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Hirabai Barodekar: Akeli Mat ]aiyyo Radhe ]amuna ke Teer.. . PRABHA ATRRE TheGaneshfestivalinPunehadaspecialsignificanceformeinmychildhoodbecauseof HirabaiBarodekar'sconcerts.Formanyyearsitwascustomaryforhertosingnearmy high schoolin Rasia Peth before a huge and cclourfully decorated Ganesh idol. It was a unique andrareopportunity for one andall,since Hirabaihadreached thepinnacleofher careeratthattime-shewastheforemostfemaleartistinNorthIndianclassicalmusic.Music loversfromeverycomerofPunefloodedtheRastaPethsquaretohearhersing.Crowdsof peoplefilledtheroads,doorsteps,windows,balconiesandterraces.Evenanantwouldhave found it hard to move in that congested square. Regardless of age. social standing. or occupation,men and childrensetaside differencesand gladlyhuddledclosetoeachother thewholenight.WithHirabai'sfirstnote,'Sa'.themultitudeinstantlyfellsilent,Slowlyand tenderly her phrases pervaded the atmosphere and enchanted the audience. Theheadmasteroftheschoolwasmyfather,NaturallyIgotthechoicestplacetolistento Hirabai. Atthattime,Ihardlyunderstoodanythingaboutmusic.Neitheronthepaternalnor thematernalsideofmyfamilywerethereany musiciansorconnoisseurs.Myownintroduc tiontomusicwas quiteaccidental. Ithoughtofitasahobby,andneverdreamt thatIwould pursueitas acareersomedayand therebycomedosetoHirabai, At school, whenever I had to write an essay on what I wanted to bewhen I grewup. IdistinctlyrememberthatIdidnotevermentionmusicasmycareer.Myfirstimpressionsof classical music were engraved by Hirabai. Ihadheard herconcertsattheGanesh festival year after year. I remember sitting alone in the empty square after the concert was over, baskinginthememoryofhermusic.Somewheredeepwithin,hermusichadstruckachord. In the coolness ofthe morning breeze, with a fewstars still visible, Iquietlyrelished the lingeringserenityofIfirabai'smusic.WheneverIthinkofHirabai'smusic,Irememberher notes as filled with therefreshing coolnessand twinklingstarsofdawn. One day a friend ofmy father insisted that I should take lessons from Hirabai's elder brother Sureshbabu Mane. I was filled with excitement,for itmeanl thatIwouldbe near Hirabai andher music.BeforeSureshbabuwouldacceptmeasadisciple,hewantedtohear mesing.Iwentto Hirabai'sresidenceon PrabhatRoad ontheappointedday. Sureshbabu, Hirabai,andtheiryounger sisterKamalabaiwere allpresenttohear mysinging.Itrembled withjoywhen Sureshbabusaidlheyallapprovedandhewouldteachme.Thiswasmyfirst meetingwithHirabai. The second time we metwas during the Gauri-Ganapati festival,when Hirabai usedto arrange awhole-night concertat herplace. Theconcertbegan atsunsetandcontinuedpast Sangeet NlllaJcVol.XXXIX,No.3', 2005 PRABIIA ATRRE 36 midnight.Hirabaisatdowntosiogattheveryend. Sheleaned slightlyagainstherTanpura but her frame remained perfectlystill. lIer left hand moved slightly,suggestingthemove mentsofherphrases.Hereyeshadacalm.gentle.andcompassionateexpression. Delicately pronouncing the words"Akeli matjaiyyo Radhe, Jamuna ke teer...",she sang aBhairaviThumri Hershiningnotesradiated throughtheatmosphere. Afterherper formance. a peculiar silence and stillness embraced the listeners. Under the spell of her music.noonenoticedwhenshe stoodupand left.Theartistwhoseperformancekeptone entrancedonce againturnedintoawarm,hospitable hostess. Onmywaybackhomeaftertheconcert.Iwasdeeplymoved.Iwalkedhaltinglydownthe wetroadsurrounded bydozingtrees.amistysky.andanintermittentSeptemberdrizzle.In thisatmosphere.Hirabai'snotesseemedtomanifesttheblooming offlowerswhichswayed alongtheroadside.AteveryGauri-Ganapatifestival,mymindracesbacktoHirabal'shome and[relivethatwetSeptembernight fullofhermoist notes. ImetHirabaifrequentlyafterIstartedmytrainingwithSureshbabu.Atleasttwiceayear wedefinitelymet--onceattheGauri-GanapatihouseconcertandtheotheratAbdulKarim Khansaheb'sdeathanniversaryprogrammeatMiraj.Disciples. guests.andfamily members allparticipatedinthese two functions. Hirabai oftenenquiredaboutmyriyaz. Sheusedtointroduce meproudlytovisitorsas