Rasoolan hussain (1902 – 15 December 1974) was a leading

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...

vocal musician. Belonging to the

Benaras gharana Benares gharānā (Hindi: बनारस घराना) is one of the six most common styles of playing of the Indian tabla. History The Benares tabla gharana was developed a little over 200 years ago by Pandit Ram Sahai (1780–1826). At ...

, she specialized in the romantic Purab Ang of the Thumri musical genre and tappa.

Early life and training

Rasoolan Hussain was born in 1902 at

Kachhwa Kachhwa is a town and a nagar panchayat in Mirzapur district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Geography Kachhwa is located at . It has an average elevation of 84 metres (275 feet). It is around 30 km. away from Varanasi Can ...

Baazar,

Mirzapur Mirzapur () is a city in Uttar Pradesh, India, 827 km from Delhi and 733 km from Kolkata, almost 91 km from Prayagraj (formally known as Allahabad) and 61 km from Varanasi. It is known for its carpets and brassware industries, and the folk ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

, in a poor family, though she inherited the musical legacy of her mother Adalat, and displayed her grasp over classical Ragas at an early age. Recognising this at the age of five, she was sent to learn music from Ustad Shammu Khan, and later from '' sarangiyas'' (sarangi players) Ashiq Khan and Ustad Najju Khan.

Career

Rasoolanbai became an expert in '' Tappa'' singing as well as Purab Ang, Thumri, besides

dadra Dadra is associated with the Hindustani classical music of the Indian subcontinent. Dadra tala This is a Hindustani classical '' tala'' (rhythmic cycle), consisting of six beats in two equal divisions of three. The most commonly accepted theka ...

, poorbi geet, hori,

kajri Kajari is a folk song and dance genre of India. It is a Hindustani classical music genre, performed during the rainy season usually late June to September when lush greenery reappears and agricultural labor begins again. It is often used to de ...

and chaiti. Her first performance was held in Dhananjaygarh court, after its success she started getting invitations from local Rajas of the time, thus she went on to dominated the Hindustani classical music genre for next five decades, based in

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

and became the doyenne of

. In 1948, she stopped performing

mujra Mujra is a dance performance by women in a format that emerged during Mughal rule in India, where the elite class and local rulers like the nawabs of the Indian society (often connected to the Mughal emperor's court) used to frequent courtesans ...

and moved out of her ''kotha'', started living in a bylane of Varanasi (Banaras) and married a local

Banarasi sari A Banarasi sari is a sari made in Varanasi, an ancient city which is also called Benares (Banaras). The saris are among the finest saris in India and are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The sa ...

dealer. A contemporary of

Siddheswari Devi Siddheswari Devi (1908 – 18 March 1977) was a legendary Hindustani singer from Varanasi, India, known as ''Maa'' (mother). Born in 1908, she lost her parents early and was brought up by her aunt, the noted singer Rajeshwari Devi. Initiation ...

(1908–1976) also from the same gharana, besides, concerts and

mehfil Mehfil (also spelled ''mahfil'') is a formal venue where indoor recreational activities such as poetry (mushaira), singing, music, and dance are entertained in parts of the Indian subcontinent. It is part of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb culture. Histo ...

s, she often sang on

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

and

Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...

stations of

All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All a ...

and Doordarshan till 1972, and her last public singing was held in Kashmir. She was awarded the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...

in Hindustani music Vocal in 1957 by

Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. History It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...

, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Theatre. Despite an illustrious musical career, she died in penury, running a small tea shop next to the radio station where she had often broadcast from. She has also taught noted classical singer Nainna Devi. Her house was burnt during 1969 communal riots in the city. She died on 15 December 1974, at the age of 72. Rasoolan Bai and the tawaif or courtesan tradition of women musicians was featured in the film '' The Other Song'' (2009) by

Saba Dewan Saba Dewan is an Indian documentary film maker based in New Delhi. Her films are based on sexuality, gender, identity, communalism and culture. Her notable works include ''Dharmayuddha'' (Holy War, 1989), ''Nasoor'' (Festering Wound, 1991), ''K ...

, also featuring her more famous song, ''Lagat karejwa ma chot, phool gendwa na maar'', a 1935 Gramophone recording

Awards

* 1957:

: Vocal Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - Music:Vocal

Official listings.

References

External links

Rasoolan Bai Biography and Music
at Last.fm {{DEFAULTSORT:Bai, Rasoolan 1902 births 1974 deaths People from Mirzapur district Hindustani singers Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Thumri Indian women classical singers Musicians from Varanasi 20th-century Indian singers Women Hindustani musicians Singers from Uttar Pradesh 20th-century Indian women singers Women musicians from Uttar Pradesh