Begum Akhtar quotes

But Begum Akhtar who had trained long and hard under various Ustads is I think, and forgive the opinion of a rank amateur, in point of classical technique the more consummate artist. (Begum Akhtar)
She had lovers and, if the secret must be out, she drank. What else accounts for the naughtiness of her eyes? Like so many tawaifs (geishas, courtesans) there were ups and downs in her childhood, the father leaving the mother and so on, but she was blessed with the divine gift and her art transcended the various accidents of her life. In the end all else was forgotten. Only the legend and the accomplishment survive. View quote
Begum Akhtar
Her forte was not necessarily the audibility of her music, for she had a defective area where her voice cracked at a high-pitch, with a limited one-octave range, but she turned it into her virtue for she knew how to mould her voice. View quote
Begum Akhtar
We live in an age where people are constantly trying to find remedies for pain, instead of learning how to sublimate it into divine music, the way Begum Akhtar did. For, the mercurial diva from Lucknow sang the poetry of Ghalib and many others in a manner that would make even pain seem desirable. View quote
Begum Akhtar
As a tawaif, she was trained to charm the system and subvert narrow patriarchal practices by means of highly sophisticated seduction. At another level, she was a hapless victim, constantly tormented by the twists and turns of her own destiny. She braved on regardless, driven by a deep inner quest to pursue love in its purest form, as an end in itself; be it in music or in life. View quote
Begum Akhtar
The much loved classical diva of 20th century India Akhtaribai Faizabadi, or Begum Akhtar was the last of the great female singers from the courtesan (tawaif) community. View quote
Begum Akhtar
People don't want to listen to an imitation. If they want to listen to my style, they will go and buy my records. View quote
Begum Akhtar
Akhtar was gripped by constant melancholia. "Ya Allah, ab kya hoga?” was her constant refrain through her life that made her pour her heart and soul into couplets like "Mere Humnafas, Mere Humnawa, Mujhe Dost Ban ke Daga Na De, Mujhe Zindagi ki Dua Na De”. View quote
Begum Akhtar
Begum Akhtar is a classic example of how personal tragedy is often that differentiating edge between a great performer and a truly exceptional one. View quote
Begum Akhtar
the early trauma of Begum Akhtar's life resulted in the singer being consumed by melancholy. She always felt a deep vacuum in her life and lived in constant fear of "Ya Allah, ab kya hoga?” (Oh god, what next?). View quote
Begum Akhtar