A peek at the gendered politics of Gaanewali’s ghazals
The HinduBy Gaurika Mehrotra O Gaanewali, a music group from Mumbai, recently performed at the Bangalore International Centre. As producer and vocalist Avanti Patel’s voice rang through the air, delivering her very first line of the evening, Kale baadal gher hai, the audience was transported to the age of gaanewalis and nachnewaalis — the tawaifs of India. Jhadav explained his laggi ladi to the audience, “It’s a bit of friendly war between the singer and the tabla player — we alternately give space to each, for our creativity to shine,” he laughed. The performers serenaded the audience with ghazals such as Gauhar Jaan’s ‘Mere Hazrat ne Madine mein manayee Holi’, and ‘Aaj jaane ki zid na karo’ as well as the works of Janaki Bai Allahbadi, Farida Khanum and other leading artistes of the time. “Magic is when everyone says waah unprompted,” says Avanti of the expression that often escaped the audience’s lips that evening.
Discover Related
)
)
)
)
)
