Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the release of a set of eight commemorative postage stamp of Indian musicians

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders

It gives me great pleasure to release this set of commemorative postage stamps today.

As we pay tribute to eight of the greatest music maestros of contemporary India, we celebrate their life and work and their matchless legacy. These eight maestros are, without a doubt, among the tallest luminaries in the history of world music. They have not only achieved personal perfection but have made extraordinary contributions, in their respective fields, to the development and evolution of the schools of music in which their talents were nurtured and honed. Their contribution and its enrichment of our cultural heritage cannot be quantified or estimated. It is infinite in its resonance and their names will be mentioned with great reverence. Their music will be cherished by the young and old, for many decades to come.

I congratulate the Department of Posts for their initiative in bringing out these stamps. As these travel, pasted on letters and parcels and as they are added to the collections of stamp collectors and music connoisseurs and as they are used by people across the continents, these stamps will inform and remind all who see them of a golden era in musical achievements, a high point in the history of shastriya sangeet in India.

At this juncture, when we Indians, as a people, we are deeply involved with so many things, political processes and economic growth and development, while also facing the challenges of a globalized world, it is comforting and invigorating to pause and reflect on our unique cultural heritage. Music, in its pure form, is spiritual nourishment for our souls. It is at the core of our cultural and secular heritage. Our classical music, which has its origin in the Vedas, is said to be a gift of God himself; it is Nadabrahma, the sound of God, the music that pervades the universe.

Although one cannot sum up the achievements of these gifted souls in just a few words, I would like to pay homage by recalling a few aspects of their outstanding contribution to Indian music.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan made his debut at the age of 13 at a music conference in Allahabad in 1936. His mastery of the sarod and his brilliant compositions gave him the title of a ‘national treasure’. As a performer and as a teacher, he popularized Indian classical music – not only in India but also in Europe and in the USA.

Pundit Bhimsen Joshi had developed the khayal form of singing. He was best known for his popular renditions of devotional music. He was a classicist by training and temperament but evolved an approach that sought to achieve a balance between “traditional values and mass-culture tastes”.

Smt. D. K. Pattammal, who started her training at the age of only four years, went on to become a legend in Carnatic Music. She achieved the highest levels in her field of music . Along with Smt. M S Subbalakshmi and Smt. M L Vasanthakumari, she was considered one of the “Female Trinity of Carnatic Music”. Her perfect rendering of Ragam Tanam-Pallavi , a composition that had all along been a domain of male artists, earned her the title of “Pallavi Pattammal”.

Smt. Gangubai Hangal, another child-prodigy, made her debut in the 1924 session of the Indian National Congress in the august presence of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. She fought prejudice and opposition to make music her career and remained committed to classical music for 75 years – until her last concert in 2006 .

Pundit Kumar Gandharva is remembered for his creation of new ragas and for bringing the spotlight to the music of Madhya Pradesh. His legacy includes his amazing experimentation with Nirguni bhajans and folksongs.

Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana had set new standards through his mercurial improvisations in both melody and metre – without ever losing the emotional content of the songs that he rendered.

Pundit Ravi Shankar, will forever be remembered for the heights that he conquered as a legendary sitar player and composer of Hindustani classical music. He popularized the sitar in all parts of the world with his brilliant performances and creative compositions. His use of unconventional rhythmic cycles and unique compositions remain unrivaled to this day.

Ustad Vilayat Ali Khan, who introduced Indian music to the world along with Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan was another of the greatest pioneers of Indian classical music. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Ladies and Gentlemen, ours is a generation that had the privilege of knowing and witnessing the awe-inspiring performances of these eight brilliant artistes. Future generations will marvel at their genius. Many among us have been blessed with the opportunity to have personally known and experienced their uncommon prowess.

I, personally, do fervently believe that the music of India in all its diversity is one of the greatest gifts to human civilization.

I congratulate Department of Posts for bringing out these Commemorative Postage Stamps: by honouring these great legendary figures the country is honouring itself.

These stamps will be placed in the newly opened Museum of the Rashtrapati Bhavan where visitors from the different parts of India and abroad will be able to see them from this weekend onwards .

