This biographical work on the towering Hindustani vocalist, Gangubai Hangal (1913-2009), is based on a series of visits the author made to the diva’s home, and extensive interviews with people close to her subject. The author’s discovery of this extraordinary personality spans a period of four years (2005-2009).
The book traces the emergence of Northern Karnataka as a powerhouse of Hindustani classical music during the colonial period. Substantial credit for it goes to the Wodeyar princes of Mysore, who were patrons to the finest musicians of the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions alike. Hubli, Dharwad and Belgaum were natural stopovers for Hindustani musicians travelling between their homes and the Mysore Court. This led to an exchange of musical ideas between Hindustani and Carnatic musicians of the region. From the late 19th century, the bi-lingual region, (Kannada Marathi) enthusiastically patronized Marathi theater, which featured some of the best Hindustani musicians of the era. From the dawn of the 20th century, the gramophone record made the finest Hindustani musicians—from within and outside regional theater—household names in Northern Karnataka. Simultaneously, the missionary work of Bhatkhande and Vishnu Digambar—both from Maharashtra—had begun to democratize the musical culture. The prestige of Hindustani music shot up immensely in the region, as religious leaders attached to the Lingayat monasteries became proficient in Hindustani music, and started imparting training to young aspirants.