Teejan Bai in Bhuj
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An Intriduction
Early life
Teejan Bai was born in village Ganiyari, 14 km north of Bhilai, to Chunuk Lal Pardhi and his wife Sukhwati. She Belongs to Pardhi(Scheduled Tribe) of Chhattisgarh state
The eldest among her five siblings, at, heard her maternal grandfather, Brijlal Pradhi, recite Mahabharata written by Chattisgarhi writer, Sabal Sinh Chauhan in Chattisgarhi Hindi, she instantly took a liking of it and soon memorized much of it, and later trained informally under Umed Singh Deshmukh.
Career
At age 13, gave her first public performance in a neighbouring village, Chandrakhuri (Durg) for Rs 10., singing in the Kapalik shaili (style) of 'Pandavani', a first time for a woman, as traditionally women used to sing in the Vedamati, the sitting style. Contrary to the tradition, Teejan Bai performed standing singing out loud in her typical guttral voice and unmistakable verve, entering what was till now, a male bastion.
Within a short time, she became known in neighbouring villages and invitations poured to perform at special occasions and festivals.
Her big-break came, when Habib Tanvir, a famous theatre personality from Madhya Pradesh, noticed her talent, and she was called to perform for then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. There was no turning back from then on.
Beginning in the 80s, she travelled all over the world as a cultural ambassador, to countries as far as England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and Mauritius.
Today she continues to enthrall audiences, the world over with her unique folk singing and her powerful voice; and pass on her singing to the younger generation.
Performance style
Pandavani, literally means stories of Pandavas, the legendary brothers in Mahabharat, and involves enacting and singing with instrumental accompaniment an ektara or a tambura in one hand and sometimes a kartal in another. Interestingly, as the performance progresses, the tambura becomes her only prop during her performances, sometimes she uses it to personify a gada, mace of Arjun, or at times his bow or chariot, while others it becomes the hair of queen Draupadi, allowing her to play various character with effective ease and candour. Her acclaimed performances are of, Draupadi cheerharan, Dushasana Vadh and Mahabharat Yudh, between Bhishma and Arjun.
Awards
• 1988 Padma Shri
• 1995 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• 2003 Hon. D. Litt, Bilaspur University
• 2003 Padma Bhushan
Early life
Teejan Bai was born in village Ganiyari, 14 km north of Bhilai, to Chunuk Lal Pardhi and his wife Sukhwati. She Belongs to Pardhi(Scheduled Tribe) of Chhattisgarh state
The eldest among her five siblings, at, heard her maternal grandfather, Brijlal Pradhi, recite Mahabharata written by Chattisgarhi writer, Sabal Sinh Chauhan in Chattisgarhi Hindi, she instantly took a liking of it and soon memorized much of it, and later trained informally under Umed Singh Deshmukh.
Career
At age 13, gave her first public performance in a neighbouring village, Chandrakhuri (Durg) for Rs 10., singing in the Kapalik shaili (style) of 'Pandavani', a first time for a woman, as traditionally women used to sing in the Vedamati, the sitting style. Contrary to the tradition, Teejan Bai performed standing singing out loud in her typical guttral voice and unmistakable verve, entering what was till now, a male bastion.
Within a short time, she became known in neighbouring villages and invitations poured to perform at special occasions and festivals.
Her big-break came, when Habib Tanvir, a famous theatre personality from Madhya Pradesh, noticed her talent, and she was called to perform for then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. There was no turning back from then on.
Beginning in the 80s, she travelled all over the world as a cultural ambassador, to countries as far as England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and Mauritius.
Today she continues to enthrall audiences, the world over with her unique folk singing and her powerful voice; and pass on her singing to the younger generation.
Performance style
Pandavani, literally means stories of Pandavas, the legendary brothers in Mahabharat, and involves enacting and singing with instrumental accompaniment an ektara or a tambura in one hand and sometimes a kartal in another. Interestingly, as the performance progresses, the tambura becomes her only prop during her performances, sometimes she uses it to personify a gada, mace of Arjun, or at times his bow or chariot, while others it becomes the hair of queen Draupadi, allowing her to play various character with effective ease and candour. Her acclaimed performances are of, Draupadi cheerharan, Dushasana Vadh and Mahabharat Yudh, between Bhishma and Arjun.
Awards
• 1988 Padma Shri
• 1995 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• 2003 Hon. D. Litt, Bilaspur University
• 2003 Padma Bhushan