Weaving together a different music an ongoing archival exploration by Niharika Joshi Participant project :Curating for Culture’s Curating Personal Archives Programme 2020
A winter afternoon, an open cupboard, and a lifetime of stories came tumbling out..
Dadi and me
Dadu
Dadi
Pt. Brijbhushan Kabra and Kamla Kabra: a life of art, music and serendipity My Grandparents-in-law Jodhpur/Ahmedabad 1950’s onwards
About:
My arrival at this archive has been through an ongoing discovery of the stories, objects and memories held on to by Dadiji, my grandmother-in-law, and wife of late Pt. Brijbhushan Kabra (1937-2018). Panditji or Bulaji, as he was
fondly known by family members, was a legendary inventormusician, who brought the Hawaiian slide guitar into the Hindustani classical music tradition, and produced several bestselling albums. Kamla Kabra, our Dadiji’s life too has been one of great artistic mastery and constant learning. Having never met Panditji in person, this project is my way of knowing him through personal artefacts, music albums and possessions of deep emotional value. The archive dwells in
stories around music, the first modified guitar, concert recordings, techniques of painting developed by Dadi, and various objects from a family life lived in Jodhpur and Ahmedabad, mid-20th century onwards.
The first Hindustani Classical album with Panditji’s slide guitar
Portrait of Panditji with glass pieces, handmade by Dadi
Pt. Brijbhushan Kabra 1937-2018
Kamladevi Kabra 1939-
weaving together ... Between 1975 to early 2000’s, Dadi hand patterned and embroidered over 70 kurtas for Dadu, stitched from the softest silk from Ahmedabad, Jodhpur and Calcutta. While she may have created clothing for a mastermusician, through her practice, Dadi has created a space of mastery of her own. Spending hours observing the kurtas, I inadvertently began to look for an archive of the kurtas across Panditji’s album covers and concert albums. On the cover of The Master’s Touch(1960), he is in a mauve kurta, on a duet album with Ustad Zakir Hussain (1978), a young Panditji wears a rich olive-green with bold motifs, a deep emerald green kurta with pink roses on the Lure of the Desert album cover (1985) which he wore again, to receive the national Sangeet Natak Award (2005)... These kurtas are special not only as handmade products of Dadi’s patience, skill and art, but also allow one to peek into a slow time, of weaving together a life alongside a renowned classical musician.
...a different music The origin story of the first slide guitar developed by Pt.Kabra (Dadu) to play Hindustani ragas, and the process of innovating an instrument is intrinsic to this archive. The journey from discovery towards musical mastery is replete with anecdotes relating to trial and error, chance encounters, a legacy of music and privilege, and conversations with maestros. Through my conversations with Dadi and uncovering old photo albums, newspaper clippings and recorded interviews; I am learning about not only the guitar and Dadu’s contributions to music, but also stories of artistic camaraderie and a different music of another time. Some significant items related to stories around music: The first modified slide Hofner guitar Letters from associated artistes Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma and The Beatles etc. Ephemera for important concerts /tours Album covers with glimpses of handmade kurtas by Dadi
Story themes emerging from conversations with Dadi
Music practice Concerts and tours
Life with a master-musician
Other pursuits, Business, philanthropy, poetry
Obscure objects, Old keepsakes Family history/legacy Life in Jodhpur & Ahmedabad (mid 20th century)
Women and their work in a Marwari household
Experiences and Exhibitions Uncovering hidden talents
Life as an artist/painter Innovating techniques Embroidering clothes for Dadu
A few initial questions
How do I remember someone I’ve never met? How well can I know them through their music, art and writing?
The wonderment of found objects !
“Memory dilutes, but the object remains unaltered.”
― Aanchal Malhotra, Remnants of a Separation
Remnants from a life of music, art and travel
The Intangible through the Tangible
From the attic, the first modified Slide guitar, broken strings
“Apne haathon se Dadu ke liye kurta banaya…”
A search for kurtas across album covers/photos
Dadu’s published poetry, found around the house
Insight into Dadi’s artistic practice A series of fortunate events
Further questions
How did the discovery of a sound/an image/an instrument change the course of one’s life? How do family and friends remember Dadu - master musician, a businessman, philanthropist and poet? What are the larger stories and contexts of Dadi’s practices of art and embroidery?
The ongoing process
Finding/Being Found Knowing /Reading /Listening
More leads!
Chronicling
Looking for references
Sorting and Classifying
Themes/Tags/Threads for the Archive Musical and Artistic Practice Discovery Archival Material Music Photo Albums and Ephemera Dadi’s Embroidery & Artwork Personal Objects
Diaries, Letters and Books Oral History interviews
Innovation Mastery Conflict
Travel & Movement Privilege
This story and its characters Narrative Thread
This story
and its characters
Intense musical dialogues with musicians The first modified Slide Guitar to play Indian Classical music Mid-1950’s
Santoor- Pt.Shivkumar Sharma Sitar- Ust. Rais Khan Flute- Pt. Chaurasia Sarod – Pt. DL Kabra Violin- VG Jog Vocal - Pt. Jasraj
This story
and its characters
The guitar across album covers Hofner Framus Gibson Super 400
The First Album 1968 Platinum record
This story
and its characters
Dadi’s Handmade Kurtas for Dadu and other artistes
Letters, personal and official Concert invitations/ephemera Mentions of names, places, people, dates and objects
This story
and its characters
Ephemera/Invites from Exhibitions Media Coverage
Dadi’s Paintings with glass
Over 100 paintings and exhibitions
Medium and Method:
Current Goals :
A digital interactive portal leading to archival material as stories, blog posts, trivia and a section for family members to share/post stories and memories.
Begin conversations , resurrect memories around specific themes Digitize and document tangible material, with relevant classification
A supporting social media page (?)
Digital Portal - Draft 1
Initial drafts of storytelling formats
End Users • Kabra family members + acquaintances • Hindustani Classical Music aficionados • Art and textile lovers • Journalists/researchers
Destinies/ Future Stories
A spring evening, Dadi and me, with a woven tapestry of art, music and serendipity ...!
Weaving together a different music