Divas of poorab ang thumri

The three Divas of light classical music, Badi Motibai, Siddheshwari Devi and Rasoolan Bai were once the undisputed queens of the Poorab Ang or the Benares gayaki of Thumri, Dadra, Chaiti and Hori. Begum Akhtar, of course, was also in the fray but she was better known for her rendition of the Ghazals. Here are a few very rare and precious songs from the empresses of the Poorab Ang.



Badi Motibai - Thumri - Bahiyan Na Maroro :  



Rasoolan Bai - Dadra - Eri Paniya Jo Bharan Gayi :  



Siddheshwari Devi - Thumri - Avo Avo Nagariya :  

Songs of the Divas 2

With the passing away of Siddheshwari Devi in 1977, the last of the four great divas of the last century was gone. First went Begum Akhtar in 1974, and then her older contemporaries, Rasoolan Bai and Badi Moti Bai. All four of them were inheritors of great traditions of music from a glorious era of the past when music dominated the lives of musicians from childhood to death. They were musical 'stars' who shone brilliantly in the courtly era, but when the 'darbari' era ended they did not hesitate to step out into the glare of public acclaim.

Badi Moti Bai - Khamaj Thumri :  (Download)



Rasoolan Bai - Ja Main Tose Nahin Bolun :  (Download)





Thumris were once sung with abhinaya. When classical purists began to frown down upon this type of music, all the four singers took to the Bol-Banav-Ki Thumri in which the emotional contents of songs are effectively brought out through vocal expression only, through the beauty of notes, voice modulations and swara combinations, resulting in an emotion-charged style of singing.

Begum Akhtar - Hum Gawanwa Nahin Jaab :  (Download)



Siddheshwari Devi - Bhig Jaun Main Piya :  (Download)



.. more Songs of the Divas »

QUIZ : To add more spice and fun to this blog, I am going to put a QUIZ song in any one post every month. You just have to answer two questions about the song in your comments. The names of the male and female singers and the name of the album (or the name of the film). The song could be a classical one, or from films of the black and white era. The person who gives the first correct answer will get the song by email. If this blog gets the right answer too soon, you may always try your luck on my other blog : indianraga.wordpress.com

Quiz Song : 1



I will give you the correct answer in one of my later posts.
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