This singer was born in a brothel, sang over 600 songs in 10 different languages, sold per song for Rs…, became India’s first crorepati singer, her name is…

Today, India’s big singers charge lakhs for a recording and crores for a concert. In such a situation, it is difficult to imagine the time when a few hundred rupees for a recording were considered a ‘royal amount’. But still there was a singer in that era who became a millionaire only based on her recording and popularity. This is the story of India’s first singing superstar, gramophone girl Gauhar Jaan. Gauhar Jaan was born on 26 June 1873.

Gauhar Jaan’s Early Days

Gauhar Khan was born in Azamgarh to a Christian family of Armenian origin. Her name at that time was Angelina Yoward. Her father, Robert William Yoward was an engineer. Her grandmother was Hindu, her grandfather British, and her father Armenian Christian. This marriage broke down in 1879 when Gauhar was six years old. Both Angelina and her mother, Victoria, faced difficulties. After which, Victoria married a Muslim man named Khurshid. Victoria converted to Islam and became Malka Jaan. They changed Angelina’s name to Gauhar Jaan.

Exceptionally beautiful and talented

over time Malka Jaan became a popular singer and moved to Calcutta in 1883. Within three years she bought her own brothel where Gauhar grew up and learnt music. Gauhar was an exceptionally beautiful, talented and graceful woman. Gauhar gave her first performance in 1888. She was appointed court musician in the royal court of Darbhanga Raj. She started performing in Calcutta in 1896 and was described as the ‘first dancer’ in her records. After embracing Islam, Gauhar remained a devout Muslim throughout her life. However, most of her compositions are full of devotion to Krishna.

Singing Superstar Gauhar Jaan

Gauhar Jaan was one of the finest singers in India in the early 1900s. She became a sensation when she agreed to record her songs for the gramophone. She composed classical vocals into 2-3 minute songs. Soon her records began selling. By the end of the decade, Gauhar was charging Rs 1000-3000 per recording, which was more than the annual income of most households in those times. Interestingly, decades later, Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi used to charge Rs 500 per song in the 1950s.

According to Bangalore Mirror, there came a time when she became so rich that she would travel around the city in a horse-drawn carriage. This luxury was only given to the Viceroy of India at that time. Gauhar paid a fine of Rs 1,000 for violating government laws, but never gave up evening walks. One of her patrons in Bengal also gifted her a private train, which she used for her trips across India.

Performed at the King’s Coronation

In 1911 she was invited to perform at the Delhi Durbar at the coronation of King George V. This honour was given to only one other singer, Jankibai of Allahabad. The King, his Queen and all the royal families of India were present at the magnificent ceremony. After the concert she was taken to the King. The King praised her talent and presented her with a hundred guineas as a token of his appreciation. Contemporary reports of the time described her as a millionaire. She was one of the richest non-royal women in the country.

Suffering from ill health, Gauhar Jaan moved to Mysore

While being in Mysore, the ruler Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV appointed her as a palace musician. According to The Hindu, she suffered from depression in her last days. Gauhar Jaan died in Mysore in 1930 at the age of 56. At that time, several claimants to her estate came forward, hoping that she had left behind a substantial fortune. But it soon transpired that Gauhar Jaan had spent all her money in the last decade of her life. When she died, she had nothing. Yet her work inspired generations of singers after her, notably Begum Akhtar and Noor Jehan. Her recordings for the Gramophone Company of India earned her the nickname ‘Gramophone Girl’.

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