Thumri loses its star

Girija Devi was never afraid of raising questions and pursuing her musical beliefs

October 26, 2017 04:18 pm | Updated 04:18 pm IST

 Girija Devi

Girija Devi

The demise of an 88-year-old is not unexpected but Vidushi Girija Devi was in such prime form that her transcendence from the worldly stage came as a shock to music lovers. For they were looking forward to listening to her, opening the ‘India Music Summit - Ek Sachcha Sur’ (October 27-29) at Jaipur today. Indeed, the world of Indian music has lost ‘Ek Sachcha Sur’ (a true note), in her passing away.

The Thumri queen’s sensitive artistry reigned the hearts of her innumerable admirers across the globe. The Padma Vibhushan awardee (picture above) remained in the prime of her performing career, till she breathed her last, with three performances lined up this month alone and many more scheduled for in the months to come. Her crystal clear voice maintained its sheen till the end.

It was not her voice alone that made her the kind of phenomenon that she was, but her life and art, that raised the standard of the genre which was looked down upon as ‘semi-classical.’

She raised several questions about tradition and its transmission, the nature of raga, of khayal and thumri-dadra and the secret of inheritance of the gharana. She was a traditionalist with a modern sensibility, always keeping track of the changing times with an inner awareness.

Age had not dimmed the youthful exuberance of her voice or the sharpness of her mind.

Born in 1929 to a music-loving zamindar Ramdas Rai, on whose behest she was initiated into classical music at the tender age of five, under Sarju Prasad Mishra, and was further groomed under Shri Chandra Mishra, enriching her repertoire from prabandh and dhrupad to khayal, tappa, tap-khyal, khayal-numa to thumri-dadra, gul naksha and kajri chaiti jhula to several other folk variety of eastern Uttar Pradesh through her own study and research, according these song-forms a classical status.

She gave her first performance for AIR Allahabad in 1949. She made her mark in Bihar Conference in 1951 and 1952, performing at the Constitution Club Delhi, in front of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Govind Ballabh Pant and the luminaries from the world of music. After this, she was invited to the famous music festivals like the Harivallabh Sangeet Samaroh and other prestigious music conferences and there was no looking back.

Wealth of knowledge

Music to her was as natural as breathing. Her art was her passion, the source of her indomitable spirit, positivity and humility. She sang with clarity of intent because she had worked on her voice to make it true, not merely tuneful. The thing is to have something of your own to say, and say it with least fuss and affectation. That’s what made her what she was, extremely self-effacing and simple to the core, despite the wealth of her knowledge. Her benign countenance encouraged one to feel free to talk to her. And, it was always a delight.

There are so many memories flooding one’s mind, not only of her spellbinding singing but also of the way she articulated herself in Hindi. The last one is of her unforgettable performance at the ‘Girija Devi Puraskar Samaroh’ organised by Vinod Kapur of VSK Baithak, who had taken it upon himself to revive the ‘Purab Ang Gayaki’, synonymous to her name, by organising the multi-city ‘Purab Ang Gayaki Utsav’, inviting young practitioners of this genre, who were awarded the ‘Girija Devi Puraskar’.

She had a fall on the morning of the samaroh, but not only did she come and give away the puraskar, but also performed a memorable concert. Vinod Kapur and Shekhar Sen helped her climb the stage. She pulled Shekhar Sen and asked him to sit by her side and provide her with vocal support, which he obeyed like a disciple.

Who can forget her thumri ‘Humse najariya kahe pheri….’ in Bihag, a raag used usually in dhrupad-dhamar or khayal, but hardly for thumri-dadra. And the immortal Bhairavi Thumri, composed by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, ‘Babul mora naihar chhooto jaye…,’ which will continue to echo.

Our dear, Appaji

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

She carried a whole era with her, says sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. “Her characteristic smile will remain etched in my memory. Her personality was as distinct as her music. Those n lips, silver mane and gleaming nose stud.

When we honoured her with the annual Hafiz Ali Khan Award in the courtyard of Sarod Ghar in Gwalior, she refused to accept any cash that was part of the award. She said, ‘is ghar ko hamein sirf dena hai, lene ka haq hamara nahin hai’ (we only have to give to this house, not take anything from it). When you met her, you forgot terms like technique and style; she represented a generation for whom music had a divine purpose — connecting with atma. For me, it is a personal loss. I have lost a loving sister. She used to tie rakhi every year.”

Pt. Rajan Mishra

Analysing her music, Pt. Rajan Mishra, also of Benaras, and related to Girija Devi, says, “ thumri jo shringar ras ki cheez hai , usse Appaji ne adhyatmik roop diya (she lent a spiritual flavour to thumri which is about shringar ras). “Sadly, thumri has always been compared to other sub-genres of Hindustani music, Appaji never believed in such differences in music. Though she had taalim in dhrupad-dhamar and khayal, she prefered to sing thumri. And she did not just sing it, but saw to it that it got an elevated status in the classical firmament. Once she decided to expertise in thumri, she went deep into it and revived lost styles ( lupt shaili ) such as ‘matha parmatha’ and ‘gul gul naqsh’. These are terms that many people are not even aware of. There is no one left of that generation, with that gayaki and wealth of knowledge. I cherish the the memory of growing up in her shadow in Benaras. Though it is believed that thumri came from Lucknow, yes, it gained prominence in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, but the artistes who developed it such as Bindadin Maharaj and Janaki Sahaiji were from Benaras. Hence, this city by the Ganges has been custodian of thumri and Girija Devi best exemplified it.”

Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty

For Hindustani exponent, Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, it was an association of 40 long years. “She joined ITC Sangeet Research Academy in 1978 while I in 1977. We have travelled together, performing across the world. I have played the tanpura and harmonium for her. We have had exciting discussions on music; have shared meals. And since last 16 years, we have been staying in the same building, she on the first floor and myself on the ground floor. She was family to me. I used to call her Maiji. There was so much to learn from her, not just in terms of art but life lessons too. Imagine leaving home at age 11, getting trained and finding herself in music. It was not an easy life. She worked hard to gain a respectable place for herself and her thumri. She fought life’s battles with confidence and courage, never losing the spirit. At the ITC Academy, she remained a guru till the last breath, helping youngsters understand the honesty in her approach and spiritual essence of classical music. Though her art took away much of her time, she never ignored the family. She was a caring mother and grand mother.”

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