Women played a big role in music of the past: Vikram Lall

Vikram Lall, a patron of arts, said at a talk that women seem to have played a larger role in the history of Indian music. It was an evening of learning and inspiration

The music, dance and literature of India never cease to leave one awe-struck and wanting to learn more. FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) had an interactive workshop with speaker Vikram Lall, award-winning architect, author and patron of arts at Park Hyatt on Wednesday.

The topic was ‘Women in Indian Music Tradition’ and the speaker gave a detailed overview to each of the genres of Indian music across various time periods – Bhakti, Thumri, Ghazals, Khayal and film songs. Vikram Lall, who dons many roles as an architect, art critic, educator and author from Delhi, guided the audience to an understanding of the role of women in Indian musical traditions.

Recordings of famous pieces like “Aankhon Ki Masti Ke” were played, thus punctuating the theoretical descriptions for each of the genres being explained. The information gained by the end was described as heartwarming by the audience, who acquired a new understanding of the classical Indian music and about women who pioneered in the art form.

Thumri music, for example, the audience learned, is always in the first person female narrative. Women played a big role in music of the past, and Vikram Lall states, “The 30s and 40s were certainly more modern than today!”

The five women explained as being representative of each of the five genres are – Meerabai for Bhakti music, Gauhar Jaan for Thumri, Begum Akhtar for Ghazals, Hirabai Barodekar for Khayal and Saraswati Devi for Film songs. “Before playback music, it was very important to look good as well as sing well,” said Vikram Lall.

Sharing about his connect with Hyderabad, he said, “The only time I was in the city before was when I was involved with the architecture of the Indian School of Business. I like the Karachi biscuit and Hyderabadi biryani, which I tasted then.” Vikram Lall is famous for designing landmark structures such as Akshardham temple in Delhi, and the Buddha Smriti Park in Patna.