topics: |  music-classical | india | biography | history

Mohan Nadkarni, though not formally trained in music, was smitten early by
the glamour of music, and eventually became one of India's eminent music
critics of the mid-20th c. (see biography below).  Going through this book,
one cannot but envy Nadkarni his fortune and perseverance, through which he
seems to have met and befriended almost everyone who is anyone in Indian
classical music. Most of the text is based on direct conversations with the
artistes themselves, and all the photographs are also his own.

The writing however, is too flowery and hagiographical.  Nonetheless, the
layers of factual nuggets are invaluable... 

Siddheshwari Devi

Banarasi gharana: at least two generations, if not more, of vocalists (Rajan
Sajan Mishra, Girija Devi), instrumentalists (Bismillah Khan, Gopal Mishra -
sarangi), percussionists (Samta Prasad, Kishan Maharaj), and dancers (Sitara
Devi - Kathak).  142

Her lineage can be traced back two centuries - Ram Balak Mishra was the
founder of the line.  Of his two sons, Ram Sharan was groomed in the vocal
tradition, while the younger Moti took to tabla. Darghaji, grandson, was
possibly the most outstanding teacher in the line, among his prominent
proteges were Shrichandra Mishra (vocal) and Siyaji Mishra (Sarangi).  

Among vocalists, Jaddanbai, Vidyadharbai, and Siddheshwari Devi.  Girija Devi
is probably the only surviving woman exponent of this branch. 143

[What Nadkarni does not mention is that SD was the product of a courtesan
culture, a "loose matrilineality" within the partilineally controlled Indian
society.  Regula Burckhardt Qureshi:, in
The courtesan's arts: cross-cultural perspectives, p. 313]

A vexed childhood

During "a disarmingly frank interview", SD told MN of her troubled childhood.
Her great grandmother, Maina Devi, owned some land granted her by the ruling
prince of Kashi state.  As she lost her mother at eighteen months, her
father, Shyamji Mishra, placed the child under the care of her maternal aunt,
Rajeshwari, famous singer and linguist of her time.

Siddheshwari Devi would respond to the music of the recorded discs that could
be heard from her neighbour's home - Guahar Jan became her obsession, and she
got used to imitating the great singer with ease. 

Her precocious talent proved to be the cause of jealousy, not admiration, in
the mind of her aunt.  Rajeshwari had a daughter, Kamaleshwari, for whom she
had engatged Siyaji Maharaj as tutor.  Siddheshwari was not allowed to have
this benefit, and instead, the young girl was burdened w house work without
respite.  Although she groomed herself into a culinary expert and an
efficient house-keeper, she always remained engrossed in humming sonorously.  

According to Siddheshwari, Siyaji Maharaj was quick to sense her musical
potential, so much so, that he politely told Rajeshwari that he would not
teach Kamaleshwari any longer but, instead, will groom her niece, whom he
hailed as a genius.  143

Discipleship with Siyaji Maharaj

This was a turning point in Siddheshwari's quest.  Unceremoniously, the aunt
turned her out of the house.  The teenage girl went to her maternal uncle
seeking shelter.  She assured him that she would work for him at household
chores all the time, if he provided the facilities for her musical grooming.
The uncle was very sympathetic and affectionate and agreed to let her learn
from Siyaji Maharaj.  THe studentship lasted barely five years and ended with
the death of her mentor.  But even during this short span, she acquired a
complete mastery over the thumri and tappa styles of singing.  

Later, SD pursued her art under Rajab Ali Khan of Dewas, and Inayat Khan of
Lahore, before she came under the tutleage of Bade Ramdasji of Varanasi,
acclaimed as one of the topmost exponents of the Purab-ang gayaki of his
time.  

Siddheshwari was 21 when she had her maiden performance on a sammelan
platform in Calcutta.  Believe it or not, the youngster was amongst the
stalwarts of the eminence of Faiyaz Khan and Omkarnath Thakur.  The
performance, though brief, elicited unstinted applause from the audience and
something more.  Her final thumri moved the audience, including these musical
stalwarts, and compelled open appreciation from FK and OT.  The latter
maestro went even further to announce the award of a medal for her.  After
this debut, she had no reason to look back. 144

SD had a stint as film actress in the days when playback singing had not even
been dreamt of.  

Relation with Kesarbai Kerkar and other contemporaries

Had a close and lasting friendship w Kesarbai Kerkar and MS Subbulakshmi.
Also an ardent admirer of Bharata Natyam doyenne Balasaraswati.  They were
all contemporaries, and shared a level of goodwill and admiration, hard to
come by in any professional field.  Kerkar and SD were both endowed with a
striking presence, and would have the audience under their spell... Both
began their performance with eyes closed and leftt hand cupping the left
eyar, as though marking their 'immersion' into swara-samadhi.
Temperamentally however, the two great women were poles apart.  Kesarbai was
known for her moody and temperamental behaviour, and her strange aloofness
from the milieu.  S was amiable, and with a childlike disposition, ever
willing to share her vidya w those who came to seek it.  She was proud of her
calling but had none of its prejudices. 

Once in response to her, I told her that I always loved to hear her thumris
and bhajans more than khayals.  With a hearty laughter, she responded,
telling me that her other admirers told her the same.  "Why then, do you
begin your recitals w khayal", I asked her boldly.  To the manner born came
her reply.  Blinking her eye mischievously, she said, "I make khayal as the
opening number of my performance.  Many rasikas think that I use khayal as a
means to clear my throat and warm it up for effective rendering of thumri and
other light classical numbers which follow!"

Honors: Padma Sri; recipient of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for
Hindustani vocal music and the Akademi's Fellowship, honorory doctorate from
Rabindra Bharati U, Calcutta.

While she was on a teaching assignment w the Bharatiya Kala Kendra in N
Delhi, was struck down by paralysis and passed away after prolonged
suffering (March 1977). 

Disciples

  - daughter Shanta Devi (passed away recently) 

  - daughter Savita Devi (teaching faculty at DU; master degree; made her
	  mark as a sitar virtuoso).  
  - Meenakshi Pandey, daughter of Shanta Devi - trained under late Munawwar
	  Ali Khan, son of BGAK.  
  - Rita Ganguly-Kothari
  - Kaumudi Munshi

author bio

	    by K.L. Kamat, his great-nephew 
	    http://www.kamat.com/database/sources/mohan_nadkarni.htm

Born in 1922 in a Saraswat family, ... Mohan had no formal training in music,
but his sheer love for music [and] self-study turned him into a prolific
writer and music critic.

"All India Radio is my Guru" -- Mohan Nadakarni always says...  Nadkarni has
authored six books on music and musicians of India, including the much
celebrated biography of Bhimsen Joshi.... served as a columnist in Times of
India, as a broadcaster in Radio and TV, recipient of "Kalashree" award given
by the Government of Karnataka and the "Swara-Sadhak" honor given by the
Swara Sadhana Samiti of Mumbai.