scorecardresearch
Add as a preferred source on Google
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
TopicGramophone

Topic: Gramophone

India’s ‘shy’ classical musicians made way for theatre’s entry into gramophone record books

Vikram Sampath -
The vast corpus of theatre recordings on gramophone from various languages provide a valuable glimpse into India’s social and cultural history.

From Mahatma Gandhi to Nehru, everyone was an MS Subbulakshmi fan

Vikram Sampath -
Inspired by the gramophone, Subbulakshmi would often sing into a rolled piece of paper, imagining it to be the recording horn.

Ariyakkudi, maestro who woke up snoring crowds at concerts & made modern-day Carnatic music

Vikram Sampath -
Ariyakkudi Ramanuja put together styles of various musicians across centuries to create the ‘golden mean’ for Carnatic music.

Sundarabai, the versatile singer-actor who helped women musicians herself died unsung & poor

Vikram Sampath -
Sundarabai was witness to many changes in the world of music and entertainment, and helped several performers adapt to modern technology.

Janki Bai, singer disfigured by 56 stab wounds sold more records than her contemporaries

Vikram Sampath -
Janki Bai not only trained in music and dance, but also learnt English, Sanskrit and Persian, and wrote a collection of Urdu poetry.

Bangalore Nagarathnamma, the singer who took to Sanskrit and feminism in 19th Century India

Vikram Sampath -
European record companies participated with artists like Nagarathnamma, a devadasi, at a time Indian society hounded them in name of morality.

Hindustani vocalist Abdul Karim Khan’s music has special relevance in these communal times

Vikram Sampath -
Listening to Abdul Karim Khan at the age of 11, Bhimsen Joshi is said to have made up his mind that this was how real music ought to be.

Salem Godavari, Carnatic vocalist who fought superstitions to record erotic compositions

Vikram Sampath -
Salem Godavari is a forgotten footnote and sadly evokes no memory in Carnatic musicians or connoisseurs.

Gauhar Jaan, India’s first record artist, took Rs 3,000 a session & threw parties for her cat

Vikram Sampath -
Gramophone’s search for ‘native’ voices in 1900s brought it to India’s Gauhar Jaan, who would go on to have 600 records to her name.

On Camera

YourTurn

Opinion

Bads of Bollywood can’t get more brazenly nepo. The joke’s on us

Shobhaa De -
After watching the most discussed series on Netflix, I was planning to write an asterisk-heavy column. As a tribute to the asterisks in its...

Should Goa share Mhadei waters? A living river can’t be divided like property

Before Balakot, there was Burki. Lessons from India’s underplayed victory in 1965

Economy

Market regulator SEBI clears Adani Group of impropriety alleged by Hindenburg Research

Sampurna Panigrahi -
SEBI probe concluded that purported loans and fund transfers were paid back in full and did not amount to deceptive market practices or unreported related party transactions.

Defence

China navy achieves breakthrough with new fighter jet launch system. What are electromagnetic catapults

Saksham Thakur -
China’s most advanced aircraft carrier—Fujian—uses electromagnetic catapults, a core component of future aircraft carriers.

National Interest

India doesn’t give walkovers to Pakistan in war. Here’s why it shouldn’t do it in cricket either

Shekhar Gupta -
Many really smart people now share the position that playing cricket with Pakistan is politically, strategically and morally wrong. It is just a poor appreciation of competitive sport.

Follow us

Copyright © 2025 Printline Media Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.