Sureshbabu'sdisciple.Sheneverallowedmetoleaveherhomewithouthavingameal.Since Iwasveryfrailandthin,sheoftenadvisedmetoeatmeatoratleastthegravyofmeatcurries. However,respectingmyaversiontomeat,shetookspecialcareto seethatthespoonwhich wasusedtoservethemeatdishwasnotusedto servethevegetarianmeal.During these occasionalencounters,I becamedoseto herasaperson. In1953,whenSureshbabupassedaway.Ilostallmyfaith inlifeandmusic.Thiswasmy firstexperienceofthedeathofadearone.Adark vacuumengulfedme.Icouldnotbearto giveanyonethe special place myguru Sureshbabu hadoccupied in my heart.Around this time.Ireceived theCentralGovemment MusicScholarship,and asitwas felt thatIshould continuetobetrainedintheKiranastyle.Hirabaibecamemyteacher. ThewoundcausedbySureshbabu'sdeath wasstillflesh.Hirabaiwasawareofmygrief. Istarted visitingher place.At thattime. shewas atthepeak ofhercareerand hadtotravel continuously for concerts.The scholarshipenabled me to accompany her for almosttwo years.Newbondsofattachmentsoondevelopedbetweenusand grew strongerwithtime. The world around me looked upon Hirabai as my teacher. but in reality she was my godmother.Howmany gurus arealsotrulygodmothers?DuringthesetwoyearsIspentwith her.shelookedaftermewith amother'scare.SheWassoconcernedaboutmy welfarethat shemadesurethatallmyneedswereattendedto.Everyonetreatedmeasoneofherfamily. HeryoungersisterKarnalabaialwaysintroducedmeasherdaughter.Beingconstantlywith Hirabai,Ibecamefamiliarwitheveryfacetofherlifeandpersonality.andmyrespectforher grew. AfterSureshbabupassedaway.Hirabaitookontheresponsibilityofsupportinghislarge HIRABAIBARODEKAR 37 family.HeryoungersisterKamalabaialsolivedwithher.Inaddition.shealwaysentertained guests fromotherplaces.She personallyprepared delicaciesthey liked.Peoplewereeasily drawntowardsher.She had the knackofmakingstrangersfeelathome. Sheneverwentaloneonherconcerttours.Wherevershewent,shealwaystookalong someonewhoeitherwantedtogosightseeing,oronapilgrimage.orsimplyforachangeof climate.Shepreferredtostaywithafamilyinsteadofahotel. Wherevershestayedwitha family,she wastreatedwithgreatrespectandaffection. Nonetheless,Hirabaiherselfwas alwaysreadytodoanything.Shewouldwillinglysweepthehouseordothecooking.Ifthere wereelderlypeopleinthefamily,shewouldsingadevotionalsongforthem.Sheplayedwith thechildrenand toldthem stories.She wouldenquireaftereverybody'swelfare withgreat interest.Herfaithanddevotionwereexemplary.Sheneverleftaplacewithoutpaying:J.visit tothetemples.Shewouldalwaysenquireiftherewereanylocalswamijisandmadesureto callupon them.Inthismatter,hermindwaschildlike---<:ompletelytrusting.Shewouldvery quicklyplaceherfaithinany baba. Hirabaibelievedinsimplicity.Shewasalwaysneatlyandscrupulouslydressed.Notonce didIsee herwearingloudcolours. Herlight-colouredsaris werealwaysworn withwell matchedblouses. Thebordersofhersaris werenevercreased.Sheworetwobrightgold banglesonherwristsandthemangalsutra around herneck. Herears wereadornedwith ornate diamondstuds.Theringonherleftfinger sparkledwithdiamonds. Sometimesshe placedaroseinherbun. Hirabai was well organized onhertravels. From ghee toamosquito net,shecarried everything.Shewouldtellme,"Onemustlookafterone'sownhealth,"Sheappliedoiland massaged herselfbefore laking her bath.She washed herclothes.Shesweptthe place she occupied and arranged her belongings neatly.She had breakfast and meals regularly and wasdiscriminatinginwhateversheate.Evenafteralateconcert.sheneversleptonanempty stomach. The same tidiness was visible inherhorne.Everythingwaskept spotlessly clean and arranged artistically. Her garden bloomed with fresh flowers and neatly arranged plants. Therewasalwaysa petplayingatherfeel.She hadaparrotbyherstaircase,whichgreeted passersby loudly. Hirabaiadored allher pets.She loved animalsand natureastenderlyas she did people. IneversawHirabaiannoyedorangrywithanyone,norspeakingtoanyoneinavoicethat wasraised.Shealwaysspokecalmlyandsoftly.Despitetheheavyfinancialburdenthatfell uponherafterSureshbabu's demise. she continued totakeonmoreresponsibilities.Few people could haveendured