Women in Music — Padmavati Shaligram

A few years back a Facebook video went viral where a ninety year old woman was seen , singing a bandish in Raag Nand , teental called “Ajahu na Aaye Shyam , Bahuta Dina Beete ..” . I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the singer was none other than the amazing , Padmavati Shaligram and wondered , how she could sing with such adroitness , power and perfect pitch , at an age when people can barely walk or talk . While performing , she kept increasing the tempo politely , through her repeated hand gestures only to suggest how she was having a ball singing “taans” at a relatively faster tempo like it is usually done while singing “Khayal” . Her “taans” were flawless , flew fast , pitch perfect , thereby displaying her rigorous practice , discipline and mastery over her craft , which must have been her pursuit of a life time . She indeed appeared to be a true diva in a sari and her grey hair , sitting on a chair to perform , deeply immersed in her music . An audio and visual delight for me , right there , displaying her passion , power and grace . This brought back several memories from the times when i had first discovered her music and fell in love with her powerhouse vocals .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnZWfIlAxes
It would roughly be the year 2006 or 2007 , that time when i newly moved from Kolkata to Mumbai , to pursue a career in music , i would make fortuitous visits to music shops and pick up cds . The randomness helped me discover a lot of new artists and their music , artists i had never heard before . The great joy of uncovering new artists , their “gayeki” and music , not only influenced me musically but also very effectively occupied all my time which otherwise might have engulfed me with homesickness . One of such artists i chanced upon at that time was Padmavati Shaligram , when i had picked up a cd called “ Jaipur Gharana Various Artists” , out of sheer curiosity . Her rendition of “Raag Kamod” instantly fascinated me . There was a certain confidence and power in her singing , beautifully unfolding the colours of the “Raag” in its purest form . It was an experience listening to her . In the following months i discovered a lot more of her records and renditions . Particularly loved the “Khayal in Raag Bihag” , “Multani” , “Todi” as well as her unparalleled rendition of “Thumri” and other light classical genres . What captivated me was that “Dhrupad” ang in her singing , the way she would approach each note , her vocal range , her “taans” , the pattern of notes with which she framed them , those weren’t just flat “taans” but more of “gamak” (double notes sung with a delicate accent . The “meend” in her alaaps and “gamak” in her “taans” were magnificent .
Born in Kolhapur , Shaligram was one of the foremost exponents of Jaipur Atrauli Gharana . She was trained by her father Govindrao Shaligram who was a direct disciple of musical genius Khaan Sahab Alladiya Khan .
I have immense admiration for women in history who have defied age old tradition to pursue their passion and what they believed in . Padmavati Shaligram despised the long standing prejudices of caste system and became one amongst the first women from a Brahmin community to take up performing on public stages in those times , thus paving the path for women from generations to follow . She was also instrumental in contributing greatly towards the acceptance and respect of “Thumri” among connoisseurs of music .
Padmavati Shaligram was conferred Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1988 by the Government of India amongst many other awards . She also acted in four movies , in Hindi , Marathi and Telugu languages . A top grade artist from All India Radio , she performed in concerts all over the country and extensively in Pakistan before the partition . She passed away at the age of 96 , 20th July 2014 in Mumbai . Her various recordings leaves a legacy of her rich and unique vocal music style with us , to cherish her amazing life and her music for the times to come .