Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1937) founded the Kirana gharana, named after Kairana, his birthplace in Muzzafarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh. The Kirana gharana produced a larger number of stellar vocalists, of whom the best-known across India in recent times was probably Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, who passed away in 2011.
In the early 20th century, Khan, who was then based in Miraj, in southern Maharashtra, often came to Mumbai to record music. He was the first vocalist to present a raga's structure fully within the brief duration of the recordings of that time, which were at most four minutes long but could be as short as 90 seconds.
Here are two recordings, about 30 years apart. They are important because they show us how Khan's music evolved and how his singing style changed over this period.
The first is his rendition of Miya Malhar, one of many monsoon ragas. It was one of 23 songs that he recorded between 1904 and 1906 on the first floor of S Rose & Co recording studio, above Chetana restaurant, near Jehangir Art Gallery in south Mumbai's Kala Ghoda art district. The Gramaphone Company of India reissued these 23 recordings in 1994 and they are now available online.
Raga Miya Malhar
The second is from a batch of about 30 songs that he recorded between 1933 and 1935 at the Odeon recording studio opposite the Akbarally's department store near Flora Fountain, also in south Mumbai.
It is an unusual song: Khan renders a Carnatic song in Telugu, Rama Nee Samana Mevaru, composed by the great Thyagaraja, in the southern raga Karaharapriya, a rough equivalent of the Hindustani raga Kafi. Despite the nature of the composition, the rendition is largely Hindustani, albeit with slight Carnatic inflections.
But at the end of the recording, he renders sargams, or combinations of notes, using their names, within the tala cycle, a practice that is standard in Carnatic music but not integral to its northern cousin.
Khan was perhaps the first Hindustani musician to study Carnatic music seriously. His contact with the southern form began when he was the musician at the court of the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnarajendra Wodeyar. There, he met famous Carnatic musicians, who influenced his music. He also used to learn this form of music from Ambakka, the mother of Gangubai Hangal, a stalwart of the Kirana gharana.
Khan is supposed to have learnt this composition from the incomparable Veena Dhanammal. Khan used to sing this song in the court of the Mysore maharaja, who sponsored the recording.
Raga Kharaharapriya
In the early 20th century, Khan, who was then based in Miraj, in southern Maharashtra, often came to Mumbai to record music. He was the first vocalist to present a raga's structure fully within the brief duration of the recordings of that time, which were at most four minutes long but could be as short as 90 seconds.
Here are two recordings, about 30 years apart. They are important because they show us how Khan's music evolved and how his singing style changed over this period.
The first is his rendition of Miya Malhar, one of many monsoon ragas. It was one of 23 songs that he recorded between 1904 and 1906 on the first floor of S Rose & Co recording studio, above Chetana restaurant, near Jehangir Art Gallery in south Mumbai's Kala Ghoda art district. The Gramaphone Company of India reissued these 23 recordings in 1994 and they are now available online.
Raga Miya Malhar
The second is from a batch of about 30 songs that he recorded between 1933 and 1935 at the Odeon recording studio opposite the Akbarally's department store near Flora Fountain, also in south Mumbai.
It is an unusual song: Khan renders a Carnatic song in Telugu, Rama Nee Samana Mevaru, composed by the great Thyagaraja, in the southern raga Karaharapriya, a rough equivalent of the Hindustani raga Kafi. Despite the nature of the composition, the rendition is largely Hindustani, albeit with slight Carnatic inflections.
But at the end of the recording, he renders sargams, or combinations of notes, using their names, within the tala cycle, a practice that is standard in Carnatic music but not integral to its northern cousin.
Khan was perhaps the first Hindustani musician to study Carnatic music seriously. His contact with the southern form began when he was the musician at the court of the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnarajendra Wodeyar. There, he met famous Carnatic musicians, who influenced his music. He also used to learn this form of music from Ambakka, the mother of Gangubai Hangal, a stalwart of the Kirana gharana.
Khan is supposed to have learnt this composition from the incomparable Veena Dhanammal. Khan used to sing this song in the court of the Mysore maharaja, who sponsored the recording.
Raga Kharaharapriya
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