the tribulations thatshesuffered forthesakeofothers.Ioften wonderedifsheeverlivedasinglemomentforherself. Itisnotuncommontoheargossipintheworldofmusicandshowbusiness.Hirabaiwas an admirableexception in thatrespect,NOIa word aboutanyone passedher lips.She was neithervainnorarrogant.Ifaskedtolistentoasinger.sheconsideredneithertheperson's statusnorhisorherage. She listenedto everyone withoutbias.She expressedgenerous 38 PRABHA ATRRE appreciationforagoodmusicianandalwaysencouragedtheeamestandhardworkingamong theyoung.Wheneverpossible,shealsoguidedthem.Ifshelikedacertaincomposition,she wouldneverhesitatetoleamitfromanyoneregardlessofage.MyguruSureshbabuhadtold me, "Whenever youfind something beautiful. assimilate it." Hirabai's life embodiedthis advice.Rarelydoesonecomeacrosssuchopcnmindednessinanartist. Nowondershewas deartooneand allandwasrespected forherhumbleanddignified character. Music wasnotonlyinHirabai's blood butinher breathaswell, for she hadinheritedit throughgenerations.Shewasgiftedwithasweetandmelodiousvoice.Thoughhervoice wasdelicate. ithadweightandamaturitythatcomes fromriyaz. It hadthesamewarm resonanceasherTanpura,Hermusicalpersonalitywasnurturedbythemusicalenvironment of her childhood, and was honed by such fine teachers as Ustad Waheed Khansaheb and her elder brother Sureshbabu. She always preserved and kept alive the teaching that she receivedfromhergurus.Evenduringhertravels.sheneverneglectedherdaily riyaz.The firstthingshewoulddowhen she wokeupinthemorningwas to pick upherTanpura. Hirabai faithfully adheredto the styleofthe Kiranagharana. The distinct nature ofher singingwastobefoundinthepeacefulandserenetreatmentaragareceived.Herpresentation wasneat,smooth,andcrystalclear.Therewasnoaggressivenessorpretence.Hersinging wasinfusedwiththesamepoliteness,humility,andabsorptionasherownpersonality. Hirabai's tar shadja sparkled like a diamond and radiated with divine light. With her shadja the atmosphere magically lit up. Blessed are those who have heard it. Hirabai's Khayal presentation was marked by a peaceful elaborationofthe ragadeveloped through alapnotebynote,afluentandclearrenderingoftanas,andanappropriateamountofstress onrhythmwithneatly-sungsthayiandantara.Bythelimeaconcertendedwithacornposi tioninragaBhairavi.one'sthirstformusicwasfullyquenched.ThroughHirabai'ssinging. classicalmusicbecameapproachableandeasyto understand.Hermusicdid awaywiththe deadweightoftheoreticalcomplexity,reachingasitwerethecoreof.one'sheart.Connois· seurs andlaymenalike foundsomethinginhermusicthattheycouldrespond10. Hirabai'ssingingwasascetic,notromantic.Hermusicdidnotsingofromanticlove.but ratherofdivinelove;herheartwasnotofagopibutofayogini.Hersingingwasimbuedwith the sacredness and calm glow ofthe oil lamp placed before a tulsi plant. Through these virtues ofher music,Hirabai trulymadeasingular contributionto the ideals ofthe Kirana gharana. Hirabai's singing had reached even the hamlets of India. She never disappointed an audience merelybecauseitconsistedofahandfulofvillagers whocouldofferonlyasmall fee. ThequalityofherperformanceataGanaparlfestivalwouldbethesameasthatataroyal court. Her concerts had variety. She sang Khayal, Natyageet, Bhavageet and Bhajan.of which herNatyageeland Bhajan were themostpopular. Hirabai'smusic reflectednobilityandculture.Therespectshewonfor musicbyherown refmedanddignifiedlifestylewasnosmallvictoryinherlime.Shelivedinanagewhenmusic and musical activityhaddishonourableassociations.Hirabai liftedthisstigma by herown HIRABAI BARODEKAR 39 virtuous conduct.She establishedtheidealforfuturefemaleartistsevenintermsofhowto sitonthestage while givingaperformance.Theeffectofherimageonsocietytransformed the conventional prejudice it had nursed against music, and particularly against female musicians.Asaresult,daughtersofaristocraticfamiliescametobeallowednotonlytosing, but also topursuemusic asacareer. Intheheydayofmusicaldrama, itwasnatural thatasingerlikeHirabaishouldbesought for the stage. She acted in plays because she enjoyed her actress-singer role and also in