There was something so special, unique and magical about her singing style. At times, her voice was filled with pain, sometimes it bubbled with romance, and at others, it echoed with rebellion. She used classical ragas with minute precision, and adapted pure Urdu poetry with sheer immaculateness.
Over four decades after her death, Begum Akhtar continues to inspire many. Take Pune-based Sangita Nerurkar, for instance. This evening, she shall be presenting the programme organised by Swardhara Events, ‘Naghmat-e-Akhtari’, at Somaiya Bhavan above Kitabkhana, Fort. It will focus on the legend’s transition from Akhtari Bai Faizabadi, her early name, to Begum Akhtar, the ‘Ghazal Queen’.
“My focus will be on Begum Akhtar’s gayaki style,” says Nerurkar. “I got the idea in 2014 when I heard her birth centenary was coming up. Though I have been trained in Hindustani classical music, I was also very interested in ghazal and thumri. I thought I would do a thematic concert.”
A winner of the International Saregama in 1999, Nerurkar has learnt from Pandit Gangadharbua Pimpalkhare and Pandit Vijay Koparkar. “Begum Akhtar was very different from her contemporaries. Besides using classical nuances perfectly, she chose some wonderful poetry. Her voice was her pehchaan (identity), and it came from the rooh (soul). At times she cracked on the high notes, but the effect she had was fantastic, because of her open-throated style,” she adds.
Nerurkar explains she had to study a lot of recordings while working on this concept, which she first presented in Pune in 2014. She elaborates: “I had to go into depths about how her voice changed. The scene in the 1930s and 1940s was very different. Begum Akhtar was in her 20s then, and by the time she was in her 40s, there was a very obvious change.” Nerurkar plans to talk of the way she approached various styles like old ghazals, film songs, Bengali dadra and Gujarati tunes. Besides her vocal technique, she naturally plans to emphasise Begum Akhtar’s choice of poetry. “Behzad Lakhnavi, Ghalib, Momin, Mir Taqi Mir and Jigar Morarabadi are some of the poets I shall cover,” she says.
Over the years, there have been many gems by Begum Akhtar. Her famous ghazals include ‘ Aye mohabbat tere anjaam pe ronaaaya ’ and ‘ Mere humnafas merehumnawa ’ (both written by Shakeel Badayuni), Momin’s ‘ Woh jo hum mein tum mein qaraartha ’, Sudarshan Faakir’s ‘ Kuchh toh duniya ki inaayaat ne dil toddiya ’, Ghalib’s ‘ Dil hi toh hai na sang-o-kisht ’, Mir Taqi Mir’s ‘ Ulati ho gayi sabtadbeerein ’ and Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s ‘ Aaye kuchh abr kuch sharaabaaye ’. Nerurkar wants to keep her song list a surprise. Surely, Begum Akhtar fans are in for a treat.
‘Naghmat-e-Akhtari’ will take place today between 6 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. at Somaiya Centre for Lifelong Learning; Tickets are for Rs. 650/-; for further enquiries, call 9833673199 or 7045932204
The author is a freelance music writer
