Hirabai Barodekar... Rag Patdeep

Hirabai Barodekar was born into an exceptionally legendary family of Hindustani singers, who were the trendsetters of the Kirana gharana. She was the daughter of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and the niece of Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan. It is very well understood that she took to singing from a very early age. Her mother, though wanted her to pursue her studies seriously, but, Hirabai was much more attracted in music and arts. She trained under both the stalwarts, and also under his famed brother Sureshbabu Mane. During her early years, she was more attracted to on-stage performances and had been a fine stage actress. Yet, classical music was beckoning her to establish her position securely. Though of an extremely shy disposition, she was cajoled by the formidable Kesarbai Kerkar to sing for the public. And, since then, her contribution has been breathtaking to every form of classical music she had laid her hands upon. She was a true follower of the Kirana style of rendition, and had contributed substantially to the Marathi musical genre. Apart from Ustad Abdul Karim Khan`s own talented contributions to the musical society, he had given three highly gifted children, Sureshbabu Mane, Hirabai Barodekar and Saraswati Rane, all of whom were greatly responsible for the dissemination of the Kirana style in several parts of the country. Of the three children, it was Hirabai who achieved a great deal of fame during her lifetime. She was born in Miraj in 1905 to Abdul Karim Khan`s second wife, Tarabai Mane. The listeners, who flocked to listen to her marvellous voice, honoured her with the title `Kirana ki Koyaliya` (The Nightingale of Kirana). The young Hirabai, or Champakali as she was called, who had inherited her father`s genes, was keen on becoming a singer, to which her mother was of a different opinion - she wanted her to continue with her studies. Hirabai would often neglect her studies and repeat the lessons, which Abdul Karim Khan was teaching her brother, Sureshbabu Mane. At the subliminal level, she was absorbing a great deal from her father though she never trained under him. Though brought up in Islamic traditions, all the children were brought back to the Hindu fold following their mother`s return to the royal house of her parents in Baroda where they grew up. Later, Hirabai was to learn under her illustrious paternal uncle, Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan and adopt his elaborate method of raaga development. She also learnt under her brother, the prodigiously gifted, though ill-fated, Sureshbabu Mane for a long time. It was he who groomed her in the features of Kirana gayaki. Besides being a classical singer, Hirabai was also a fine stage actress. Her elegant features and her fine singing voice were her greatest assets. She was the first woman to appear on the professional Marathi stage. To Hirabai goes the credit for having introduced classical music in the place of light music into Marathi natya sangeet. She both sang and also acted in different ro