Roshan Ara Begum
Encyclopedia
Roshan Ara Begum became one of the most important woman in the history of Hindustani classical music
. In Pakistan
she is revered as Mallika-e-Mauseeqi or Queen of Music. As the daughter of Ustad Abdul Haqq Khan, Roshan Ara linked through her cousin Ustad Abdul Karim Khan to Kirana Gharana, a famous musical tradition, of whom she was the most outstanding disciple
during her teens to participate in musical soirées held at the residences of affluent citizens of Chun Peer in Mohalla Peer Gillaanian at Mochi Gate
.
During her occasional visits to the city she also broadcast songs from the then All India Radio
station, and her name was announced as Bombaywali Roshan Ara Begum. She had acquired this popular nomenclature because she shifted to Mumbai
in the late 1930s to live near Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, from whom she took lessons in Hindustani classical music
for fifteen years.
Her performance in Chun Peer's abode in early 1941 pleasantly surprised local heavyweights and connoisseurs with her expertise in rendering classical compositions. In Mumbai
, she lived in a sprawling bungalow with her husband Chaudhry Mohammed Hussain, a police officer.
. All these flourishes were combined in her unique style that reached its peak from 1945 to 1982. Her vigorous style of singing which was interspersed with bold strokes and perfect layakari, left no doubt that she was the greatest exponent of the Kirana Gharana
style of khayal singing after the demise of both her mentor Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and his equally talented cousin Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan
.
, Roshan Ara had already become acclaimed as the greatest exponent of Kirana Gharana
style of khayal singing in undivided India. She embodied in her art all the exquisite tonal qualities and attributes of her mentor's delicate style of classical vocalization. She proved equally good at alap
while delineating raags and also in taking breezy taans in the strand of her Ustad. She was very conscious of her dignity and status and never allowed herself to be emotionally swayed. But when the recording of her Ustad's music was played, her eyes filled with tears.
in 1948, Roshan Ara Begum settled in Lalamusa
, a small town from which her husband hailed. Although far away from Lahore
, the cultural centre of Pakistan, she would travel back and forth to participate in music and radio programmes. Visual and audio recording-devices have preserved the richness of Roshan Ara's music — which often overflowed with tonal modulations — its sweetness and delicacy of gamaks and her slow progression of raags. Roshan Ara Begum also sang some film songs, mostly under music composers like Anil Biswas
, Feroze Nizami and Tassaduq Hussain. She sang for well-known films such as Pahali Nazar (1945), (Jugnu
(1947), Qismat (1956), Roopmati Baazbahadur (1960) and Neela Parbat
(1969).
She died in Pakistan in 1982 at the approximate age of sixty-five.
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
. In Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
she is revered as Mallika-e-Mauseeqi or Queen of Music. As the daughter of Ustad Abdul Haqq Khan, Roshan Ara linked through her cousin Ustad Abdul Karim Khan to Kirana Gharana, a famous musical tradition, of whom she was the most outstanding disciple
Early life and training
Born in Calcutta in or around 1917, Roshan Ara Begum visited LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
during her teens to participate in musical soirées held at the residences of affluent citizens of Chun Peer in Mohalla Peer Gillaanian at Mochi Gate
Mochi Gate
The Mochi Gate locally known as Mochi Darwaza is located within the Walled City of Lahore in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Mochi Gate is a historical gate built by the Mughals. It is at the site of one of the thirteen gates of the old walled city of Lahore.The Darwaza used to exist next to the...
.
During her occasional visits to the city she also broadcast songs from the then All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
station, and her name was announced as Bombaywali Roshan Ara Begum. She had acquired this popular nomenclature because she shifted to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
in the late 1930s to live near Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, from whom she took lessons in Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
for fifteen years.
Her performance in Chun Peer's abode in early 1941 pleasantly surprised local heavyweights and connoisseurs with her expertise in rendering classical compositions. In Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, she lived in a sprawling bungalow with her husband Chaudhry Mohammed Hussain, a police officer.