I wish you success in this and your future initiatives.

Jai Hind.

***SH/AK / Release ID :109276)

source:  http://www.pib.nic.in / Press Information Bureau, Government of India / Home> President’s Secretariat / September 03rd, 2014 – english release

After eight years, Indiranagar road renamed after a legend

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders

KareemKhanMPO08sept2014

After a delay of eight years, the 100-foot Road in Indiranagar was renamed after folklore expert and freedom fighter S.K. Kareem Khan on Sunday.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while recollecting the contribution of Kareem Khan, said he was a multifaceted personality who refused to take the government pension given to freedom fighters. “He was a towering personality who rose above caste, creed and religion.”

Posters

A large section of the road was dotted with huge banners and posters featuring the dignitaries invited for the renaming ceremony. At the 12th Main junction, posters and banners had covered every little space.

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials conceded that permission was not granted to any person, organisation or political party to put up the hoardings.

The BBMP has been claiming for the past few weeks to have launched a drive to remove illegal publicity materials after the Upalokayukta lambasted the civic body over this. Till August 21 — the deadline fixed for the removal of flexes, banners, buntings and posters — the BBMP had removed 14,720 illegal publicity materials across the city.

However, with the BBMP citing pressure from politicians and shortage of personnel, the Upalokayukta has given the civic body three months to rid the city of all illegal publicity materials. Officials have been directed to submit an action-taken report every month.

‘Institute award’

Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj urged the government to institute an award after Kareem Khan with a purse of Rs. 5 lakh. He also drew the attention of Mr. Siddaramaiah to the plight of Kannadigas in Talavadi, a border village, and urged him to speak to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on the matter.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Banglaore / by Special Correspondent / Bangalore – September 01st, 2014

Eminent Sanskrit scholar, Dr. Naheed Abidi, calls on PM

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Dr. Naheed Abidi, an eminent Sanskrit scholar from Varanasi, today called on the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, and presented two books written by her.

Dr. Abidi has translated the works of several Persian scholars into Hindi and Sanskrit, with the objective of spreading this knowledge among the people of India.

The Prime Minister appreciated her work.

SC
(Release ID :109435)

source: http://www.pib.nic.in / Press Information Bureau, Government of India / Home> Prime Minister’s Office / September 08th, 2014

‘Cylinders’ from scrap dealer reveal treasure trove of sound recordings

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders

Mumbai :

The Customs office in Dadar has in its safekeeping a box containing a rare treasure, and it did not come from a seizure of illegal goods. Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise Amar NathSharma claims to have unearthed the oldest and rarest sound recordings in Indian history dating back to 1899. His cache of 200-odd ‘brown wax cylinders’ introduces the voice of Ustad Alladiya Khan, the founder of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, and Pandit V D Paluskar who founded the Gandharva Mahavidyalay, “artistes whom no living Indian has heard”.

Cylinders are hollow wax rolls about six inches in length that are played on a phonogram. The phono was invented by Thomas Edison but fell into disuse with the entry of the circular disc in 1902.

The collection includes ‘Vande Mataram’ in the voice of Rabindranath Tagore, which was recorded by Tagore’s friend Hemendra Bose in the wake of the Partition of Bengal in 1905. Vignettes of the fabled courtesan from Calcutta, Gauhar Jaan, a Parsi theatre artiste from Jaipur named Miss Allah Bandi, as well as doyens like Peara Sahab figure prominently on the list. Particularly relevant to Maharashtra are the founding fathers of the Marathi ‘sangeet natak’ like Pt Bhaurao Kolhatkar, Pt Bhaskarbuwa Bakhle and Bal Gandharva. Dadasaheb Phalke has spoken about the making of ‘Raja Harishchandra’ as well.

Sharma says, “India has no archive that documents the history of sound recording, be it classical or film music, but it is commonly understood that recording began in 1902 after the advent of the disc that is played on the gramophone. However, we have found wax cylinders dating back to 1899, and these are played on a phonogram.” He bought the phono from a shop in Chor Bazaar.

