Women of Sound: Gauhar Jaan

Episode Summary

The episode titled "Women of Sound: Gauhar Jaan" from the Womanica podcast, hosted by Jenny Kaplan, delves into the life and legacy of Gauhar Jaan, a pioneering figure in the world of music during the early 20th century. Born Eileen Angelina Yeoward in 1873 in India, Gauhar Jaan's life took a significant turn following her parents' divorce and her mother's subsequent remarriage to a Muslim man. This led to her conversion to Islam and a change of name to Gauhar. Moving to Benares, a creative hub in India, both Gauhar and her mother immersed themselves in the arts, with Gauhar training as a courtesan, a role that involved performing for royalty and mastering various forms of dance and music. Gauhar Jaan's talent quickly made her a local sensation, but it was her entry into the recording studio in 1902 that catapulted her to superstardom. Paid a hefty sum for her time, she recorded her music in a process that was both physically demanding and technologically primitive by today's standards. Despite these challenges, Gauhar's recordings were a massive success, making her voice known across the world. She was particularly noted for her signature sign-off, ensuring her name was correctly labeled on her records, and for pioneering the three-minute song format, ideal for the recording technology of the time. Over her career, Gauhar Jaan recorded more than 600 songs, becoming an international icon of Indian classical music. Her flamboyant lifestyle in Calcutta and her later years as the palace musician for the Maharaja of Mysore until her death in 1930 were testament to her enduring legacy in the music world. The episode from Womanica not only highlights Gauhar Jaan's contributions to music and recording technology but also paints a vivid picture of her as a trailblazer who navigated and influenced the evolving landscape of sound and performance in the early 20th century.

Episode Show Notes

Gauhar Jaan (1873-1930) was one of the first Indian voices captured on gramophone records. She was a famous entertainer in India, who could perform in over seven languages. She was a regular entertainer in royal courts across the country.

