Jun 26, 2018
Gauhar Jaan’s 145th Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle celebrates India’s first recording star, Gauhar Jaan, who emerged on the scene at the turn of the 20th century. She gained popularity through her singing and dancing, and she would go on to define the future of Indian performance art.
Gauhar Jaan embraced the gramophone (a very new invention in India at the time) allowing her voice to reach a greater audience than ever before. Her vision and business practices were quickly praised throughout the entertainment industry, for her forward-thinking approach to the way sound technology could be utilized. Gauhar Jaan performed in over ten languages and produced over 600 records during the course of her life, amassing a large amount of wealth for herself which she shared with her pet cat-- she even threw a wedding for it, spending a rumored 12,000 rupees!
Happy birthday, Gauhar!
Doodle illustrated by Aditi Damle.
Early drafts of the Doodle below
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