Gangubai Hangal

Gangubai Hangal

Hangal with young daughter Krishna in the 1930s
Background information
Born (1913-03-05)5 March 1913[1][2]
Hangal, Karnataka, India[3]
Origin Dharwad, Karnataka, India[1][2]
Died 21 July 2009(2009-07-21) (aged 96)
Hubli, Karnataka, India[2]
Genres Hindustani classical music
Occupation(s) singer
Years active 1931–2006[4]

Gangubai Hangal (Kannada: ಗಂಗೂಬಾಯಿ ಹಾನಗಲ್) (5 March 1913 – 21 July 2009) was an Indian singer of the khyal genre of Hindustani classical music, who was known for her deep and powerful voice.[5] Hangal belonged to the Kirana gharana.[6]

Early life

Gangubai Hangal was born in Dharwad to Chikkurao Nadiger, an agriculturist[1] and Ambabai, a vocalist of Carnatic music.[7] Hangal received only elementary education[4] and her family shifted to Hubli in 1928 so that Gangubai could study Hindustani music.[1][8][9] She began to train formally aged 13 with Krishnacharya Hulgur, a kinnari (stringed instrument like a veena)player, studying Hindustani classical music.[10] From Hulgur, Gangubai learned sixty compositions in one year before he stopped teaching her after an argument about his fees. She also learned from Dattopant Desai before studying under Sawai Gandharva, a respected guru.[2][11] Hangal could only study sporadically under Gandharva when he returned to his home, but she received an intensive training of three years after he relocated permanently to Hubli.[10]

Musical career
Raga Durga
1935 performance of Raga Durga, recorded on a 78 rpm gramophone record before Hangal started learning from Sawai Gandharva, several years before a throat operation radically altered her voice
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Hangal's mother's family was considered to be of low social status and for women of her generation singing was not considered appropriate employment; Hangal struggled against this prejudice and made a career.[2] She performed all over India and for All India Radio stations until 1945.[10] Hangal had initially performed light classical genres, including bhajan and thumri, but concentrated on khyal.[10] Later, however, she refused to sing light classical, saying she sang only ragas.[12] Hangal served as honorary music professor of the Karnatak University.[4] She gave her last concert in March 2006 to mark her 75th career year.[4] She had overcome bone marrow cancer in 2003, and died of cardiac arrest at the age of 96, on 21 July 2009, in Hubli, where she resided.[4] She had her eyes donated to increase awareness for organ donation.[4]

Personal life

Hangal married at age 16 to Gururao Kaulgi, a Brahmin lawyer.[13] They had two sons, Narayan Rao and Babu Rao,[14] and one daughter, Krishna, who died from cancer in 2004, aged 75.[15]

Awards and honors

Gangubai Hangal received a number of awards, which include:

The Karnataka state government declared two days of mourning for Hangal.[20] A state funeral was announced for 22 July in Hubli by the district commissioner of the Dharwad district.[4]

In 2008, The State Government of Karnataka decided to name the proposed Karnataka State Music University after Gangubhai Hangal. Subsequently Karnataka State Dr Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University Act, 2009 has been passed by the State Legislature. Presently the Karnataka State Gangubhai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University operates from Mysore, Karnataka.[21]

Gangothri - the birth place of Gangubai Hangal - has been converted into a museum by the Government of Karnataka.

Dr Gangubai Hangal Gurukul in Hubli trains artists in traditional Guru-Shishya parampara to become performing artists.

Further reading

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pawar, Yogesh (April 21, 1999). "Classic revisited". Indian Express.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Veteran Indian singer Gangubai Hangal dies". Associated Press (Google News). 2009-07-21. Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  3. ↑ ABC of English. Government of Karnataka. p. 57.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Gangubai’s concert of life ends". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  5. ↑ "Veteran Indian singer Gangubai Hangal dies". Associated Press (Google News). 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  6. ↑ Viswanathan, Lakshmi (2005-03-27). "Grand legend". The Hindu. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
  7. ↑ Ganesh, Deepa (February 25 – March 10, 2006). "A life in three octaves". Chennai, India: Frontline.
  8. ↑ Hangal, Gangubai (2002). EnKay, ed. Nanna Badukina Haadu (in Kannada). Hubli: Sahitya Prakashana.
  9. ↑ Hangal, Gangubai (2003). EnKay, ed. Song of my Life. Hubli: Sahitya Prakashana.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Wade, Bonnie C. (2001). "Hangal, Gangubai". In Sadie, Stanley. The New Grove dictionary of music and musicians 17 (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. p. 820. ISBN 0-333-60800-3.
  11. ↑ Ramnarayan, Gowri (November 29, 1998). "Where north meets south". The Hindu. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  12. ↑ जैक्सन के चिकित्सक पर गैरइरादतन हत्या का आ&#2
  13. ↑ "Gangubai's journey to become doyen of Hindustani music". Press Trust of India. 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  14. ↑ "Hindustani music exponent Gangubai Hangal passes away". The Times of India. July 21, 2009. Archived from the original on July 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  15. ↑ "Krishna Hangal dead". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2004-09-03. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  16. ↑ Pawar, Yogesh (April 21, 1999). "Classic revisited". Indian Express.
  17. 1 2 "Padma Awards". Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (India). Retrieved 2009-05-16.
  18. ↑ "SNA: List of Akademi Awardees — Music — Vocal". Sangeet Natak Akademi. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  19. ↑ "SNA: List of Akademi Fellows". Sangeet Natak Akademi. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  20. ↑ "Two-day state mourning as mark of respect to Gangubai". Press Trust of India. 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  21. ↑ "Three years after formation, music varsity hits the right note". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2011-05-08.

External links

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