. This is a great innovation of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan in the field of kheyal gayaki.

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan was deeply religious and a pious man and loved association, seeking blessings, of fakirs and saints. In his spiritual pursuits he came in contact with Sai Baba of Shiradi and Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur: the latter was a great fan of his music. He would remark, "age mera ashirvad lekar kya karega, tere upar to Allah ki kripa hal'. (Oh, what would you achieve through my blessings, blessings are showered over you by the Almighty!). Tajuddin Baba was so pleased with his devotional songs that once he blessed Abdul Karim: "tu aaj se gawaiyon Ica sardar hal" (from this moment on, you are the chief among the musicians). Naturally with this, Abdul Karim's music was spiritually inspired.

At Baroda, Abdul Karim Khan used to give music lessons to Tara Bai, daughter of Rajmata's brother Sardar Maruti Rao Mane. Tara Bai fell in love with Abdul Karim Khan which ended into his ouster from Baroda along with Tara Bai and Abdul Haq. At Bombay at the house of Bayja Bai, Abdul Karim Khan and Tara Bai got married. Out of this second marriage Abdul Karim Khan had three daughters: Hirabai Barodekar, Kamala Bai and Sarswati Rane and two sons: Suresh Babu Mane and Papa.

Khansahib Abdul Kanm Khan has left a legacy of kiranaogayaki which has been nurtured by a galaxy of his second, third and even fourth generation disciples. Kapileshwari Bua, Sawai Ghandharva (Ram Bhau Kundolkar), Bahre Ganesh Ramchandra Bua, Roshan Ara Begum (daughter of Abdul Haq), Suresh Babu Mane and Hirabai Barodekar (Khansahib's son and daughter), Phiroz Dastur, Gangubai Hangal, Bhimsen Joshi, Prabha Atre and several others make the senior members of this group. The Kirana tradition flourishes countrywide because of the generosity of the Khansahib and the teacher-disciple tradition of the Kirana gharana is continued even today.

In his portraits we find his eyes heavy intoxicated with musical swaras in which Abdul Karim Khan used to be swamped. No wonder, Dr. Annie Besant once asked him whether he was a devotee of what Americans call 'pot'. 'No Madam', he proudly replied with a smile. A man present at the interview explained that Khansahib was inherently intoxicated with swaras of celestial music.

MOHAMMAD BANDI

Feudal aristocracy contributed to a total development of art and culture including emergence and development of institution of tawaifs, ustanis or Baijis (musician-courtesans) who were class musicians and paragons of high etiquette and culture. The half century ending with first quarter of 20th century gave rise to musical luminaries in this class of singers. They were groomed in dhrupad, dhamar and kheyal styles, yet thumari and tappa, dadra, hori, chaiti etc. were their forte. With the abolition of the hajji tradition a colourful romantic era of Indian music and dance was lost.

With the emergence of these 'swara kokilas' (musical nightingales) centres like Lucknow, Benaras, Calcutta, Gaya, Patna, etc. developed themselves as key centres of thumari and dadra singing, Mehfil (soiree) culture haunted the air in the worlds of rais, zarnindars, rajas and nawabs. Native rulers had their 'jalsaghars' (concert halls) where on auspicious occasions mehfils were held and tawaifs were invited for their 'mujra'. Gharanedar tawaifs known as 'deredars' had their own 'kotha' (salon) 'mujra' presentation before a distinguished gathering of music loving rais and landed aristocracy was a routine evening event.

Patna or Azimabad had been a provincial Mughal Capital. In the latter half of the 19th centary it was a prominent centre of performing arts. It was a seat of thumari singing or sarangi and tabla Playing. Sarangi wizards like Bahadur Hussain Khan, Imdad Khan, Laddan Khan and Hira Guru and tabla maestros like Hyder Khan, Ali Qadar Suleman Khan, Mubarak Ali and Munne Khan graced the kothas of Patnawali Zohra Bai, Ramjo Chhuttan, Patnawall Alia Zilai, Ramdasi, Mohammad Bandi along with other local thumari singers of repute. Even the famed Vidyadhari Bai was born at Patna who took her initial training under Darbhangawale Khansahib Nazir Khan and Bashir Khan. Patna city was also the birth place of great Kirana exponent Roshan Ara Begum (daughter of Ustad Abdul Haq and Chanda Bai of Patna). It should be noted that sarangi nawaz Imdad Khan was principal accompanist of Malka Jan and Gauhar Jan. In the musical scenario of Patna was also found Mohammad Raza the author of 'Nagamat-e-Asafi', a musical treatise, who is credited to have created Razakhani gat style in medium and fast tempo gat in the sitar playing, basically in the thumari style and the tal, trital.

The golden period of thumari and 'chhoti cheeze' singing coincided with the last decades of the past century ("light classical pieces"). Mohammad Bandi of Patna was a renowned thumari singer who shot into prominence around 1890 when her first gramaphone record was released. She was not only proficient in thumari and dadra modes, but was equally noted for her hori, chaiti, kajri and tappa renderings. Bhairavi was her favourite raga. There was a tradition of 'Bhaimvi Ici mehli'l' (the morning session following the main session of the night before) in which she rarely failed to excel.