order to meet her financial responsibilities. Occasionally, Hirabai also acted and sang in Marathi films. However, she was essentially devoted to her music and notto acting. She worshippedmusic asshedid God. Duringher musicalcareer, Hirabai wasbestowedmany honours. That shecontinued to receive honours even after she stopped giving public performances is testimony to the greatness of hermusic. The first halfof the twentiethcentury sang along withher.Music loversheardhertotheirhearts'content. Nootherfemaleclassical vocalistwonsuchadmira tionandpopularityfrom everystratumofsociety asHirabaidid. Hirabailivedeverymomentofherlifeasaperformertillthelimitationsthatcomewithage forcedhertowithdrawfrompublicperformances.Yethercommitmenttomusicremainedthe same.Shedidnotputaside theTanpura. Herdevotiontoriazatdawncontinued.Whenone saw her slight figure leaning against the Tanpura, one was reminded of a devotee who, havingtranscendedname andfame,hadfoundeternaljoyinmusic.Oneinvoluntarilybowed downbeforeher, foreveninherlateyears sheremainedjustthesameasshehadbeenwhen she was active, and was as unperturbedand content asever. Then, shespentmost ofhertime training herstudents.Formanyyears,sheevenshuttled between Pune andMumbai to groomyoung artists.Upon repeated pleasfromtheSangeet Research Academy, she went to Calcuttafor some time to coach promising students. Al though everyone felt that at her age she should remain with her family, her desire tobe actively involved in music allowedher norest. "On every mountain heightis rest", says Goethe. But Hirabai,althoughshehadreached thatheight,diduotknowhowtorest. Noonecouldremainunaffectedafter havingwitnessedHirabai's faithinlifeandmusic, after havingexperiencedher serenepresence.Shehadremained atpeacewithlifethrough herconstantabsorptioninmusic. Age could notdisturbhercalmspirit;toher,thequestion of becoming weary of life did not arise. Inher heart, therainbow of sevensvaras forever emitted asoft and divinelight. Devotionwas Hirabai'snature-devotiontomusic,devotiontoherlisteners,devotionto herfamily.The purityofhernature wasreflectedinthepurityofhernotes.Thisdevotioual attitude gave her thestrengthtoovercomemanyobstaclesinlife.Inspiteofallherworldly problems,she nurturedhermusic,anditbloomedwithinher. BalancewasthebasisofHirabai'slife.Eveninhermusicshehadstruckthegoldenmean betweenindividualcreativityandtradition. Heronlyobjective whileshesangwastocreate joyand share itwith heraudience.Hermusic wassoulful andreachedtheheartsofoldand 40 PRABHA ATRRE young,connoisseurs andlaymenalike.Likeaperenniallybloomingflower,hermusicwas beautiful.sweet.tender,natural,anddivine. Agurucanleadonetotherightpath,butthejourneymustultimatelybemade alone.The training that I received from both my gurus, Sureshbabuand Hirabai. is invaluable. They taughtmehowtoretainmyidentityinthemidstofacrowd.Sureshbabuinitiatedmeintothe masteryofsvarasandtheircreativepotential.Hegavemeinsightandindependence.Hirabai groomed me in the conventions ofpublic performance. She taught me the art ofmaking concertasuccess.Sherevealedtomethedifferencebetweenpracticeandperformance.My search forthe ideal stillcontinues. Intheratraceoftoday'sprofessional world ofmusic,there aremanyoccasionswhen one'speaceofmindisdisturbed.One isfrequentlydistractedby extra-musicaldemands.In suchafrustratedandrestlessmood, thememory ofSureshbabuand Hirabaistil\s mymind. Theirmusicandtheirpersonalitiesbringrenewedfaith andpeace.Problems dissolve,and mymindisfilledwiththecalm,sereneatmosphereofatemple. Suchisthesustainingstrength of the blessings of these gurus. Ultimately,itisallamatteroffaith.Faithgives beautytolife.Myfaithliesinmygurus.The statusofaguru cannotbeclaimed;itcanonly begainedthroughmerit. Tofind atrueguru isablessing, and such goodfortune came my wayin the form ofSureshbabuand Hirabai. Their guidance and affection continue to light up my path and strengthen me in facing reality. ThemoistofthecoolSeptembernightwhenHirabaileftthisworldwillalwaysfillmyheart and wet myeyes asIrecall "Akelimatjaiyyo RadheJamunaketeer..."