Holi khele Raghubira Awadh mein Holi khele Raghubira…

The folk song from Awadh made popular by Amitabh Bachchan would have been a lost treasure had it not been for the efforts of a musician who preserved the festive melody.

Ace classical vocalist, custodian of folk songs and composer Radha Ballabh Chaturvedi compiled notations for more than 3,000 folk songs of Uttar Pradesh. ‘Holi Khele’ was just one of those.

The music fraternity recently celebrated his birth centenary. As a tribute, his compositions were performed by singers.

Though Chaturvedi rose to fame after his efforts for conservation of local songs in Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Braj and Bundeli dialects, his instinct for classical music was inborn. After a bachelors degree in vocal music from Bhatkhande Music Institute in 1936, he dedicated his life to revival of dying folk songs and local compositions of remote places.

Music director Kewal Kumar, a student of Chaturvedi, recalls, “He used to visit remote villages of Uttar Pradesh and bring folk songs from there captured in his tape recorder. I have seen him during his sessions making notations and composing tunes. He used to record songs at Akashvani studios, making them immortal.”

Sunita Jhingran, a classical singer who counts herself among the fortunate ones who got a chance to learn music from Chaturvedi, said, “His book ‘Unchi Atariya Rang Bhari’ is a treasure trove of folk songs. He has gathered songs for all situations including Savan (monsoon), Chaiti (summmer), vivah (wedding), Holi and several others. His work in Thumri, Dadra, Khayal, and Dhrupad-Dhamar-Tappa is commendable.”

“He used to be invited to perform in the national capital for gatherings attended by senior politicians and that feeling of pride for us is indescribable,” adds Kumar.

Chaturvedi’s daughter Neelam says doing something in the field of music was her father’s childhood dream.

“At the age of 15, he left home in Moradabad and came to Lucknow to learn music. At that time, he used to work for various gharanas where he was trained in the basics of music.” Later in life, Chaturvedi also worked at Doordarshan.

Sangeet Natak Akademi had also dedicated its monthly magazine to the music doyen. The last edition was themed on Chaturvedi’s contribution to music. It was released as part of the celebrations.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Vidita Chandra / TNN / May 07th, 2017