The music scene of India has progressed a lot from his early days, when singers and musicians used to survive on scraps. Apart from a select few, there weren’t many singers who could charge a princely sum for their work. One of the exceptions was this legendary singer, who defied a difficult upbringing to become the reigning queen of Indian music.
India’s first crorepati singer was...
Gauhar Jaan, the popular singer, was born Eleen Angelina Yeoward in Azamgarh. Of Armenian descent, her father was a factory worker while mother was the daughter of a British soldier. The marriage ended in 1879, when Angelina was just 6 and her mother moved to Benares with a Muslim nobleman, who appreciated her music. Thus, Angelina converted to Islam and became Gauhar Jaan. Her mother became a famous tawaif by the name of Malka Jaan, and began training Gauhar too. Gauhar Jaan’s career as a singer and dancer reached its zenith as the century turned. She not only performed in mehfils and shows but also recorded songs. As per reports, before her death, Gauhar Jaan was a crorepati and one of the wealthiest performing artistes in all of India and easily India’s richest singer. She was even given a personal train by one of her patrons so that she could travel in peace.
Gauhar Jaan’s difficult childhood
But while her eventual career was successful, Gauhar had a rather turbulent time growing up. She grew up in a kotha where her mother reigned as the matriarch. In 1887, when she had barely entered her teens, Gauhar faced sexual assault, an incident she found tough to recover from. She and her mother were also financially duper by their relatives from time to time after they came into some money.
Gauhar Jaan’s death in poverty
At the peak of her career, Gauhar Jaan was a crorepati, India’s first crorepati from music. But the riches did not last. She died at the age of 57 in 1930. News reports at the time stated that she was penniless at the time and lived alone.
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