Gharoa Majlis in Calcutta
Jon Barlow
A gathering for the serious enjoyment of music. Majlis, Mehfil, Baithak, Kacheri (for the southerners), Jalsa, Music Conference, Sangeet Sammelan . . . some of the many sorts of gatherings where music-lovers listened. Sangeet Samitis and Sabhas burgeoned in the metros, creating social spaces for growing numbers of music lovers, but the house concert became a special venue for intimate and serious music in modern times
The house concert with an audience of knowledgeable and truly interested listeners became a critical element in the cultural economy of Hindustani music following the migration of music from the regional courts to the metros. Here was a site where emerging artists could be heard, genius discovered, experiments made, and criticism honed for the mutual development of the art; Intimate, friendly and focused on a high quality of performance.
Gharoa Majlis is an apt term for Hindustani music sessions as it marries the Persian and the Indian; the homely hospitality of the Bengal house-concert atmosphere with the more formally courteous poetry and song congregation of the dignified Majlis, for instance, at the Khanaqa of a Sufi Sheikh. However, the more informal ‘Gharoa Mehfil’ might better catch the mood of the domestic Rasika gatherings.
In the 19th.C, these would typically take place in the houses of prominent Calcutta Bhadra-Lok. Saurindro Mohan Tagore led society in organizing such affairs, and many of the great houses of North Calcutta were thrilled to the sonorities of the Metiaburj ustads, Vishnupur dhrupadiyas and visiting musical stalwarts of the late 19th.C.
The Bhowanipore Sangeet Sammelan acquired a venue around 1900 and accommodated hundreds of soirees of great as well as local musicians. This was like a music club, a school, and a public good. Run by a committee, it still functions nominally but has long been semi-forgotten in its humble and neglected old building at 4 Ramesh Mitra Rd. Images of musicians and patrons of old also grace its walls.
Gradually the gracious houses of the grand patrons were joined by associations and music circles, burgeoning to accommodate the surge of public interest in classical music. Great musicians like Alladiya Khansaheb, Laxmi Prasad Mishra, Abdul Karim, Jankibai, Imdad Khan, and Pramathanath Bandopadhyay were followed by Girija Babu, Hafiz Ali, Faiaz Khan, Enayet Khan, Kesarbai, Bade Ghulam Ali and Bhishmadev who in turn gave place to Gangabai, Ravi Shankar, Amir Khan, Vilayet, Bhimsen, and Tarapada Chakravarty. These wonderful events continued to take place even in the late 1970s.
Manmathanath Ghosh’s house on Chitpur Road was a legendary venue with a marvelous gallery of oil portraits of the great Ustads. Kumar Mukerji, following in his father’s footsteps, often organized splendid mehfils at his house off Amir Ali Avenue.
Gracious hosts with large houses and an appetite for music and delight organized wonderful evenings with large guest lists. Famous artists were met with courteous respect. Their ethereal music was anticipated by exquisite women in beautiful saris and perfectly spruced men in pleated dhotis who arrived smiling, hands folded in greeting, and took their places on white bolsters. Phials of attar were shared, and all enjoyed delicious, delicately spiced chai with snacks and fragrant paan. The men could retire after the performance to the smoking room to enjoy a gasper and scotch or two—music heaven.
In 1979 the Indian Tobacco Company sponsored Vijay Kitchlu’s vision with the Sangeet Research Academy and Gurukul at Tollygunge, and from then till the present regular concerts of students, and senior artists have been open to the public at regular intervals. This had the atmosphere of a formal Majlis where a dignified range of gurus and senior musicians would sit in the front of the assembly to welcome and listen to the performers. Jayanta Chatterjee’s apartment at Sunny Towers has also been a great spot where rasikas could share the music of many beloved musicians in recent decades.
But at a more quotidian level, the simple house concert, with a group of friends organizing an unostentatious event in any house where a few dozen people could sit to listen, was the backbone of Calcutta’s musical life. It was in these ambiances, where young newcomers could try their luck, and more senior artists would generously play without fees, that tastes and understanding were formed. Nowadays, such events are sadly rare. But the story is not yet over. . .
About the Author
Jon Barlow, an Australian artist, became interested in Hindustani music in the mid-60s and, like many others, traveled to India to study. First in Maihar and later in Calcutta, he had many teachers, among whom were Radhika Mohan Maitra (sarod), Bimala Prasad Chatterjee (vocal), Sunil Bose and Jayanta Chatterjee (bandishes), Dr. Bimal Roy songs and theory, and Ustad Aslam Khan (gayaki). Jon has always been interested in making musical instruments and has experimented with designing several sarods, beens (veenas) and tanpuras. He has written an outline of sarod design, baaj, and notable players for the volume Music and Modernity (edited by Amlan Das Gupta) and, together with Lakshmi Subramanian, wrote a brief history of Hindustani music for the Economic and Political Weekly, some years ago. He lives in Goa with his family.