Hirabai Badodekar

Infobox musical artist
Name = Hirabai Badodekar


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Birth_name = Champakali
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Born = 1905
Died = November 20, 1989
Origin = Baroda, India
Gharana = Kirana Gharana
|Genre = Khyal, Thumris, Ghazals, and Bhajans
Occupation = Vocal Hindustani Classical Music
Years_active = 1920 - 1989
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Hirābai Badodekar (1905 - November 20,1989) was a renowned Hindustāni classical music singer in India.

Early life and training

Hirabai was born as Champākali to Kirānā Gharānā master Ustād Abdul Karim Khān and Tārābāi Māne. Tarabai was the daughter of Sardār Māruti Rāo Māne, a brother of princely Barodā state's "Rajmātā" during the middle of the 19th century. Abdul Karim Khan was the court musician in Baroda when Tarabai was young, and he taught her music. The two fell in love and decided to get married; but Tarabai's parents disapproved of the alliance, and the couple had to leave the state (along with Abdul Karim's brother, Ustād Abdul Haq Khān). The couple moved to Bombay (Mumbai), and had two sons: Suresh or Abdul Rehmān, and Krishnā; and three daughters: Champākali, Gulāb, and Sakinā or Chhotutāi. In their adult lives, the five respectively became known as Sureshbābu Māne, Krishnarāo Māne, Hirābāi Badodekar, Kamalābāi Badodekar, and Sarswatibāi Rāne.

Hirabai had her initial training from her brother Sureshbabu Mane and later training from the doyen of Kirana Gharana, Ustād Abdul Wahid Khān, who was a cousin of her father, Abdul Karim Khan. (In 1922, Hirabai's parents had parted company; thus Hirabai received only limited musical lessons from her father.)

Career

Hirabai had a superb voice. She was an expert in Khyāl, Thumri, Marāthi Nātya Sangeet, and Bhajan. She is credited with having popularized Hindustāni Classical Music among the masses.

Hirabai acted in several movies, including "Suvarna Mandir", "Pratibhā", "Janābāi", and "Municipality". She also started a music school, "Nutan Sangeet Vidyālaya", to teach music to girls. The school staged several plays.

Hirabai became a recording artist very early in her career. (Her 78 rpm recordings have been re-released on cassettes by RPG in their Classical Gold series.)

Honors

Hirabai received several awards, including the Sangeet Nātak Akādemi Award (1955) and the Padma Bhushan Award (1970). She was chosen to sing the national anthem,Vande Mātaram, from the Red Fort in India's capital Delhi on the day India received its independence from the British Raj (August 15, 1947). She visited China and the East African countries as a part of an Indian Delegation in 1953.

Students

The following are a few among Hirabai's many students: Prabhā Atre, Saraswatibāi Rāne, Mālati Pānde, Jānaki Iyer, Shailā Pandit, and Suvarna Chandrashekharan.