Ras Ke Bhare Tore Nain - The Journey of a Thumri

Soaked in the lilt & eroticism of the courtesan culture thriving in the courts during the prime of the Nawab of the Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah in the early 19th century, ‘Thumri’ became a way to revel & celebrate the sweetness, the yearning, the allure radiating from its folds.
Banaras & Gaya along with Lucknow became the hubs of the Purabang or the eastern form & for the first time, people were hearing something other than the puritanical rendering of Dhrupad or the intricacy of Khayal.

Steeped in the sringar rasa(or the sensuousness), the popularity of Thumri soared as the form of expression for both the tawaifs (court dancers) & as a lighter/flexible semi-classical form that musicians performed along with khayal in their concerts.
‘Ras Ke Bhare Tore Nain’ is a glorious example of a thumri in Raag Bhairavi that can evoke a gamut of longing & love if rendered by an expert singer unencumbered by time. The imagery or the emotion created further propounds ‘eyes brimming with love’ & ‘arms aching for an embrace’. Of course, the way it is sung makes all the difference.
An illustrious compilation to map the evolution of renditions of the aforementioned thumri can help unearth the legacy of this lament for transient love while expanding the emotional universe of the listeners.
Renditions:
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Gauhar Jaan

The Gramophone Queen or presumably the first recording artist of India & a legendary courtesan pours the angst of her life in what is supposed to be her own exemplary composition.
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Anjanibai Malpekar

In this rare recording the reclusive Anjanibai - the unsung hero of the genre who is in all likelihood was the guru of masters of the Hindustani classical world including Begum Akhtar, Kumar Gandharva & Kishori Amonkar - is heard giving taleem to Begum Akhtar here.
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Begum Akhtar
Here the undoubted queen of thumri manages to enchant with her exquisite rendition that also features a sitar providing melodic support in addition to the sarangi and harmonium.
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Siddheshwari Devi

A young Siddheshwari Devi had heard this famed thumri from the legendary Gauhaar Jan & couldn’t ignore the impact it had on her. Eventually, she learned the sensuality of the lyrics, the abhinaya required to unfurl this thumri, a piece that later became synonymous with her name.
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Bhimsen Joshi

Historically speaking, Thumri has been a space mostly dominated by women & courtesans in the realm of Hindustani classical music & ‘kothas’ respectively. Here the Rockstar of Khayal gayaki form displays the despair & vulnerability as seen/heard in this spectacular rendition.
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Rasoolan Bai

A discussion about Thumri is incomplete without a mention of Rasoolan Bai who holds an unparalleled position in the musical tradition of Thumri including the Benaras style. The lamentation in the form of the thumri can be heard rendered singularly.
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Arooj Aftab

The Pakistani sensation who has taken the world music stage by a storm evokes an unmatched mix of serenity & sensuousness. A similar version by this particular artist was also featured on a major Pakistani feature film soundtrack.
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Hari Devi Mishra

This rendition undeniably manages to bring forth a yearning & the ache one expects from a truthful rendering of this thumri. Composed by Jaidev for a 1978 film called ‘Gaman’ directed by Muzaffar Ali featuring Farooq Sheikh & Smita Patil.
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Midival Punditz

The legendary Delhi based electronic duo flipped the rendition sung by Hari Devi Mishra for the film ‘Gaman’ for their debut album. It further blew up in iconic proportions when Mira Nair used the song in her magnificent Golden Lion-winning film Monsoon Wedding (2001).
Read more: India’s First Pop Queen - Gauhar Jaan
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