Google Feature — Begum Akhtar Doodle
103rd Birth Anniversary of Mallika-e-Ghazal Begum Akhtar
Today marks the 103rd birth anniversary of Begum Akhtar (October 7, 1914 – October 30, 1974), a renowned Indian singer of Ghazals. Her genre was, however, not ghazals alone, but also included splendid renderings of Hindustani classical music like Dadra and Thumri. Her deep, soulful voice still remains unmatched.
Her voice was not perfect. It spanned a single octave and a note higher, her voice broke. But for her admirers that in itself made her voice unique.
She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for vocal music, and was awarded Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan (posthumously) by Government of India. She was also referred to as Mallika-e-Ghazal (Queen of Ghazals).
Apart from her singing, she also acted in several films, the most notable being Satyajit Ray’s Jalsaghar.
Begum Akhtar was born as Akhtari Bai in Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Her father, Asghar Hussain, a young lawyer who fell in love with her mother Mushtari and made her his eighth wife, subsequently disowned her and his twin daughters Zohra and Bibbi (Akhtari Bai).
Begum Akhtar fell ill during her last concert, which was held in Ahmedabad, and breathed her last on October 30, 1974. The singer was buried in her home Pasanda Bagh in Lucknow. Once thought lost to encroachers, Akhtar’s grave was restored in 2014, the centenary of her birth.
Mallika-e-Ghazal Begum Akhtar
(October 7, 1914 – October 30, 1974)
Google today celebrates the 103rd Birth Anniversary of Begum Akhtar, a renowned Hindustani classical music singer, with a doodle. The ghazal queen is seen in the doodle sitting gracefully with a sitar inside the letter O of Google logo, candles placed around it, and a few admirers applauding her performance. The doodle is coloured in the shades of yellow, blue and pink.
On clicking the doodle, it takes the visitor to Google search result page for news on Begum Akhtar.
Google Doodle — Begum Akhtar’s 103rd Birthday
GoogleDoodle celebrates Begum Akhtar’s 103rd Birthday in today’s GoogleDoodle!
Today we celebrate the 103rd birthday of Begum Akhtar, born Aktharibai Faizabadi, one of India’s most iconic singers.
In spite of early personal tragedies, Begum Akhtar’s mother recognized her daughter’s gift at a young age. With the help of family members, she sent her daughter for vocal training with some of the Ustads (masters) of the time. Though her soulful and melancholic voice was featured in many movies, Begum Akhtar ultimately returned to classical music, where she composed many of her own melodies and steeped herself in the rhythm of ghazals.
After marrying, Begum Akhtar gave up singing. However in 1949, deteriorating health drew her back to her calling. Weeping tears of jubilation, she finally returned to a Lucknow studio to record and continued to share her gift with the world until her death in 1974. Her rich voice was comforting, particularly during the years India underwent upheaval caused by partition.
With nearly 400 songs to her credit, Begum Akhtar’s legacy shines on in the musical traditions she loved over her lifetime.
Guest artist Doodle created by Manuja Waldia.
Below is a picture of the Doodle on Google’s home page as it appeared today.
Begum Akhtar’s 103rd Birthday
Tribute to Legends (Music) — Ghazal Singer Begum Akhtar
Remembering legendary ghazal singer Begum Akhtar on her 103rd birth anniversary as Mallika-e-Ghazal (Queen of Ghazals).
Begum Akhtar’s 103rd Birth Anniversary
Awards and Recognition
- 1968: Padma Shri
- 1972: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- 1975: Padma Bhushan (posthumously)
Some of her famous ghazals include, Ae mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aya, Mere humnafas mere humnava, Ghalib’s Dil hi toh hai na sang-o- kisht, Mir Taqi Mir’s Ulti ho gayi sab tadbiren, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Aaye kuchh abr kuch sharaab aaye. Listen to ten of Begum Akhtar’s best ghazals in the video below:
Best of Begum Akhtar | Jukebox
Published on February 9, 2014 by Saregama Ghazal.
Songs:
1. Yeh Na Thi Humari Qismat – 00:00
2. Dil Ki Baat – 04:59
3. Ae Mohabbat Tere Anjaam Pe Rona Aya – 08:09
4. Ulti Ho Gayi Sab Tadbiren – 11:26
5. Diwana Banana Hai Tu – 17:33
6. Koi Yeh Kehde Gulshan Gulshan – 21:10
7. Mere Humnafas Mere Humnava. – 24:20
8. Woh Jo Ham Men Tum Men Qarar Tha – 30:57
9. Ishq Mein Gairat-E-Jazbaat – 36:50
10. Ab Chhalakte Huye Sagar – 43:45
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Over the years, doodles on the Google homepage have made searching on Google more fun and enjoyable for its users worldwide. When doodles were first created, nobody had anticipated how popular and integral they would become to the Google search experience. Nowadays, many users excitedly anticipate the release of each new doodle and some even collect them!
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