The first crorepati singer from India grew up in a brothel and survived sexual abuse but grew to own more jewels than contemporary queens.
Today, some of the highest-paid singers in India charge in lakhs per song. But it was a far cry from this situation back when recorded singing first began in India. Singing was not considered a noble or respectable profession in the early 20th century and the only performers were courtesans, or India’s so-called tawaif. Among them was a trendsetter, who became the first singer to record a song in India and rose above poverty to become a crorepati.
Who was India’s first singing superstar
Angeline Yeoward, who became known by her stage name of Gauhar Jaan, was India’s first singing superstar. Born in 1873, she became the first Indian to record music on records in India and from 1902-20, recorded over 600 songs in ten languages, turning her into a household name and giving her the tags of "the Gramophone girl" and "the first recording superstar of India".
Gauhar Jaan’s early life and difficulties
Gauhar was born to Robert William Yeoward and Adeline Victoria Hemmings in Calcutta. Her father worked as an engineer in a dry ice factory. But Robert did not approve of his wife’s singing career and abandoned both of them when Gauhar was a child. She grew up in a kotha and spent her childhood with tawaifs in a brothel, where she learnt singing and dancing. Her mother adopted the name Malka Jaan and became a famous tawaif, and soon Gauhar followed suit. The singer was sexually abused as a youngster and survived the abuse to emerge stronger.
How Gauhar Jaan became a crorepati who had her personal train
In time, after her records began to be popular, Gauhar started charging a princely sum (in those days) of Rs 3000 per song. As per reports, the rulers of several princely states sent invitations to her to perform in their courts and mehfils. Gauhar used to travel in her personal train with a large entourage whenever she accepted any invitation. A BBC report claimed that she received jewels and gold as gifts from several rulers, making her personal collection larger than that of many queens and princesses of the era. As per some reports, she was worth over Rs 1 crore by her death in 1930.
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