The officer’s quest for old discs began two decades at roadside stalls. He sourced a few cylinders from private collectors over the years, and began documenting the ones he had for a book. Then, as if by divine hand, last December he chanced upon a cache of 200 cylinders at a kabadiwallah (scrap dealer’s) stall. “I will not say where the shop is located or how much I paid. But it wasn’t much because few people know the actual worth of these cylinders. In fact, the kabadiwallah thought they were textile rolls. This turned out to be the biggest treasure of the earliest and rarest Indian recordings. We were fortunate that the name of the singer and the year of recording was inscribed upon a few,” he says. Some cylinders were wrapped in cotton. Sharma, his wife Abha and daughter Anukriti sat down to clean each one with a brush, taking care to not use any chemical since that could damage the soft wax.

Reacting to the find, vocalist Kishori Amonkar, a doyen of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana told TOI, “I am interested to hear the recording to identify if it is indeed Ustad Alladiya Khan. My mother (Moghubai Kurdikar) was his disciple, so I can tell his style right away. I do know that the Maharaja of Kolhapur Shahu Maharaj had recorded Ustadji on a ‘bangle’, and if this is indeed the original it is extraordinary. But I have been disappointed before. I was in Rotterdam once, and someone offered to play me a recording of Ustadji. I heard it and knew at once it wasn’t him.”

Sharma has transferred the recordings to a CD and is willing to put them to the test.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mumbai / by Bella Jaisinghani, TNN / September 05th, 2014

Moonamidangal Bags DC Award

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Kottayam :

‘Moonnamidangal’, by K V Manikantan bagged the DC Kizhakkemuri Birth Centenary Memorial Novel Award. The award by DC Books is given to the best novel by a debutant writer below 40 years of age.

The award was handed over to Manikantan by writer N S Madhavan at a function held in Kannur as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of DC Books on Monday.

‘Moonnamidangal’ was selected by a judging committee constituting C V Balakrishnan, Benyamin and Panampilly Aravindaksha Menon from 147 entries.

The books selected for publishing are ‘1920 Malabar’ written by Hakkim Cholayil, ‘Thiru Mugal Beegam’ by Lathalakshmi, ‘Bhoopadathil Ninnum Kuzhichedutha Kurippukal’ by P Jimshar and ‘Karikkottakkari’ by Vinoy Thomas.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service  / September 02nd, 2014

Courage personified

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues

Recently seen on Kaun Banega Maha Crorepati, Fatima Khatoon provides a shining example of an individual’s strength to herald a change

BLAZING SPIRITFatima Khatoon
BLAZING SPIRITFatima Khatoon

“Arrest the customers who visit brothels; the men who sell the girls and those who procure them and force them into the trade, as they are the real culprits,” says Fatima Khatoon, an activist who took a stand against these social maladies at a tender age. She adds: “The hapless girls should not be punished. They require help and compassion to start life afresh.”

The comment is profound and more so as it comes from a person who is illiterate and was married into a household indulging in the sex trade. Born in a nomadic family in Nepal, Fatima entered matrimony at the age of nine.

“Being constantly on the move, childhood marriages of girls were prevalent in my community to ensure security and safety for them,” she explains, though she faults her parents “who should have checked the antecedents of my in-laws before marrying me off.”

Settling with her husband in Araria in Bihar, it took her more than one-and-a-half-years to realise that the womenfolk in the house, including her four sisters-in-law, were part of the trade. Her mother-in-law ran the business with the help of her four sons. This kept the kitchen pot boiling.

“Being young and lonely I used to speak to the girl inmates though my sisters-in-law never conversed with me. It is only through them I became aware of the facts,” says Fatima. The other three girls in the house were purchased. “They were duped by persons on the pretext of marriage, love or jobs and sold at the brothel,” she explains.

“My heart went out to them as I perceived they were experiencing a slow death every day,” says Fatima. Despite being young, she talked to them and decided to help them escape.

“I gave them clothes and helped them find the way. I also told them to raise an alarm in case anybody tried to stop them.” Severe reprisal followed, with Fatima locked up for three days without food and water till a family member warned that she may die. “After this, I was not allowed to step outside and was never left alone.”

