Math concludes Vivekananda’s Chicago speech was not recorded
A decade-long quest for the recordings of the voice of Swami Vivekananda seems to have ended, with the Ramakrishna Math, the monastic order founded by him, reconciling itself to the fact that the voice, described by many as pure music, may have been lost for ever.
Accepting this painful reality with equanimity, Advaita Ashrama, a premier publishing house of the Ramakrishna Order, founded by the Swami himself, is releasing an audiobook on Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago address as part of the year-long programmes to commemorate his 150th birth anniversary.
Rich baritone
While the Swami’s talks are delivered by Biplab Ganguli, the introduction is given by Masoodul Huq. “How wonderful would it have been had Swami Vivekananda’s original voice been recorded at the Parliament of Religions? What a treasure would it have been to hear that rich, baritone voice? …but that is now no longer possible,” regretted Swami Bodhasarananda, Adhyaksha of Advaita Ashrama.
He said a detailed research and inquiries at various levels to trace the recordings revealed that no recordings were made in Chicago in September 1893.
Queerly, while this is the position of the Ramakrishna Mission, there are ‘recordings’ available on the Internet, which claim to be the famous Chicago speech. The Math questions their authenticity on three counts: it is known that no recordings were made; the Swami was introduced not by a woman as found in some of these recordings, but by Mr. Barrows (as written by the Swami in a letter to his admirer Alasinga Perumal on November 2, 1893); and the technology in 1893 did not allow this.
During her visit to the Belur Math in January 1994, Marie Louise Burke, a researcher on the Swami’s visit to the West, said that according to two historians who specialised in that period of American history and according to her own searches, the Swami’s speech was not recorded.
None traceable
However, some recordings of the Swami’s voice were made in India and abroad. Some were sent to India by the Swami himself, and these are documented — at the Mysore Palace in November/ December 1892 and at Ambala on August 16, 1897. Yet, none is traceable today.
Most recently, a cassette has been doing the rounds as a likely recording done from a phonographic record. A devotee, who strove to trace the Swami’s recordings, feels that in all probability, it is “the baritone voice that drew droves of listeners … some even climbing to treetops to see and listen to the man who took Hinduism to the West.”
Keywords: Swami Vivekananda address, Chicago Parliament of Religions, Ramakrishna Math, Advaita Ashrama, Ramakrishna Order
Dear sir, I too have an audio cassette, said to be the Swamiji's rendition of the famous speach. As it says here by the researchers that no recording technology existed that time (1893 time), I wonder whose voice it could be then! Any how, it is an eloquent voice with humble command (wish to presume that it's from that tartaric physique only) to live life in a most gentle way, it is so inspiring, it is so great any how. Any how, his voice is unhearingly heard from our hearts whoever has read about this great master of our's, well understood him, practices his preachment. May we all (the whole world) be enlightened by the great values propagated by the Swamiji, pranams unto thy lotus feet, guro.
It is really sad that the authenticity of the voice of Swami Vivekananda is lost as claimed by the research, in that there was no known recording of his speech, and the ones found on internet/youtube could be fake. But, THE AUTHENTICITY OF HIS SPIRIT CAN NEVER BE LOST, whether recordings are there or not.
Also, even the fake recordings on youtube can be truly inspirational, not because of the voice, but because of the DIVINE SPIRIT of Swami Vivekananda!
Dear Sir,
Apropos the newsitem "Decade-old quest for the voice of music ends; Math says Vivekananda's speech was not recorded" (The Hindu, 7.9.2012, Trichy Edition, p.20) I wish to state that instead of concentrating on the whats and whys of the recordings of the voice of Swami Vivekananda's let us try to emulate his principles and his famous "Arise, awake and wait not till not the goal is reached". From the three reasons such as no recordings were made, the swami was introduced not by a woman and last but not least the technology in 1893 did not allow this, it could be clearly concluded beyond doubt that it was not as was thought so far. I also had the chance of hearing the 'recordings', which I thought so far was the original. Thank you for having placed a fullstop for this decade-long quest and enlightening the readers. A big thanks to you for providing us a beautiful and calm Swami Vivekananda in Chicago, which added much to the news.
Strange. Wikipedia has a collection of voice recordings that are supposedly Swamiji's. What are those?
It would have been really wonderful to have his voice recorded. His literature has inspired many of our freedom fighters including Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. His talks, uttarances will keep inspiring men and women for generations to come. Truly he is a Hero for India. India shall rise by his words.
Too bad we lost the voice of such a great Indian. When will India have another Swami Vivekananda? Hindus need a guide to take them to mukthi. The present time is dominated by commercial religions.
It should have recorded ,it's dazing that technology was not developed yet all in 1893 that to in u.s!
It is not correct to say that the technology at the time (1893) did not allow the famous speech to be recorded. There existed commercial recodings on cylinders (not disks or tapes) prior to that date. Other reasons given appear to show that the speech was not recorded.
Above all, no one at the time could have known that the speech by the then unknown monk would go on to become one of the most famous speeches in history.
"technology in 1893 did not allow this" This statement is incorrect. Recording technology was available in 1893.
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