RAJ BEGUM (1927-2016)
Raj Begum holds a singular place in the cultural history of Jammu and Kashmir as the first woman singer to be broadcast on Radio Kashmir. Her decision to step into the world of music was nothing short of revolutionary, at a time when Kashmiri society, especially for Muslim women, placed severe restrictions on women’s public presence.
Born in Srinagar in 1927 into a humble household, Raj Begum’s talent was nurtured by her father, who encouraged her love for singing from an early age. At a time when Muslim women, veiled in burqas, were discouraged from even speaking in public, young Raj began singing at weddings, gradually absorbing the rich idioms of Kashmiri folk tradition. She was married to Qadir Ganderbali, who retired as Deputy Inspector General of Kashmir Police. Her musical journey took a decisive turn when Langoo—Radio Kashmir’s staff artiste, singer, and sarangi player who had once served as a court
musician to Maharaja Hari Singh—happened to hear her voice. In 1950, Langoo had been entrusted with the task of finding women singers for the newly established radio station. For Kashmiri society of the time, however, women performing publicly was deeply frowned upon. Langoo had to persuade Raj Begum’s father and husband, he personally trained her in melody, voice modulation, and diction.
When Raj Begum’s voice first floated across the airwaves, it brought with it both intimacy and dignity. Her rendition of Gulrez (Scattered Flowers), a Kashmiri translation of a Persian love story by Maqbool Shah Kralawari, resonated deeply with listeners. The soulful longing in Dil chooran hai, dil nivum shaman ("The one who stole my heart in the cover of darkness") and the haunting loss in Rum gayem sheehshass ("My mirror split") lingered in the collective memory of Kashmiris. Among her most beloved pieces was Mashravthas janan ("My love, you’ve forgotten me"), a poignant poem by Rasa
Javidani.
Through the turbulence of the 1970s and 1980s, when political unrest disrupted everyday life in the Valley, Raj Begum’s dignified voice on Radio Kashmir became, for many, one of the few constants—a sound of continuity amidst uncertainty. She retired in 1986 and spent her later years with her family, passing away in 2016 at her daughter’s home in Chanapora.
Her contributions were recognized with several honors: the Padma Shri in 2002, the Jammu and Kashmir State Award for Excellence in Folk Music in 2008, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2013. Her life and music inspired Songs of Paradise, a feature film that dramatizes her story, capturing how the "Nightingale of Kashmir" sang her way through the crosswinds of politics, tradition, and change.
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