Along the Path of Music
By Prabha Atrre,
Munshiram Manoharlal, Rs 400

A s the celebrated Hindustani classical singer and Padma Bhushan recipient, Prabha Atrre, enters the 75th year of her life, she writes about her musical journey and about people who have influenced her and her music. Though not an autobiography in the true sense, Along the Path of Music is richly anecdotal and full of allusions.

In Indian music, practising musicians hardly ever write. And even if some do, they are generally found wanting in objectivity. Conversely, most works on Indian music by non-Indians, though well-organized, seem to lack the cultural perspective. Atrre’s work is important not only because she happens to be a front-ranking musician, but also because the well-organized narration of the book is firmly rooted in the Indian cultural ethos. Atrre’s unpretentious language conveys her thoughts effectively, sans fuss or jargon.

The book has an impressive layout, starting with its slick cover. Fortunately, the modern-style packaging is not at odds with the traditional ethos that rules over its contents.

Atrre believes that it is part of a performer’s duty to talk and write about his art. She contends that among the few who can speak or write on music as experts or critics, “there is hardly anyone who has the experience of giving a practical and professional demonstration of the art at a public forum.”

Of the five chapters devoted entirely to the icons who have shaped Atrre’s musical sensibility, two have been reserved for her two gurus, Sureshbabu Mane and his illustrious younger sister, Hirabai Barodekar. If Atrre gives a detailed account of how Sureshbabu detested outward show, she also talks of the deep trust in her relationship with her guru. Not one given to regular practice, Sureshbabu, she writes, drew upon his training with his famous father, the great Abdul Kareem Khan, and his own gift of a sonorous yet caressingly soft and melodious voice. It is entirely in keeping with the Indian musical tradition that the author gives all credit for the desirable aspects of her singing to the training and vision given by her “Baburao”.

Then, there are tid-bits about the simple and organized ways of her other guru, Hirabai, who took on the responsibility of supporting the entire extended family after the sudden demise of Sureshbabu. Atrre recounts how Hirabai would prefer to stay with a family, rather than in a hotel, wherever she went to perform, happily volunteering to sweep and cook, even sing devotional songs for the elderly members of the household. The chapter has been thoughtfully entitled, “Akeli mat jaiyyo Radhe Jamuna ke teer” after a haunting composition in Bhairavi popularized by Hirabai.

In another chapter yet, there is an engaging anecdote about a young Atrre performing the famous Ka karun sajani aye na balam for none other than its composer, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, upon his own request. A whole chapter is devoted to him as his was the most potent influence on the author’s thumri-singing.

Similarly, there is a chapter on Amir Khan and his influence on her khayal style and yet another chapter on Bhimsen Joshi, with whom the author shares the lineage of the Kirana gharana. The chapter, “Indian classical music and Maharashtra” is relevant in the current context.

For those who would be looking for candid disclosures, the book may not offer much. But it is a compelling saga of a remarkable Indian woman who has walked it alone with her head held high.