By Saumya Tiwari
Note: Picture used in the images below are not of Gauhar Jaan, and the picture used of this particular actress is only representational.
Today, all of us have a favourite singer whom we admire and adore, but at the same time most of us know nothing about the exceptional singers from the past who have left their permanent imprint on the music industry.
Gauhar Jaan was one such personality. With the inception of the music industry, she became the first recorded artiste of India.
Here is her story which music history textbooks often miss:
Gauhar Jaan died on 17th January, 1930, when she was merely 56.
Not only was Gauhar Jaan an exceptional singer, but also an icon who opened the doors for tawaifs to gain visibility in the society. Even though singing was not a respectable tradition, she made it possible for other tawaifs to opt for something other than selling their bodies to earn bread.
The fact that she was a much sought-after artiste is a milestone in itself.
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