Episode Transcript

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SPEAKER_00: You don't put those inside of you, do you? SPEAKER_06: This is a show about women. SPEAKER_00: I mean, you do?Yeah. SPEAKER_06: Finally, a show about women that isn't just a thinly veiled aspirational nightmare.It's not hosted, not narrated.We're just dropping into a woman's world.I found out when my dad was gay when I was 10. SPEAKER_07: We were in a convertible on the 405 freeway, listening to the B-52s.Looking back, I should have said, this is gay.This is already all gay. SPEAKER_06: Listen to Finally a Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. SPEAKER_02: Hi, I'm Martha Stewart, and we're back with a new season of my podcast.This season will be even more revealing and more personal with more entrepreneurs, more live events, and more questions from you.I'm talking to my cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Dan Belkin, about the secrets behind my skincare.Encore Jane about creating a billion dollar startup.Walter Isaacson about the geniuses who changed the world. Listen and subscribe to the Martha Stewart Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. SPEAKER_05: Hi, this is Shannon Doherty, host of the new podcast, Let's Be Clear with Shannon Doherty.So in this podcast, I'm gonna be talking about marriage, divorce, my family, my career.I'm also going to be talking a lot about cancer, the ups and the downs, everything that I've learned from it.It's gonna be a wild ride.So listen to Let's Be Clear with Shannon Doherty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. SPEAKER_04: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica.This month, we're talking about women of sound.These women dominated the airwaves, innovating, documenting, and creating the audio landscape we live in today. In the early 20th century, when musicians recorded their music, they would have to announce their name at the end of a song so that the technicians labeling their record wouldn't make a mistake.One musician had an announcement that was unmistakable, a high, playful voice coming through the speakers telling whoever was listening. SPEAKER_01: My name is Gohar Jhaan. SPEAKER_04: Gohar Jhaan was born Eileen Angelina Yoward in 1873 in India. There's some debate about her parents' origin.One story paints them as Armenian and Jewish, another, British and Christian.But we do know that when Aileen was still a child, her parents divorced, and her mother remarried a Muslim man, converted to Islam, and renamed her daughter Gohar.Gohar and her mom eventually moved to Benares, the religious capital of India and a hub for creatives in the region. Gohar's mother honed her dancing and singing skills and soon became a professional entertainer.Gohar followed in her mother's footsteps.She started training as a courtesan, a prestigious role that often involved performing for royalty. Gohar learned several forms of dance and music, from both her mother and from leading entertainers of the day.She started performing in front of royalty when she was just a teenager. Gohar sang Hindustani classical music.She sang in multiple languages — Hindustani, Bengali, Tamil, Arabic, French, and English.Often she paired her songs with dance, moving her hands and feet in rhythm with the rise and fall of her voice. News spread quickly of her talent, and soon Gohar became a popular local performer.But her rise to superstardom came in 1902, when a recording company asked Gohar John to come into their studio.They paid her 3,000 rupees, equivalent at the time to more than $12,000.Gohar arrived with an entourage of musicians and onlookers.Her neck and wrists sparkled with jewelry and ornaments. Her musicians settled in and tuned their instruments, and then the performance began.In the studio, a big recording horn had been placed on the wall. Gohar placed her head practically inside the horn and started to sing.Her voice vibrated a needle at the end of the horn, which pressed grooves into a rotating wax disc. ¶¶ Those grooves immortalized Gohar's voice and gave her the ability to be played in homes across the world.The recording process was far from seamless.For the needle to properly capture Gohar's voice, she had to practically scream into the horn.And she couldn't move while she sang.Sometimes, someone would have to literally hold Gohar's head in place to stop her from moving around.But Gohar still found a way to add her signature flair. After Gohar finished singing, she would always shout, into the horn, to make sure the German technicians tasked with labeling the records got it right.Gohar's records were an immediate hit, and her sign-off became iconic. At a time when many other Indian classical musicians were refusing to record themselves, Gohar pioneered the three-minute song.It was the perfect length for a record that could be played over and over again. In under 20 years, Gohar recorded more than 600 songs.She became known all over the world for her signature singing style.In Calcutta, where she lived, it was easy to see her coming.She would ride everywhere in an elaborate carriage drawn by four horses.Towards the end of her life, Gohar became the palace musician for the Maharaja of Mysore.18 months later, in 1930, she passed away. All month we're talking about women of sound.For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at Womanica Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.Talk to you on Monday. SPEAKER_00: You don't put those inside of you, do you? SPEAKER_06: This is a show about women. SPEAKER_00: I mean, you do? SPEAKER_06: Finally, a show about women that isn't just a thinly veiled aspirational nightmare.It's not hosted, not narrated.We're just dropping into a woman's world. SPEAKER_07: I found out when my dad was gay when I was 10.We were in a convertible on the 405 freeway, listening to the B-52s.Looking back, I should have said, this is gay.This is already all gay. SPEAKER_06: Listen to Finally A Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. SPEAKER_02: Hi, I'm Martha Stewart, and we're back with a new season of my podcast.This season will be even more revealing and more personal with more entrepreneurs, more live events, and more questions from you.I'm talking to my cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Dan Belkin, about the secrets behind my skincare.Encore Jane about creating a billion-dollar startup.Walter Isaacson about the geniuses who changed the world. Listen and subscribe to the Martha Stewart Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. SPEAKER_05: Hi, this is Shannon Doherty, host of the new podcast, Let's Be Clear with Shannon Doherty.So in this podcast, I'm going to be talking about marriage, divorce, my family, my career.I'm also going to be talking a lot about cancer, the ups and the downs, everything that I've learned from it.It's going to be a wild ride.So listen to Let's Be Clear with Shannon Doherty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. SPEAKER_09: Hey, it's Alec Baldwin.This past season on my podcast, Here's the Thing, I spoke with more actors, musicians, policymakers, and so many other fascinating people, like jazz bassist Christian McBride. SPEAKER_08: Jazz is based on improvisation, but there's very much a form to it.You have a conversation based on that melody and those chord changes.So it's kind of like giving someone a topic and say, okay, talk about this. SPEAKER_09: Listen to the new season of Here's the Thing on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.