Indian Music of the 78rpm era

Hirabai Badodekar

(1905-89)

Hirabai Badodekar (Barodekar): A discography

[ Miya malhar - Excerpt)

[Note: Items marked with an asterisk * are reproduced on cassette and CD in the "Golden Milestones" series: CDNF 150556, 1998]

      HMV Black Label Records: P series (c.1923-26)

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       [Songs from Hindi Film Pratibha. June 1937]

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Acknowledgements

Records of ‘Gayanheera’ Smt. Hirabai Barodekar

by Suresh Chandvankar

Smt. Hirabai Barodekar (1905-1989) lived a long and successful life and has left behind a large number of gramophone records ranging from the era of ‘acoustic/electrical’ recording technique to the production of microgroove Extended Play (EP), and Long Play (LP) records. Her mother Tarabai Mane (alias Tahirabibi-wife of legendary Ustad Abdul Karim Khan) wanted Hirabai to be a doctor, but young Champutai (Champakali), as Hirabia was known at home, had a natural affinity for music. She used to listen to the ‘talim’ that her father gave to his brother Abdul Rahman, and other disciples, and then practice on her own privately. Abdul Karim Khan noticed her fondness, but was not in favor of teaching music to his daughter.

In 1922, due to domestic reasons, Tahirabibi left Karim Khan’s house with her five children and soon settled in Pune. She had realized her children's potential for music and was resolved to groom them in this profession. Hence she invited Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan (cousin of Karim Khan) to take charge of their training. She reverted to her maternal name and surname - Tarabai Mane - and changed the names of her children as well – Sureshbabu Mane (Abdul Rahman), Hirabai Barodekar (Champakali alias Champutai), Kamlabai Barodekar (Gulab), Saraswati Mane [Rane] (Sakina, Chotutai) and Krishnarao Mane (Abdul Hamid alias Papa).

The period 1920-30 was the golden age for Marathi musical drama, and also for various music schools in Maharashtra. In line with the Arya Sangeet Vidyalaya founded by Karim Khan, Tarabai founded the Nutan Sangeet Vidyalaya, and Sureshbabu began to teach at the music school, along with others. Hirabai took her early training from Sureshbabu. Later on, the drama wing of the Nutan Vidyalaya staged a number of old Marathi plays such as Sangeet Saubhadra, Manapman, etc. and all the children were active in this new venture. Prof. N. S. Phadke of Pune wrote the play Yugantaar, and Mama Varerkar wrote Jagti Jyot, and these were quite successful. This was the era when leading female roles in Marathi music drama were played by male actors such as Bal Gandharva, Master Dinanath, Bapurao Pendharkar, and others. Hirabai was one of the first to play female roles on the Marathi stage. Several songs from these plays were extremely popular, and the Gramophone Company saw a sales potential from recordings by Hirabai.

Tarabai was very keen in trying every possible medium that was useful in bringing the children to the limelight. Bai Sunderabai (Jadhav) of Poona was very active and she used to sing in concerts, cut gramophone records, play roles in films, and was also a staff artist on the Bombay radio station. She persuaded several senior and much junior musicians and helped them in using the new media. With her initiative, the first gramophone record of Hirabai was cut in February 1923 (P 5687) and contained ragas Pilu and Khamaj. Two more records were cut in the same session and the label reads as Miss Hirabai. During 1923-26, she cut over 20 songs on ten 78-rpm records in black label P series. These recordings used the ‘acoustic’ technique of recording, in which a metal horn is used as a microphone. In all these early recordings, Hirabai sang classical ragas such as Kafi, Durga, Malkauns, Puriya, Kamod, Bageshree, Bhoop, Bihag, Bhimpalas, Bhairvi and Shankara. After her marriage with Mr. Manikchand Gandhi of Solapur in 1924. Subsequent records carried a label indicating the artist's name as Mrs. Hirabai Barodekar. In 1926, she recorded two songs from the Marathi drama Patwardhan. No further records were issued for next ten years.

Her first public concert was held in 1921 in the annual gathering of the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Mumbai under a special invitation from Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. Soon, like her father, she began to give ticketed programs, which were well received. During 1929-33, along with her brother and sisters, she sang and acted in several drama produced by her own company. In 1934, she acted in a talkie Suvarna Mandir produced by Menaka Pictures. Later she also played roles in films such as Pratibha (1937), Sant Janabai (1938), Municipality (1941), and a documentary film called Lalat (1947), which was produced by Nav Jhankar Films, Bombay. Very few songs from these films recorded on gramophone records are available today. Film reels and strips have already disappeared.

In 1935, the German ‘Odeon’ record manufacturing company was active in Bombay and made a large number of recordings in the field of classical music and light music, including Marathi Natya Sangeet. Once again, with the initiative and encouragement of Bai Sundrabai, all the Barodekars and Manes recorded prolifically for the Odeon label. Sundrabai also successfully persuaded Abdul Karim Khan to record for this label. ‘Electrical’ recordings using a carbon microphone were developed at this time, and hence the Odeon recordings are quite clear. Khansaheb gave fine recordings after a gap of about 30 years. Earlier in 1905, he had given over 25 recordings for the Gramophone Company in Bombay. Father and children were meeting only through the music recorded on the ‘Odeon’ label. Hirabai recorded over 60 songs on thirty 10-inch diameter shellac records revolving at 78 rpm, each playing for 3 minutes. Apart from classical music, she recorded Natyageet, Bhavgeet, Thumri, Gazal and even skits and sets from music drama, such as  Sangeet Saubhadra, Shambharavi Mulgi, Mangal Devata, and Baivina Buva. Later, in 1942, due to a merger between the Odeon Company and Columbia, several of these songs were reissued on the Columbia label. Some of her famous songs are  ‘Nandalala Naachre’, ‘Upavani Gaat kokila’, ‘Brijlala Gade’, ‘Pandu Nrupati’, and ‘Radhe Krishna Bol Mukhase’. These records were very popular and were best sellers in their day.

With the advent of microgroove recording techniques, around 1960, some of her most popular songs were reissued on Extended Play (EP) records. In 1957, a Long Playing (LP) record titled ‘History of Music in Sound – Part 1’ was released in England. It contained one track of Hirabai’s Todi – ‘Kankariya Ji na Maro’ reissued from aan older 78 rpm record. In 1962, she recorded an LP which contained Multani and Yaman. In 1968, she recorded a duet with her sister Saraswati Rane. They sang Chandrakauns and Basant Bahar. Both these records had beautiful photographs on the covers, which are now very rare and have already become Collectors' Items.

In 1934-37, the Odeon record catalogue printed several photographs and song texts of the recordings of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and his children. In 1984, an audio-tape containing Marathi songs of Karim Khan [on side A] and Hirabai Barodekar [on side B] was released and the cover carries photographs of father and the daughter. In 1998,  several songs of Hirabai were released on audio-tapes and CD in the ‘Classic Gold’ series. Let us hope to have her entire repertoire on MP3 or CD, either from the Gramophone Company, or from music lovers celebrating her centenary.

References:

HMV Catalogues [1920-30], Odeon catalogues [1934-37]
HMV Odeon and Columbia discs from the collection of Mr. Prabhakar Datar

Dhanya Janma Jahala - By Rajaram Humne, Shree Vidya Prakashan, Pune (1980)
Gaan Heera – Memoirs of Hirabai (in Marathi) – By Mrs. Shailaja Pandit and Mr. Arun Halbe, (1985)
Sangeet Ratna-The Jewel of music: Khansaheb Abdul Karim Khan: A bio-Discography, Michael Kinnear, Australia (2003)

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Last updated on 14 March 2012

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