Masterworks From The NCPA Archives

Gangubai HANGAL, vocals. Ustad Sultan Khan, sarangi. Shesh Giri Hangal, tabla. Live Recording April 1974. Digitally mastered from the original source tapes.Gangubai Hangal was born in 1913 to a family who already had music in their genes. She began her musical career aged 13, and along the way faced many disadvantages in this conservative, male dominated environment. However, her determination to succeed allowed her to overcome all barriers to go on and become one of India's foremost singers. As a school girl she sang the welcome song at the Congress session, which was presided over by Mahatma Gandhi in BelgiumRaga Adana. Here she sings a raga that is not usually performed by artists from the Kirana Lineage. Her husky and powerful voice projects with full force and she touches a chord in the heart of the listener.Raga Yaman. She sings this raga with a deep sense of involvement and devotional fervor. Her exposition has tremendous emotive power with her alaps being as moving as they are soothing and her taans exploding like thunder.Raga Ahir Bhairav. A very popular morning raga but again rarely sung by artists from the Kirana lineage, you sense a feeling of tranquillity in her presentation which is captivating.