Bai sundarabai biography of rory

 Posted on: 29 June 2019

Essay:
Sundarabai, the versatile singer-actor who helped women musicians herself died unsung & poor
By Vikram Sampath
Published in The Print - 16 June 2019

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

The year was 1929.

The royal Darbar of the Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan Siddiqi, Asaf Jah VII glittered with the best of musicians from across the country. In deference to the Nizam, many of the singers performed standing in front of him.

But there was one singer who made the Nizam sit up and take note of the wonderful voice he was listening to, and forced him to accord due respect of allowing the performer to sit down and finish the song. That talented singer was Bai Sundarabai Jadhav from Pune, who, though forgotten now, was one of India’s most celebrated recording artists of her time and whose repertoire spanned several decades and became p