Born in Benares in 1929, Girija Devi started music lessons at the age of five from well-known singer and sarangi player, Pandit Sarju Prasad Misra and then continued her training with Pandit Chandra Misra.
She is not only one of the leading vocalists in the dominant classical genre of the khayal, but also in lighter forms of north Indian classical music including tappa, tap-khyal, holi, chaiti, kajri and dadra. She specializes in the purbi ang, also made famous by deswari Devi and Begum Akhtar.She is also an accomplished composer and has composed many bandishes and thumris.
A presence called Girija
I first saw Girija Devi at a recital in Allahabad in January, 1957. Even though I was just 13 years old, I remember her dignified, white saree-clad presence, with the diamond nose-stud glittering in the spotlight. The occasion was the annual music and dance conference of the Prayag Sangeet Samiti.Though I was not initiated into the rudiments of Hindustani classical music then, I still watched mesmerised as the great artiste sang to a hypnotised audience in pin-drop silence till the wee hours of the morning. Those days of all-night classical music conferences are gone, but Girija Devi lives on, performing, singing and giving recitals at the age of 71.
Girija Devi was recently in Calcutta on her way to the US for a month-long tour. The sweltering heat in the city seemed to have taken its toll and she fell sick with a stomach ailment. She had recovered sufficiently when I caught up with her on the eve of her flight to the US. She spoke of her life, her music and her values.After more than four decades in music, Girija Devi, today, is one of the two most respected exponents of the thumri, the light classical form of Hindustani music. The other, of course, is Shobha Gurtu.
"You cannot put a value on what we are doing because we have dedicated our entire lives to the art," she says, in response to a question on why, within the guru shishya parampara, instead of accepting the tuition fees offered by her disciples' parents, she chooses put the money in the disciple's bank account.Born in Benares in 1929, Girija Devi started music lessons at the age of five from well-known singer and sarangi player, Pandit Sarju Prasad Misra. After he passed away, she continued her training with Pandit Chandra Misra.Though she was married off at the age of 16, she received considerable encouragement and support from her husband. And rose to become one of the living legends of Indian classical music. She is not only one of the leading vocalists in the dominant classical genre of the khayal, but also in lighter forms of north Indian classical music including tappa, tap-khyal, holi, chaiti, kajri and dadra. She has specialised in the purbi ang, also made famous by Siddeswari Devi and Begum Akhtar.Girija Devi is to Hindustani music what K K Pattammal is to Carnatic music, in terms of their purposeful commitment in upholding the art form.
"I have sung before some of India's greatest artistes, but I also concede that times have changed. To a certain extent, we must adjust to these changes whether we like it or not. I have discovered that it is possible to compromise without diluting the music."Audiences these days want a little bit of this and a little bit of that, what you would call a 'package programme.' They want to hear a bit of Ali Akbar Khan, a bit of Girija Devi and watch a bit of Birju Maharaj's Kathak recital. So I have adapted to suit these tastes. I have taught myself to condense my concerts into shorter, digestible pieces. And there is a positive side to this. This way, people can imbibe the immense variety of Hindustani music from the serious khayal to the light dadra to a lilting folk number. But I am always conscious of not ever compromising on the purity of the raaga or making a khichdi of the gharana," she insists.
Classical and pop vocalist Shubha Mudgal reminisces of a childhood in Allahabad when her parents, both literature professors at Allahabad University, "would spontaneously hop into a rickshaw and travel 80 miles to Benares to listen to Salamat Ali Khansahib or Girija Devi with us two sisters in tow."Over the years, Girija Devi has collected a string of titles and awards -- a doctorate, the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan, the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship and others. She has a large number of recordings and regularly broadcasts on television and radio. Yet, the mundane worries of everyday life do not cease to trouble her. Income tax returns, for instance. She does not like them one bit, "but we must make do," she says.
After 42 years of a music-enriched life, Girija Devi has a rich treasury of bandishes that she has composed herself. This reaches beyond her recitals and her concerts because it flows far beyond the different facets of her vocalism, specially inherent in her dhrupads and khayals, characterised as they are by a striking note of tenderness and human love.
Yet, she laments that she can no longer sing her really special music in public. "My bandishes and thumris are simply lifted by younger singers without as much as an acknowledgement. What can you do about it?" she asks.
Preface
Indian music is one of the oldest unbroken musical traditions in the world. This section of the web site will try to introduce Indian Classical Music from two perspectives - historical and technical. The historical perspective will trace the evolution of this art form from pre-historic time to the present day. The technical introduction, to be provided later, will help a beginner to start appreciating the technical aspects of the classical tradition.
This article is mainly a web survey. Wherever original material is available on the web, a link has been provided. As is true with any web or literature survey, multiple sources have been referenced before coming to any conclusion. Any correction or critique is most welcome.
What is Classical Music ?
Classical refers to that which is of the highest class. The class here referred to the social class rather than the subjective merit.
