LET THEIR LEGACY LIVE ON
Ashish Sen

Bangalore Mirror
01004282010042818103716353976029/Let-their-legacy- live-on.html
April 28 2010
India

Older cultural forms are the vital life-lines between tradition and
modernity. They are crucial for the development of any community

If music be the food of love, play on…" But how many musicians have
the wherewithal to do so — particularly in their twilight years? How
many musicians who have wedded their entire lives to their art form
have had the good fortune to ensure their own well being? While
culture is a much bandied word today, how many musicians who were
divas of their times and contributed substantially towards seeding
cultural traditions in terra firma are remembered today? How many of
their traditions live on?

All this, and more comes alive in Bangalore author Vikram Sampath’s
latest work My Name is Gauhar Jaan! — The life and times of a
musician. Sampath’s evocative pen and comprehensive research vividly
demonstrate why Gauhar Jaan is not just an extraordinary musician
of her times, but a musician for all seasons. Born as Eileen Anglina
Yeoward, an Armenian Christian who later converted to Islam, Gauhar
Jaan made history as the first Indian voice to be recorded on the
gramophone in 1902.

Ironically, this extraordinary woman whose voice enthralled Indian
royalty and music aficionados alike, and ultimately graced the
Mysore Durbar as Court Musician, passed away "in a desolate corner of
the Krishnarajendra Hospital, lonely and forlorn, with none by her
bedside to shed tears for her". No one knows where her grave lies,
or whether it even exists today. Aside from being ‘unputdownable’
there are other compelling reasons to read the book.

Gauhar Jaan’s journey, through Sampath’s pen, underlines Oscar Wilde’s
argument that life imitates art more than art imitating life. Consider
the advice that Gauhar Jaan was given by Maharaja Bhawani Singh.

"Success in the field of arts is ephemeral… The world might forget
you and all that you have achieved. But like an unending river,
the music will live on irrespective of whether you sing or not…"

Sampath’s epilogue reinforces the point. Amidst narrow lanes in
the heart of Kolkata, the author encountered Gauhar Building where
the celebrated singer once lived. The encounter inspired insights,
not entirely dissimilar to Bhawani Singh’s wisdom. "While Gauhar’s
memory is completely lost in most of the other parts of the city she
called her home, she still lives on in this narrow lane. People here
have neither forgotten her life nor her exquisite music…"

Gauhar Jaan is fortunate to have a writer’s powerful pen to help
transport her memory and voice beyond the narrow lanes and alleys
of Kolkata. How many can claim the same good fortune? Conversations
with musical doyens confirm that the Indian music canvas exhibits
a gallery of musicians (especially women) whose names seem to lie
buried and forgotten in the sands of time. How do we resurrect them?

At a time when new technology is the undisputed buzz word for
development, older art forms and communication modes are inclined
to get consigned to the back burner. Yet, paradoxically, it is these
older cultural forms that are often the vital life-lines between past
and present, between tradition and modernity. Snapping this bond would
be akin to cutting off crucial limbs in the development of any city,
community and culture.

This is why efforts and initiatives like the Devnandan Ubhayaker Yuva
Sangeet Utsav spell good news and need to be supported by us. Now in
its 24th year, the utsav is the brainchild of the renowned musician
and social activist Lalita Ubhayaker. It treads a unique three-fold
path where celebration takes centre stage. While it promotes the
guru-shishya tradition of learning music, it also nurtures young
talent, and bridges continuity with change. Every year, the utsav
features artistes or "yuva kalaakars" who are 25 years or younger.

Many of them have gone on to win considerable critical acclaim,
strengthening bonds between guru and shishya, between past and
present."

Complementing the Utsav, are two other initiatives that underscore
Lalita Ubhayekar’s and her husband, the late Shivram Ubhayekar’s
efforts to build synergies between old and young. Smriti Nandan
provides a community learning space dedicated to the arts.

At the other end of the spectrum, is Ashvasan, an attempt to reach out
"to the senior citizen, the aged and the lonely". In some ways, the
Utsav is a convergent point for both as it attract young and old alike.

Like, Vikram Sampath’s book, there are many compelling reasons to
applaud Lalita Ubhayekar’s vision and work. In essence, My Name is
Gauhar Jaan! Celebrates the indomitable spirit of a woman and her
music. In essence, the Devnandan Ubhayekar Utsav celebrates life
through music across the ages.