Repertoire
Possessing a rich, mature and mellifluous voice that could easily lend itself to a wide range of intricate classical music pieces, Roshan Ara employed her natural talent in the promotion of the art, which requires a high degree of cultivation and training. Her singing features a full-throated voice, short and delicate passages of sur, lyricism, romantic appeal and swift taansTaan (music)
Taan is a virtuoso technique used in the vocal performance of a raga in Hindustani classical music. It involves the singing of very rapid melodic passages using vowels, often the long "a" as in the word "far", and it targets at improvising and to expand weaving together the notes in a fast tempo...
. All these flourishes were combined in her unique style that reached its peak from 1945 to 1982. Her vigorous style of singing which was interspersed with bold strokes and perfect layakari, left no doubt that she was the greatest exponent of the Kirana Gharana
Kirana Gharana
Kirana Gharana is one of the most prolific Hindustani khyal gharanas.-History:The name of this school of music derives from Kirana or Kairana, a town and tehsil of Muzzafarnagar District in Uttar Pradesh...
style of khayal singing after the demise of both her mentor Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and his equally talented cousin Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan
Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan
Abdul Wahid Khan was an Indian classical singer, from the Kirana gharana.-Early life and background:Khansahib founded the Kirana gharana musical family with Abdul Karim Khan. Abdul Karim had married Abdul Wahid Khan's sister, Gafooran Bibi...
.
Career
Before her migration to PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Roshan Ara had already become acclaimed as the greatest exponent of Kirana Gharana
Kirana Gharana
Kirana Gharana is one of the most prolific Hindustani khyal gharanas.-History:The name of this school of music derives from Kirana or Kairana, a town and tehsil of Muzzafarnagar District in Uttar Pradesh...
style of khayal singing in undivided India. She embodied in her art all the exquisite tonal qualities and attributes of her mentor's delicate style of classical vocalization. She proved equally good at alap
Alap
The alap is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga...
while delineating raags and also in taking breezy taans in the strand of her Ustad. She was very conscious of her dignity and status and never allowed herself to be emotionally swayed. But when the recording of her Ustad's music was played, her eyes filled with tears.
Move to Pakistan
Migrating to PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1948, Roshan Ara Begum settled in Lalamusa
Lalamusa
Lalamusa is a town in Gujrat District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is geographically located at latitude 32° 42' 0" North of the Equator and longitude 73° 57' 35" East of the Prime Meridian on the Map of the world...
, a small town from which her husband hailed. Although far away from Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, the cultural centre of Pakistan, she would travel back and forth to participate in music and radio programmes. Visual and audio recording-devices have preserved the richness of Roshan Ara's music — which often overflowed with tonal modulations — its sweetness and delicacy of gamaks and her slow progression of raags. Roshan Ara Begum also sang some film songs, mostly under music composers like Anil Biswas
Anil Biswas
Anil Biswas was an Indian politician. He was the secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of Communist Party of India and member of the party's Polit Bureau beginning in 1998. He was the editor of Marxbadi Path the theoretical quarterly in Bengal...
, Feroze Nizami and Tassaduq Hussain. She sang for well-known films such as Pahali Nazar (1945), (Jugnu
Jugnu
Jugnu is a 1973 Indian Hindi movie produced and directed by Pramod Chakravorty. The story is about an extremely Intelligent crook with a "Golden" Heart who has the remarkable ability to steal from the most protected setups. The movie also stars Hema Malini , Lalita Pawar, Mehmood, Prem Chopra,...
(1947), Qismat (1956), Roopmati Baazbahadur (1960) and Neela Parbat
Neela Parbat
Neela Parbat is a 1969 Pakistani Urdu film directed by Ahmad Bashir. It was Pakistan's one of earliest experimental feature films....
(1969).
She died in Pakistan in 1982 at the approximate age of sixty-five.