Begum Akhtar

Musical revolution: How these artistes adapted to gramophone records in the early 1900s

A look at the women artistes who embraced the technology of gramophone records in the early 1900s and shaped the commercial music industry in India

Mehdi Hassan: Of all ghazal singers, his voice suited best

Hassan had the ability to deliver emotion, a rare talent and one that separates very good singers of our music from the great ones. In keeping with the style of ghazals, this emotion that his voice carried was masculine but melancholic. It was convincing.