Roshan Ara Begum () (1917 – 6 December 1982) was a vocalist belonging to the Kirana gharana (singing style) of

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the Indian classical music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent's northern regions. It may also be called North Indian classical music or ''Uttar Bhartiya shastriya sangeet''. The term ''shastriya sangeet'' ...

. She is also known by her honorific title ''Malika-e-Mauseeqi'' (The Queen of Music) and ''The Queen of Classical Music'' in both Pakistan and India.

Early life and training

Born in the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n city of

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

in undivided India. She was the daughter of Abdul Haq Khan and Chanda Begum, and the cousin of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, also of the Kirana gharana. Possessing a rich, mature, and mellifluous voice that could easily lend itself to a wide range of intricate classical music pieces, her singing features a full-throated voice, short and delicate passages of '' sur'', lyricism, romantic appeal, and swift '' taans''. All these flourishes were combined in her unique style, which reached its peak from 1945 to 1982. Her vigorous style of singing was interspersed with bold strokes and ''layakari''. She had control over a wide range of ragas. Melody was considered the most important feature of her singing. Born in

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

in 1917, Roshan Ara Begum visited

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

during her teens to participate in musical soirées held at the residences of affluent citizens of Chun Peer in Mohalla Peer Gillaanian at Mochi Gate,

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

(now in

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

). During her occasional visits to the city, she also broadcast songs from the then

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

station in

, and her professional name was announced as ''Bombaywali'' Roshan Ara Begum. She had acquired this popular nomenclature because she shifted to

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

, then known as Bombay, in the late 1930s, to live near her cousin Abdul Karim Khan, from whom she took lessons in

for 15 years. Roshan Ara Begum was also invited to the Royal Courts by the Nawabs and Princes; at their courts, she would sing songs. In the 1930s, Roshan Ara was selected due to her singing, as at that time, heroines were also required to be trained in singing. She worked in four films in Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi as the leading lady. A senior police officer in Bombay and a music lover, Chaudhry Ahmed Khan, approached her with an offer of marriage in 1944. Roshan Ara Begum consulted her tutor, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, about it. She finally accepted the marriage offer on the condition that she would not have to give up her music after marriage. Her husband kept his promise, and she continued to sing throughout her life. In

, she lived in a sprawling bungalow with her husband, Chaudhry Ahmed Khan.

Career

Melody was considered the most important feature of her singing. Migrating to

in 1948 after the

partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

, Roshan Ara Begum and her husband settled in Lalamusa, a small town in

Punjab, Pakistan Punjab (, ) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. With a population of over 127 million, it is the Demographics of Pakistan, most populous province in Pakistan and the List of first-level administrative divisions by popu ...

, from which her husband hailed. Although far away from

, the cultural centre of Pakistan, she would travel back and forth to participate in music, radio, and television programmes. A widely respected classical music patron of Pakistan, Hayat Ahmad Khan approached her and convinced her to become one of the founding members of All Pakistan Music Conference in 1959. To promote classical music, this organization continues to hold annual music festivals in different cities of the Pakistan even today. She was called "Malika-e-Mauseeqi" (Queen of Music) in Pakistan. She would wake up early in the morning and start her 'riyaz' (musical practice) after her morning religious prayers. She decided to adopt a boy and a girl since she herself remained childless. Roshan Ara Begum also sang some film songs, mostly under music composers like Anil Biswas, Feroz Nizami, and ''Tassaduq Hussain'', for films such as ''Pehali Nazar (1945)'', '' Jugnu'' (1947), '' Kismet'' (1956), '' Roopmati Baaz Bahadur'' (1960), and '' Neela Parbat'' (1969). Classical musicians Bade Fateh Ali Khan, Amanat Ali Khan of Patiala gharana, and Ustad Salamat Ali Khan of Sham Chaurasia gharana used to listen to her recordings for their own enjoyment.

Personal life

Roshan Ara Begum was the cousin of Abdul Karim Khan. Later she married Chaudhry Ahmed Khan and settled with him in Lalamusa, Punjab,Pakistan where she adopted two children.

Illness and death

She died due to cardiac arrest in

on 6 December 1982 at the age of 65.

Awards and recognition

Roshan Ara Begum received the Sitara-e-Imtiaz Award, or (Star of Excellence) Award, in 1962 and the

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance (), officially known as the Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sp ...

Award in 1960 from the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

. She was the first female vocalist to be awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz.

Bibliography

* ''Kirana'', by Roshan Ara Begum. Published by Gramophone Co. of India,

References

External links

*
Roshan Ara Begum on sarangi.info website

Roshan Ara Begum on Naeem Bukhari Show on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Begum, Roshan Ara 1917 births Hindi-language singers Indian women ghazal singers Women ghazal singers Radio personalities from Lahore Punjabi-language singers Urdu-language singers 1982 deaths Urdu playback singers Muhajir people Pakistani classical singers Singers from Kolkata Pakistani radio personalities Bollywood playback singers 20th-century Indian actresses Pakistani ghazal singers Kirana gharana Pakistani playback singers 20th-century Indian women classical singers Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Recipients of the Pride of Performance Women Hindustani musicians Actresses in Urdu cinema Women musicians from West Bengal Indian film actresses 20th-century Indian women singers 20th-century Indian singers Actresses in Punjabi cinema Pakistani qawwali singers 20th-century Pakistani women singers 20th-century Pakistani singers 20th-century Khyal singers Pakistani film actresses Pakistani tawaifs Singers from Lahore Actresses in Hindi cinema People from Punjab Province (British India) All India Radio people Indian courtesans Pakistani television people Indian emigrants to Pakistan