Her kindled spirit received a jolt when she learned that her playmate, Afsana, daughter of an aged sex worker, was compelled to join, when she was visiting her mother. “I was close to Afsana and therefore, deeply hurt. I vowed that I will fight this trade and put an end to it,” she comments. Initially it was difficult but she managed to convince her sisters-in-law who have since left this trade.

Associated since 2004 with Apne Aap Women Worldwide (AAWW), a grassroots organisation working in India to end sex trafficking, Fatima is pleased to talk about the work of the AAWW team in her village. She claims, “A vast majority of the families there indulged in this trade and so far almost all have given it up, barring seven.”

Fatima intends to use the Rs.25 lakh won by her last week in Kaun Banega Maha Crorepati to raise her six children and build a home for them. Apart from this is, she plans to build a shelter for distressed women.

BLAZING SPIRITFatima Khatoon; seen with Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji on “Kaun Banega Maha Crorepati”
BLAZING SPIRITFatima Khatoon; seen with Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji on “Kaun Banega Maha Crorepati”

Applauded by Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji, the crusader hopes her participation in the quiz show will inspire girls to keep up their spirit and courage to achieve their dreams and ambitions.

Arrest the customers who visit brothels; the men who sell the girls and those who procure them and force them into the trade, as they are the real culprits

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by S. Ravi / August 26th, 2014

Racing ahead

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports, World Opinion
Alisha Abdullah is one of India's very few women bike racers. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Alisha Abdullah is one of India’s very few women bike racers. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Champion racer Alisha Abdullah is in top gear as she dons new roles

“The guys, after every race, used to put me down. I would be one among the last. They would tell me that I am a girl and that I couldn’t do it, say things like girls should get married. I took it up as a challenge. And with every race I worked hard and I improved my position,” says Alisha Abdullah. She went on to prove the ‘guys’ wrong.

One of India’s very few professional women bike racers Alisha inched her way up, competing with men, to be one among the best in the circuit. “Today guys come up to me asking me for tips for the track.” She is also a car racer. She recently won the Toyota Vios Cup, a street car race held in Thailand, where she competed with the best women racers in Asia. “These women are much stronger and tougher racers and I won competing against them.” She says over phone from Chennai where she is based. She said she is scheduled to visit the city for the inauguration of Lap 47, a performance studio for vehicles.

At a time when little girls dreamt of becoming princesses or at least a Miss Universe, Alisha was on the race track wanting to be a biker like her father, R.A. Abdullah, a seven-time national biking champion. Go-karting, bikes and car racing…the petite Alisha has done it all – won prizes and broken records. At 13 she won the national go-karting championship and the best Novice Award in the open class of Formula car racing. She was all of 15 when she got to bike racing.

It is not easy being a professional car or bike racer ‘irrespective of gender’, she says. “As a racer you have to extremely alert. There are many things you need to monitor – check if the RPM is going down or if there is some other suspicious blip and this at speeds exceeding 160 kmph.” A profession which demands physical and mental strength, it keeps her on her toes constantly. She works out intensely, “focussing on strength training than cardio. I never do any cardio. The physical demands of car and bike racing are different. For the former, neck and lower back are the areas of focus. And I train only with men because, I mean no offense, but their workouts are much more intense when compared to how women workout. I can do between 50 to 60 push-ups in a minute.”

With all talk of RPM, bikes, cars and racing tracks one would think this is all the 25 year-old does. She is consumed by it but there is more to her. She is a model and an actor too. She debuted in the recently released Tamil film Irumbu Kuthirai. She plays the villain’s (a biker) girlfriend. “The story was based on bike-racing and, like everything else in my life; I wanted to do a role different from the usual run-of-the-mill characters.” This was a guest role, soon she is to start shooting for a yet-to-be named project she is the lead actor, “I play a psycho.”

Any offers from the Malayalam film industry? “None yet!”

