Asgari Bai (1918 - 2006)


Renowned Dhrupad singer Asgari Bai passed away on August 9, 2006, at Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, after a prolonged illness. 88 years old, she was undergoing treatment for several ailments for the past year. She is survived by four sons and three daughters. Born in 1918 at Bijawar in Madhya Pradesh`s Chhatarpur district to a family of musicians, she learnt and nurtured singing since childhood. Her mother Nazir Begum was a court singer for the erstwhile royal family of Bijawar, while her grandmother Balayat Bibi adorned the court of Ajaygarh, a princely state.

Trained under the guidance of Ustad Zahur Khan, Asgari Bai acquired extraordinary expertise in dhrupad to reign as the main court singer for the Orchha dynasty. She was also invited by other royal families to treat music lovers to her spellbinding performances. Known for her versatility and capacity to present a synthesis of diverse ragas and talas, Asgari Bai went on to regale the world of music and connoisseurs of art even after the country`s independence.

Married to Agra-based businessman Chamanlal Gupta who predeceased her, she gradually won recognition from the state government and carved a niche for herself despite several ups and downs. She was a recipient of several awards, including the Tansen Samman (December 1985), Sikhar Samman (February 1986), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (February 1987) and Padmashri (1990).

Anguished over squabbles between her children on government grants, she had once expressed the desire to return the honours bestowed on her in order to maintain the dignity of the awards.

Her association with the ITC Sangeet Research Academy goes back to 1997 when she was the recipient of the ITC Award at the ITC Sangeet Sammelan, Delhi.