Page 59 - English Tehelka Issue 7 - April 15, 2018

Book review

remembering the
clue that he played cricket break this rule,” Nevile said.
for India. But when Shikhar And even here he follows a certain
Dhawan touched his feet, subcontinent’s legends rule — he writes long hand. No comput-
with disarming innocence ers for him. Just sheets of paper and the
and simplicity, Pyarelal good old pencil, which he uses in that
extended to him a warm of Classical music un-stoppable way to jot down his expe-
invitation to lunch. riences and interactions and meetings
Their fans are found with the who’s who of the world of clas-
around the world — from While writing about the professional and personal lives of the sical music and arts and literature.
Birmingham, UK to singers were deeply affected by the Partition, the author stays Though this volume is laced with de-
Houston, Texas and all the away from the politics of the era, Humra QuraisHi writes tails of the entire range of classical sing-
way down under. Their ers, renderers, performers of the years
recordings for Coke Studio gone by, one name stood out — Lahore’s
got millions of hits. Their ne of the oldest surviving passionate players is indeed long! Tamancha Jaan. And as I read his essay
episode on the popular Ka- writers in this part of the And whilst reading the long and on her, whom he describes as “a star
pil Sharma Show attracted subcontinent, 95-year- short details to each one of these men of the 1940s”, what also caught my at-
over three million viewers. old diplomat turned and women, what comes across as tention were her two accompanying
They have inspired a whole author Pran Nevile, is somewhat surprising is the fact that photographs. One of her prime and the
generation of listeners and O not halting the flow of Pran Nevile does not dwell on any of other of the ageing years. Pran Nevile
singers. Sonny of the USA- words. One book after another — La- the political build ups of that bygone had last met this singer in around the
based Riyaaz Qawali group hore: A Sentimental Journey, Love Stories era; not to be overlooked is the vital fact year 2000 in Lahore and to quote him
admits to “the debt that they From the Raj, Nautch Girls of India, Rare that when those classical strains were from his essay, “Meeting Tamancha Jaan
owe to the Wadali brothers”. Glimpses of the Raj, Raj Revisited, KL Sai- coming through, the country was going after nearly 52 years was a moving and
The distinctiveness of gal: Immortal Singer and Superstar, Mar- through politically turbulent times. One a memorable experience during my
their music, that brings to vels of Indian Painting, Behind The Veil: of those turning points in the recent his- visit to Lahore. Who is Tamancha Jaan?
their ever-growing audi- Indian Women In The Raj, Sahib’s India: tory of the country — the very Partition- A singer nonpareil, now forgotten, she
ence the ‘baani’ of Sufi saints like Amir Puranchand’s son Lakhwinder and Shri in 2005, went only to Puranchand. Vignettes From the Raj, Stories From The ing phase. was the reigning queen of song during
Khusro, Bulle Shah, Ghulam Farid, Pyarelal’s son Satpal. He put up a big fight before the govern- Raj: Sahibs, Memsahibs and Others, Care- “No, I didn’t want any politics to come the 40s in Hira Mandi, the entertain-
Shah Hussain, Sultan Bahu, Kabir and Pyarelal has had more than one ment claiming that it should be given to free Days: Many Roles, Many Lives. in the writings. After all, I was concen- ment quarter of Lahore…”
Guru Nanak, is in the classical base near-death experiences. Twice he had the two brothers as one unit. Eventu- And now, this spring, comes the lat- trating and focusing on the classical
of their music, and the strong Bhakti severe cerebral fever attacks. While ally, the government had its way on the est from Pran Nevile — Passionate Play- singers of this subcontinent. Till date I • • •
emotion. Believing that their music through the power of western medi- argument that he deserved it before ers (BookWise), which as the title relays have avoided writing or focusing on any What makes this volume different is
makes you one with God, the two have cine, he recovered the first time, his his disciple, Pyarelal, but it certainly are essays on legends of the world of type of politics or politicians. Even when the fact that besides details of the sing-
been critical of those who claim to sing brother is convinced that the second testifies to the deep love between the classical music — K L Saigal, Pankaj Mul- I’m invited to literature festivals in Paki- ers’ professional lives, there’s much
Sufiana Kalam but present their albums time round it was a case of ‘deus ex two brothers and how Puranchand did lick, Master Madan, Kanan Devi, Khur- stan I never comment on politics. I tell focus on their personal aspects. And in
with a bevy of dancers surrounding machina’ as a Sufi saint healed him, everything to protect and ensure that shid, Tamancha Jaan, Suraiya, Noor the audience that I’ll not entertain que- the essay on Master Madan, the child
them.”How can that be Sufiana?’’ al- leading the brothers to dedicate them- his beloved Pyarelal got a good and fair Jahan, Jahanara Kajjan — the list of the ries related to diplomatic or political re- prodigy, who died before he turned 15
ways questioned a perplexed Pyarelal. selves with greater fervour to a divine deal. That is why today we cannot imag- lations between the two yet left such a mark that till date he’s
Over the years, what was remark- calling of their music. ine what the senior Wadali is going countries…it’s the same considered a genius, Nevile focuses not
able is how they learnt to adapt their Their popularity brought them through as he says the final farewell to set of rules I follow here. just on his outstanding talent but also on
music to the expectations from their jointly the coveted Sangeet Natak his ‘jodidaar’ Pyare! I can write volumes on his death. He was poisoned to death by
audience. “There is an advantage of Akademi award in 1991. But the Padma I cannot believe that the duo whose any given topic related his rivals, who mixed mercury in milk
singing Sufiana Kalam. Though it has a rendition of the Heer, the farewell song to music and arts and and poison in his paan. And of course,
structure and composition like classical for the bride, in the melody of the ‘sada culture but not on poli- little -heard -of details to Suraiya, Geeta
music, it is so vast that one can branch The duo excelled in suhagan’ raag Bharavi, which never tics. I’m never going to Dutt, Kanan Devi, Jahanara Kajjan, Noor
off in any direction — singing fast beats failed to move me to inconsolable Jehan, Khurshid, Pankaj Mul-
for the younger crowd or slow rhyth- almost all genres, sobs, will never be hard again. I cannot lick, KL Saigal, Rani Jindan,
mic ones for a more sober audience,’’ from Sufi qalaam, forget how each time that they caught Passionate Muddupalani, Begum Sum-
maintained Pyarelal. me crying uncontrollably they would Players — a roo, Lal Kunwar. This volume
The brothers did not run a formal qawwali and always apologize for the ‘zulm’— torture selection of is for those who are passionate
academy but taught many youngsters kaafi, to bhajans, they thought they were doing to me. It Writings enough to know more details
who proved to them that they are was certainly their doing. They had that by Pran nevile of the lives of the passionate
serious about their pursuit of music shabads and power. Rest in peace, Pyarelal ji! Today, bookWise (india) players of yesteryears.
and that they recognised its spiritual ghazals the Heer sings for you. 190 pp; 475
powers. Amongst their students are letters@tehelka.com letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 15 april 2018 58 www.Tehelka.com

56-58 Column-Arshiya Sethi.indd 4 30/03/18 3:31 PM 59 Book Review Humra.indd 3 30/03/18 3:32 PM