Films and racing, isn’t the plate loaded? “No. My role model is Danica Patrick, she is an actor and a car racer. She is married, has a family and multi-tasks. It’s not that I am doing a 100 things. Just two things and that’s fine.”

She is a car racer, model and actor, too. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
She is a car racer, model and actor, too. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Films and modelling are an aside, her focus is racing. She plans to start an academy for racing for women at Chennai. Her dream is fuelled by a desire to see more women competing in motor sport. “There are so many talented sportswomen, but almost none in motorsport. I want to change that trend. And if a man wants to come he can come wearing a wig!” she signs off.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Shilpa Nair Anand / August 31st, 2014

Firag Gorakhpuri remembered

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Gorakhpur:

Birth anniversary celebrations of Urdu poet Firaq Gorakhpuri were held at several places in the city on Thursday.

Members of Chitragupt Sabha garlanded the statue of Firaq Gorakhpuri in Daudpur and also organized a seminar in the evening in the conference hall of Chitragupt Mandir.

Social worker Ashok Srivastava garlanded the statue of Firaq. A seminar and a mushaira were also held.

Raghupati Sahai, known by his pen name, Firaq Gorakhpuri, was born on August 28, 1896 in Miyan Bazaar area in Gorakhpur. Azim Farooqi, a research scholar of Urdu, said: “People remember Firaq as a great Urdu poet but very few know that he was a freedom fighter too. He left his position of deputy collector and became member of Congress and went jail in 1920 along with Jawaharlal Nehru. He also contested in election with Shibbon Lal Saxena Party in 1952 against Mahant  Digvijay  Nath, the then head priest of Gorakhnath temple.”

Chitragupt Sabha president Atul Srivastava said: “Bahut pehle se un qadmon ki ahat jaan lete hain, Tujhe ai zindagi hum door se pehchan lete hain. Firaq Gorakhpur was a genius and great poet. Firaq Sahab is known for Urdu poetry but he was also English lecturer in Allahabad University. He passed ICS examination but resigned and joined freedom struggle. He was awarded Gyanpeeth Award, Sahitya Academy Award and Padam Bhushan Award in 1969 for his creation ‘Gule Nagma’.”

Pravir Arya of Madan Mohan Malviya Technical University said: “He was a prolific writer of Urdu and English. He added Gorakhpur in his name. We can proudly say that we belong to the place where Firaq used to live. He gave an international recognition to Gorakhpur.”

Speaking on the style of Firaq’s writing, poet Mohammad Husain Qayal said: “Firaq was an institution in himself. He has command over Urdu, Persian, Hindi and English. He was a great poet but a loner as his personal grief is reflected in his poetries. He had a troubled married life and his children also died.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varanasi / by Arjumand Bano, TNN / August 28th, 2014

LINK TO THE PAST – Ancient map of Bidar unearthed in London

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion
Historian and painter Rehman Patel says illustrations on the political and social history of India are included on either side of the map. / The Hindu
Historian and painter Rehman Patel says illustrations on the political and social history of India are included on either side of the map. / The Hindu

The map is included in an atlas produced by Colonel Jean Baptiste Gentil, Military Adviser to the Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daula

In exciting news for historians, an ancient atlas, which includes a map of Bidar, prepared by French officer Colonel Jean Baptiste Gentil, Military Adviser to the Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daula (1763 to 75), was found tucked away in the India Office Library at London. The map shows Bidar, which was once a capital city of the Bahamani Kingdom and an educational centre with historical importance.

Historian and painter Rehman Patel, who reproduced the map, said that in the interests of preserving the historic post and throwing more light about the history of the Bidar and its cultural heritage, the State government should put pressure on the Union government to bring it back to India and place it in Bidar.

Illustrations

He added that Col. Gentil had utilised the services of local artists to produce a series of illustrations on the political and social history of India.

Dr. Patel pointed out that illustrations were included on either side of the map. They reveal the representatives of different Sufi orders and thick forests with drawings of wild animals. These drawings also include Bidri craftsman and the different wares that were produced in Bidar. The bespectacled artisan at the bottom left of the page is portrayed as engraving a floral pattern on the side of a globular huqqa, with his wife and pet parrot looking on.