Classic Clas"sic, Classical Clas"sic*al, a. [L. classicus relating to the classes of the Roman people, and especially to the first class; hence, of the first rank, superior, from classis class: cf. F. classique. ] 1. Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art. Following that definition, classical music is defined as follows by Princeton university WordNet. Music conforming to an established form and appealing to critical interest and developed musical taste. Classical Western Music refers in particular to
* European music during the latter half of the 18th and the early 19th centuries or in general to
* Music in the educated European tradition, such as symphony and opera, as opposed to popular or folk music.
Indian Classical Music is no different. It refers to music based on ancient musical traditions which have evolved through several thousand years. It is a part of the Hindu religion as well as Indian culture. Technically, in very general broad terms, Indian classical music can be defined by two basic elements - it must follow a Raaga (classical mode) and a specific rhythm or TaalaHindustani and CarnaticIndian Classical Music has two major branches, the North Indian called Hindustani and the South Indian called Carnatic (or Karnatak). Hindustani tradition extends all the way from Kashmir in the north, Punjab in the west to Bengal / Assam in the east, Maharashtra / north Karnataka in the south. Before independence (and division of the sub continent), Hindustani was equally strong in present day Pakistan and Bangladesh, though the tradition has weakened in the last half a century in those countries. Carnatic tradition is mainly found in the four southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Other forms of Indian Music
Like most other classical musical traditions, Indian Classical Music is only a small, though very influential, part of Indian music. Folk music has been a part of Indian society for centuries and perhaps predate the evolution of classical music. In the 20th century, film music has been the most popular form of music in India and continues to outsell all other forms of music by a very large margin. Folk music, Bhajans (devotional music) and Ghazals also have large following. Ironically, atleast till recently, the so called "pop" music (the word used, no doubt, by people who don't know pop is short for popular) based on western music, has the least following.
Historical Development
Basics of Indian classical music started some 3,000 years ago. The musical form underwent continuous change and development to get to the musical form we now recognize as Indian classical music. This Historical Development can be traced through the following periods.
* The Origin
* Ancient Period (1000 BC - 1200 AD)
* Medieval Period (1200 AD - 1857 AD)
* The British Raj (1857 AD - 1947 AD)
* The Post Independence Period (1947 AD - 2000 AD)
Biography
irija Devi is one of India's greatest vocalists. One of the last masters of the Purab ang gayaki tradition of the Banares Gharana, Devi has been equally effective singing in the traditional 18th century classical style of khyal as well as semi-classical styles such as thumri, tappa, kajri, dadra, and chaiti. The recipient of the prestigious Padmashree Award from the president of India in 1972 and the Padma Bhushan in 1989, she has received the Sangeet Natak Academy Awards of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Born in Varanasi (formerly Benares), an ancient cultural/religious center located on the left bank of the Ganges River, Devi has been singing much of her life. Studying with influential vocalist and sarangi player Pandit Sarju Prasad from the age of five, she later continued her studies with Pandit Chandra Misra. Making her debut appearance in 1949 during a recital that was broadcast by the All India radio station in Allahabad, Devi performed her first concert a year later. Teaching at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy from its inception in the early '90s, Devi served as guru for many students, including Dalia Rahut, Jayita Pandey, and Satyanarayan Misra, the son of her own guru, Pandit Sarju Prasad. Leaving the school after 12 years, she returned to Varanasi, where she became a visiting professor at Banaras Hindu University. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
GIRIJA DEVI
Girija Devi is one of the outstanding living legend in Indian classical vocal music . Girija Devi is not only one of the leading vocalists in the dominant classical genre known as Khyal, but also in the lighter forms of the North Indian classical Music including thumri, tappa, tap-khyal, holi, chaiti, kajri and dadra. In fact, Girija Devi is one of the last surviving thumri experts of this century.
Born in Benaras in 1929, Girija Devi started music lessons at the age of 5 with the well known singer-sarangi player Pandit Sarju Prasad Misra, and later continued her music training with Pandit Chandra Misra.
She is the recipient of the Padma Bhushan, an honor bestowed by the President of India on the nation's most accomplished citizens. Along with many honors and awards, she has also received prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy award. She has a large number of recordings and regularly broadcasts on television and radio. These compositions were recorded in a studio in New York during her recent visit.
BIRJU MAHARAJ
Born in the illustrious family of Kathak dancers of Lucknow Gharana, Birju Maharaj was initially trained by his father Guru Achhan Maharaj and later by his Uncle Guru Shambhu Maharaj. His dancing admirably blends the best of the three greats. He is also deeply grateful to his mother whose loving care, encouragement, and guidance are responsible for the blossoming of his talents. Birju Maharaj is also a highly gifted Guru having already groomed a whole galaxy of young Kathak dancers, As a creative choreographer he has given the Kathak dance a new dimension through his fascinating group compositions.
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