20 March 2016. Behind the Nautanki stage in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh.

Nanda Devi, 70 speaks of her half century life in Nautanki, a traditional art form of northern India.   

At around 19th Min of this podcast joins Master Munna Lal, another veteran Nautanki artiste of Hathras style. 

In another podcast you may listen Master Munna Lal at length where Nanda Devi also can be heard singing and talking in between.

Produced by Irfan

26 August 2018, Pune, Residence of singer Shaila Datar | 

During my research for a documentary on the history of Marathi Theatre I met Shaila Datar. Here are some excerpts of her singing and an informal chats. Veteran art critic Sulabha Teranikar and Prachi Deval can also be heard in the recording. My friend cameraman Anirban Sadhu also is there with his baritone instructive voice to his team.

Born in 1953 in a family of musicians and music teachers, Shaila was trained in tabla and vocals by her parents Manohar and Leela Sardesai. During the early years she was lucky to receive the training form veteran songer Pandit Vasantrao Deshpande. She married Sudhir Datar, the grand son of legendary maestro Bhaskarbua Bakhle. She received her early training in classical music from her husband who is a disciple of Pandit Ram Marathe.

Shaila contributes greatly to dissemination and reaserch on music. Her deeply researched biography of Pandit Bhaskarbua Bakhle-  Devgandharva is a significant contribution to the research in music and theatre in Maharashtra. She has received several State Government and Literary Awards for her books. She has produced Radio programs and Documentary films on artists like Master Krishna Rao, Master Dinanath Mangeshkar

Documentary on the history of Marathi Theatre can be seen here Part 1 & Part 2

Recorded at Rajendra Bhawan, 18 November 2017, New Delhi

8th October 2015

I have visited the poet and journalist Veeren Dangwal (5 August 1947 - 28 September 2015) a couple of times when he was staying with his son in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.

This recording have some of his unpublished poems which he recited for me and a casual gup shup.

Image: My son Abaan, 10 years at that time,

Recorded at Rajendra Bhawan, 18 November 2017, New Delhi

Talking about his colleagues and the senior writers to whom he met.

Recorded on 26 October, 2020, SNA, New Delhi

About Vijay Singh

Known for his wit and insuppressible will to fight against odds, Vijay Singh is a theatre activist. He is based in Delhi and works at Sangeet Natak Academy as a coordinator cultural events. Well versed in Punjabi he is also presenting news and programs in AIR, New Delhi. For more than 2 decades he is working for FM Gold as a Radio Jockey. As an actor he did many plays in and around Delhi. A well travelled cultural personality Vijay Singh has a deep understanding of human being and has a heart to empathize fellow human beings.

He has performed Manto's Shaheedsaaz as a solo performer many times across the nation.

One of his personal account can be heard here too.  

Followed by so many poems.

Recorded in 2001

Device: Magnetic Tape Recorder

Digitized: My digital station 2007

Poem 1: Sarnath Ki Ek Shaam

Poem 2: Ishwar Agar Maine Arbi mein Prarthana Ki

Recorded in New Delhi, 1994

Image courtesy Google

Recorded in New Delhi, 1994

Image courtesy junputh.com