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Sunday, February 22, 2026
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.

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YourTurn

Opinion

Youth Congress, your foolish protest helped the Modi govt climb out of the AI summit hole

+TFP Vir Sanghvi -
In tactical terms, the shirtless protest was worse than a self-goal. Suddenly, the fiascos of the AI Summit were forgotten, and the Youth Congress’s disruption became the issue.

Why legal provisions are necessary to curb the power of trade unions: MH Mody

AI is officially ruining social media. It made brainrot boring

Economy

In the West, there’s anxiety. In India, optimism—Rishi Sunak says India poised to be leader in AI

Vrinda Tulsian -
On Wednesday, the former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was speaking in New Delhi at a Carnegie & Observer Research Foundation event on AI.

Defence

MoD, IAF agree on some exemptions to HAL for Tejas Mk1A, but no compromise on ‘must-have’ capabilities

Snehesh Alex Philip -
IAF is fine with accepting the aircraft with 'must-haves', even if some other steps remain pending, which may take at least another year, it is learnt.

National Interest

No country is ever fully sovereign. Cold War era taught India its real meaning

Shekhar Gupta -
India’s fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset.

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