By Hemlata Aithani
The launch of gramophone technology in India changed the way these women were heard and perceived. It liberated their music from the four walls of the ‘kotha’ and brought it into the living rooms of the middle classes. ‘The gramophone democratised baijis’ music.

Anyone could listen to them anywhere. Anyone who had little money could buy it like a typewriter or a sewing machine. Gramophone gave the singers an opportunity to reach tens and thousands of people at once. “They became an inseparable part of the middle class,” reveals photographer Parthiv Shah.
Shah and his classical musician wife, Vidya, have chronicled the rise of professional women singer in India from the 19th and 20th century in a multi-media project entitled, ‘Women on Record’. A series of collages, texts, archival prints and photographs - that are a part of the project - were on display recently in New Delhi. The result of hard work spanning one-and-half-years, the pictures and anecdotal text provide a glimpse into the lives of women singers and their quick transition into ‘gramophone celebrities’.
In the late 19th century, gramophone recording companies saw a big market in India. “The engineers of these companies would come to India to hunt for talent, to get these singers to record and scale their lengthy ‘ragas’ into one-to-three-minute pieces,” says Shah. He adds, “These immensely talented women were famous in certain quarters for their singing repertoire but they were certainly not widely known women. The gramophone did them this favour.”
There’s Gauhar Jan, the first lady singer in India to cut an album. In 1901, Gramophone and Typewriter Ltd set up its first branch outside the UK in Kolkata - then known as Calcutta - and a year later Gauhar’s voice could be heard in homes across the city. In fact, she also became the first superstar of the 20th   century.
Gauhar successfully adapted to recording for gramophone discs. Soon, through her records, she earned fame and fortune far beyond the reach of any other artiste of her day.
Although recording in those days would take place once a year, when an engineer would come to India for a period of two or three months, the popularity of gramophone records can be gauged by the fact that over 500 artistes were recorded in different regional languages across the country. These artistes, mostly ‘baijis’, underwent rigorous training from the great ‘ustads’ (teachers) of those days.
Another interesting aspect that has been highlighted in the project is that the women would record their name at the end of their songs to establish their authorship. Just like Acchan Bai, who used to end her recordings with ‘Acchan Bai ka gaana, gramophone record’ (‘Acchan Bai’s song on gramophone record’).
Kirana exponent Gangubai Hangal’s first recording experience provides an indication of the kind of remuneration the singing stars received: “For my first recording, when His Master’s Voice (HMV) invited me to Bombay, I went because they were taking care of my journey and sight-seeing. Later, they gave me Rs 400 for my third recording but my family was annoyed as my name read Gandhari Hubai on the record.”
Another notable artiste who is featured is Jaddan Bai, a popular singer, composer, actress, filmmaker and the mother of well-known actress of yesteryears, Nargis. Jaddan was one of the first women to reap the benefits of the gramophone technology. She launched her own company, Sangeet Movietone, and in her very first film, ‘Madam Fashion’, she gave a role to her daughter Nargis, whom she had earlier kept away from music and dance. ‘Women on Record’ includes a lovely photograph of the mother-daughter duo. Jaddan always had great compassion for professional ‘tawaifs’ and she expressed this through some of the films she produced under her banner, including the autobiographical, ‘Jeevan Sapna’, ‘Darogaji’ and ‘Talash-i-hak’.
‘Women On Record’, presented by the Centre for Media and Alternative Communication (CMAC), is a treasure trove of interesting stories on the women singers. For instance, Janaki Bai, blessed with a terrific voice range, was once showered with 14,000 coins during her performance but her talent also earned her 56 knife scars from a jealous ruffian, which earned her the title of  ‘chappan churi’.