My Name is Gauhar Jaan! -
The Life and Times of a Musician
Events
Launch at Delhi - 8th April 2010
#6, Maulana Azad Road—the official residence of the Vice President
of India with its sprawling lawns and amazing architecture formed the
perfect backdrop for the launch of a book on the life of a legendary
musician who regaled audiences in similar aristocratic settings in her
heyday.
Vikram Sampath’s second book ‘My name is Gauhar Jaan!—The
Life and Times of a Musician’ was launched in
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice President commended the
research work of the author and said - “Reading the book has
opened a whole new world for me…Unquestionably Gauhar Jaan was a
remarkable woman personality...what comes out of the book is the
image of a very strong and vibrant personality…I commend Vikram
for this fabulous job. I admire his skills as a researcher and
his passion for the subject”. Shri Sathe recalled the nostalgic memories of the gramophone
era when Gauhar reigned the world of Indian music as an Empress
and pitied the sad manner in which women in the performing space
were relegated to the bin of history during the anti-nautch
campaign.
Introducing the book to the august gathering, author
Vikram Sampath narrated the incidents surrounding Gauhar Jaan’s
life including the fact that a 100 years before, in a similar
Delhi Durbar, one presided by the King of England Emperor George
V, Gauhar had had the rare distinction of performing for him.
The event was attended by several luminaries of the city like
danseuses Dr Sonal Man Singh and Smt. Pratibha Prahlad; musician
Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar, Dr Kiran Seth and members of SPIC MACAY,
Mr. Pran Nevile, Dr. Herbert Traxl, Smt Uma Vasudev and others.
The evening ended with a lively discussion on the lawns of the Vice President House where the attendees recollected the anecdotes surrounding the life of this feisty musician.