The illustration is reinforced by having a caption: ‘Fabrique de Beder ou on incruste en or et argent’ (Beder workshop for inlaying in gold and silver).

At the bottom right corner, there is a drawing of the types of wares produced: ‘vases incrustes’, or ‘inlaid vessels’. These include a globular huqqua on a stand, a bell-shaped huqqua, spittoons, boxes, a ewer and wash basin.

Reference to Bidriware

Dr. Patel said so far, the earliest unambiguous reference to Bidriware was in the Chahar Gulshan, written in Persian in 1759 AD. This includes a statistical account taken, on internal evidence, from an earlier compilation of about 1720 AD.

Book II of the Chahar Gulshan is ‘an account of five Subhas (administrative divisions) of Deccan’, one of the five being Bidar, referred to by its Bahmani and Mughal names. A manuscript in the British Library has the following passage: ‘The subah of Mohammadabad called Zafarabad (Bidar).

Bidar was also known from an illustration in an atlas produced in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh in (1770 AD) under the Nawab of Awadh (Oudh) Shuja-ud-Daula, who ruled from 1754-75 AD. During this period, Bidar was under the control of Muhammad Ghauth Saif-ud-Daula, but he died shortly after his appointment, and his brother Saif Jang Najm-ud-Daula Bahadur became the governor in his place.

Dr. Patel said that enquiries at the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Bidar revealed that the district administration did not have a copy of the manuscript and the atlas produced by Col. Gentil.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by T. V. Sivanandan / Gulbarga – September 01st, 2014

INDIA ON WAX – Record discs that helped defeat the British empire: Tagore sings ‘Bande Mataram’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, World Opinion

During the freedom struggle, recordings of patriotic speeches and songs helped rally support.

PhonographKOLKATA01sept2014

Between 1877 and 1878, Thomas Alva Edison submitted patent applications for the phonograph in many countries, including British India. It is not known when these patents were granted, but it is known that in December 1878, the first phonograph recording was demonstrated in Kolkata.

For the next 30 years, recordings on the phonograph cylinder became quite popular, remaining so even in the early years of disc records.

Many members of royal families and wealthy people bought cylinder phonograph machines and recorded musicians and religious personalities. The Maharajah of Khetri recorded Swami Vivekananad’s speeches and discourses much before he went to America and gave his famous talks on religion. The internet is full of versions of his celebrated speeches.

TagoreAdsKOLKATA01sept2014

During agitations against the partition of Bengal in 1905, H Bose recorded many political speeches and songs, such as Bande Mataram, both on phonographs and disc records, and they became very popular. But his factory and shops were sealed, machines and discs destroyed ruthlessly by police. As a result, nothing has survived today except a very short piece from Bande Mataram, sung by Tagore.

Hemendra Mohan Bose (1864-1916) opened the Talking Machine Hall in Kolkata, a shop where one could get one’s voice recorded. Bose was a sound recording expert and also had an agency to sell Edison and Pathe brand phonograph machines. Many great writers, poets and political leaders would visit him and he would record their recitations and speeches.

A 1906 catalogue lists several cylinder recordings of Rabindranath Tagore. Unlike disc records, cylinders could not be reproduced for sale. Most of these cylinders have been lost. Some museums have broken or damaged copies of cylinders as artefacts but no audible sound can be extracted from them.

Recording experts from Beka, a German company, were in Kolkata in November 1907. The British government went about destroying all nationalistic material, whereas the German company was the first to record a political speech right under the nose of the British.

The National Grand Record label had a saffron disc with a rising sun as the logo. On it was recorded a speech by Babu Surendranath Banerjee, on the partition of Bengal. The flipside of this unusual 78-rpm disc has a speech on Bande Mataram.

DiskKOLKATA01sept2014

The man responsible for producing this disc was Sir Abdul Halim Guznavi, a political leader and agent for the Beka record company in Kolkata. Only few copies have survived. We have the image of the label only but no access to the audio file of this historically important recording.

We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in.
source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> All News / by Suresh Chandvankar / August 15th, 2014