Mohammad Bandi had a sonorous and captivating voice. Her thumaris are characterised by 'pukar' (literally "call' or intense appeal) with and thoroughly moving renderings of 'bols', her crystal clear crisp tans. Her sapar tans are always executed with a touch of dazzle and glitter. Blended with the tappa tans, in her thumari manifested itself with added lfistre and charm. Her dadras are lilting lyrical and rhythmic. In her Bhairvi thumari and flashes of note patterns, she is comparable with Ustad Bundu Khan's superb Bhairavi pieces on the sarangi, yet Ustad Bundu Khan was a generation younger, born in 1880. This illustrates a great tradition, spanning a vast territory of Hindustani Music which both the traditions share. She has recorded the famous Bhairavi Thumari 'baju band khul khul jaye' in an entirely different and more pleasing manner. Mohammad Bandi was a contemporary of Agrewali Malka Jan,

Gauhar Jan, Husna Bai, Vidyadhari Bai and Achhan Bai but she held a leading position among thumari exponents of her time. She was noted for her personal and distinctive style.

ACHHAN BAI

Thumari is essentially an amorous mood of music which came in to prominence in the latter half of the 19th century. Dominance of the institution of tawaifs was catalystic in the rise of this musical style as these specialised in thumari and other light classical modes. The tawaifs were the attraction of the courtly mehfils sponsored by the aristocracy of yester years. The last Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah gave an impetus to thumari which reigned supreme in the musical arena of the eastern region and Lucknow emerged as an important seat of the mehfil culture which was dominated by the thumari singing tawaifs. Ustad Sadiq Ali Khan was supposed to be the creator and propagator of the thumari form which was prevalent among the baifis of Lucknow. Besides none else than the nawab himself, Wajid Ali Shah 'Akhtar', Wazir Mirza Wala alias Qadarpiya and Bindadin Maharaj contributed greatly to the development of thumari singing. Bhaiyasahib Ganpatrao, the thumari and harmonium wizard was a disciple of Ustad Sadiq Ali Khan. Credit goes to the Bhaiyasahib for injecting more and more charm and beauty to the aesthetic of thumari singing.

Although texts like 'Raga-Darpan' and 'Tohafutul-Hind', two musical treatises of the 17th century mention thumari and tappa, yet thumari came into vogue much later i.e. in the age of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow, though a few thumari pieces were composed by Mohammad Shah 'Rangile' in the 18th century. These thumaris were set to tin tal and called 'bandish ki thumari. A contemporaw of the 'Rangile' Dargah Quli Khan in his memoirs does not even mention trye word 'thumari' as such, but he refers to a 'dhun' (tune) named jangula meaning 'Ghunghroo' or 'jhanjh'. Both ghunghroo and thumari were closely associated with the dance performance. So it may be implied that during the time of Dargab Quli Khan thumari was sung in dhun jangula. In the later period also we find the prevalence of thumari-jangula which most of the thumari singers sing even today.

During the first part of the 19th century, thumari was riding the waves: Mohammad Reza, a rais of Patna and courtier of Nawab Asafudaullah of Lucknow was inspired to create medium and fast tempo gars of sitar called 'Rezakhani' gat based on thumari and composed in the trital.

No doubt thumari was at its climax during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. He himselF was a veteran composer oF thumaris under the "signature", 'Akhtarpiya'. Nautch girls or tawaifs were given proper respect in the mehfils of the nawab. As these tawaifs were the embodiment of etiquette and culture, the nawab was pleased to be surrounded by these singing beauties. Zohra, Mushtari, Ghumman, Hussaini, Lajjatbux, Hyderjan, Nazma, Munir Bai, Achhah Bai and other tawaifs of repute were the highlights of the musical scenario of their times.

In the beginning of the present century the thumari of Poorab ang was mainly divided into two principal types: Lucknawi and Benarasi. Lucknawi thumari was mainly confined to 'bol bant Ici thumari' and 'bandish ki thumari' and was associated with the Kathak dance: there were a few tawails who cultivated the art of thumari singlng and rose to eminence. Achhan Bai was one such thumari exponent of Lucknow who was treated as Ustani of 'chhoti-cheeze' (light classical modes of singing) among her contemporary musicians. Her thumari rendering was embossed with her individuality. She had a unique style of her own which distinguished her from other tawaifs of her time. "Achhah Bai ki 'kahan' bari pyari hoti hal", as the musicians of yore used to compliment (Achhan's thumari expression was very sweet).

Achhan Bai was a contemporary of Vidyadhari Bai, Gauhar Jan, Janki Bai of Allahabad and Zohra Bai Agrewali. But she had very close friendly relations with Gauhar Jan and Vidyadhari Bai. On several occasions she had the privilege to participate in mehfils with Gauhar and Vidyadhari.

Vidyadhari Bai and Siddeshwari Devi of Benaras were admirers of Achhan Bai's thumari, 'Achban Bai khub gati thi. Sabhi Cheezen Bahut umda gati thi' (Achhan Bai sang with excellence, she could handle various modes in high quality), Vidyadhari used to say. Not only this, she was even acclaimed by Thakur Jaidev Singh, an eminent musicologist and connoisseur of our time. He often used to say that Achhan Bai's thumaris were expressive and heart rending. Achhan Bai possessed a sweet and captivating voice. Her style of rendering was sober, pleasant and soothing. In many of her records she was accompanied by dholak. Influence of folk music element is quite evident in her music.

Though Achhan Bai's forte was thumari, but she loved to sing hori and dadra in a channing manner.

Among top notch thumari singers of yore, Achhan Bai's contributions in enriching the art of thumari and dadra would always be cherised.