Vandemataram by Omkar Nath Thakur as the Inaugural song in All Bengal Music Conference

Told by Sri Jayanta Nath Ghosh
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 5th June, 2017
Place Ghosh Bari, Sri Jayanta Nath Ghosh’s Residence at Pathuriaghata
About the speaker Music Patroniser and Music Connoisseur
Tags 1934,  December,  All Bengal Music Conference,  Allauddin Khan,  Maihar Band,  Timir Baran,  Faiyaz Khan,  Omkar Nath Thakur,   Vandemataram,  Bijon Bala Ghosh Dastidar,  Vinayakrao Patwardhan,   Dhrupad,  Nasiruddin Khan Dagar,  Abdul Karim Khan,  1937,  1936,   Alladiya Khan,  Bhupendra Nath Ghosh,  Mogubai Kurdikar,  Kishori Amonkar.
Language Bengali

Sri Jayanta Nath Ghosh  Speaks :

Verbatim:

???? ????? ?? ???????? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????????? ????? ???????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ????? ????????? ?? ?????? ?????????? ????? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ??, ??? ????????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ?????? ?????????? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ?? ??. ?? ???? ?????????? ??????? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ??. ??-?? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???????? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??. ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??. ?? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ???????? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??, ?????? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ???????? ??? ???????? ????? ??????? ??????? ???? ????? ??????, ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????????? ??????? ??????? …???????? ???? ??????? ???????, ?? ??????? ??????? ???????? ?? ?????? ??? ????????? ??? ?? ???, ??? ?? ?? ?? ????????? ???? ???????, ??? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ???????????? ???? ??? ???, ??? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ???

?? ????? ???????? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???, ??????????? ??? ????? ???????? ????? ??’?? ????? ???? ??? ?????  ?? ?? ????(????) ???? ??? ??? ??? ????????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ????????? ????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???????? ?????????…???? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ???? ????? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ??????

?? ??? ??? ???????, ??????????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ?????, ?????? ??????, ???????? ???? ???????’?-?? ????? ?????? ????????? ??? ?????????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??????????? ??? ???????, ??? ???????? ?????? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ??????, ???? ?? ???? ????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ?????????

                     Ustad Alladiya Khan

????????? ??? ????? ????????? ????????? ??? ????? ?????? ????????? ???? ?? ??????? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???’? ????????? ????????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ????????? ????? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ????????? ???, ????? ??- ‘???? ?? ????? ????? ???? (?????) ?????? ????? ?????, ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???’? ?? ????????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ??????-?? ????, ?????? ???????? ??’?? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??? ???

?????? ???????? ??? ???? ?????????

???? ????? ???

????????? ??? ??????? ????? ???????? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ?????, ??????????? ??? ?????, ????? ???? ????? ???? ????????? ????????? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ??, ??????? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ???

Verbatim by: Dr. Suranjita Paul

 

 Translation:

On 9th December 1934 All Bengal Music Conference started. Ustad Alauddin Khan came with his Maihar Band. There was also Pandit Timirbaran and Faiaz Khan perhaps. I couldn’t remember whether Pandit Omkarnath Thakur came that year or not but the inaugural song was Vandemataram. In later years whenever the conference started the inaugural song was sung by Pandit Omkarnath Thakur. The full song was sung by him and there was a CD of his voice singing the full song.  Now the part of it is regarded as the National Song. Later when he could not come or sing his disciple Bijanbala Ghosh Dastidar would sing the song. She had a sweet voice and she sang kheyal.

Afterwards Pandit Binayak Rao Patbardhan sang the inaugural song. Binayak Rao stayed in this house many times. Anyway, it was a tradition to sing Vandemataram as inaugural song in the conference and someone had to sing it. I couldn’t remember all their names. But it was a tradition to start the programme with Vandemataram.

The programme always started with Dhrupad. There were many great Dhrupad singers then. Ustad Nasiruddin Khan sang once, I remember. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan came just before the year he passed away. He departed this life in 1937, so it must be in 1936 that he came. He was invited the next year but unfortunately, he passed away. This was his sole visit to Calcutta.

                Moghubai Kurdikar

Nasiruddin Khan was the father of great Dagar brothers Ustad Mainuddin Khan and Ustad Aminuddin Khan. He was himself a great Dhrupad singer.  But he also performed just once because he passed away after that. Alladia Khan Saheb came here to perform once. He was very old then. It was common gossip that he was almost a centenarian then. The organizers who invited him was in constant fear whether they could send him back to his place safe and sound. I heard it from Bhupendra krishna. I didn’t know how he performed at his age. But he was a great musician. He was the Guru of Moghubai and Kishori Amonkar’s mother’s. Moghubai sang here but not Kishori Amonkar. I don’t remember the year when Moghubai performed. Alladia Khan Saheb, Nasiruddin Khan Saheb and Abdul Karim Khan Saheb all visited and sang only once in the music conference.

Translation by: Arundhati Banerjee

Picture Courtesy: Google

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiO1uTro8vbAhVZfX0KHY5pDd0Qjxx6BAgBEAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Farmelection.info%2Fbef%2Fkurdikar.htm&psig=AOvVaw08Ba-bHja9NEPnw29ofwwN&ust=1528795135550859

http://www.parrikar.org/hindustani/bilawal/

 Edited & Designed: Dr.Suranjita Paul

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.