Kajri - Kaaray Badra Ray - Girija Devi, Probha Devi, Dali Rahut, Jaita Pandey

Kajri: According to a folk tale of Mirzapur, there was woman called Kajli whose husband was in a distant land. Monsoon arrived and separation became unbearable. She began to cry at the feet of the Kajmal Goddess and these cries took the form of the popular Kajri songs.
Come monsoon... and it brings relief from the sizzling hot summer.
Come the black clouds... and separation from the beloved become unbearable.
Each bolt of lightning hits straight at the heart and makes it beat faster.
Kajri, the songs of longing are the outbursts of a woman overwhelmed by desire.

Derived from the word Kajal meaning Kohl, Kajris are sung by classical and semi classical musicians. There are two forms of Kajri singing in UP, one that is sung on a performance platform and the other sung by women dancing in a semi-circle, the 'Dhunmuniya Kajri'.

Singers:

Girija Devi (b. May 8, 1929, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India) is an Indian singer and represents the Banaras Gharana of singers. She is adept at different genres of Hindustani vocal music including Khyal, Thumri, Dadra, Chaiti and Kajari, but she excels in the Poorab ang Thumri. She has been described as the last living queen of thumri. Her father Ramdeo Rai was a local Zaminadar and interested in classical Indian music. He initiated his daughter's musical training when she was five years old. Her gurus were Pandit Sarju Prasad Mishra and Shrichand Mishra. Her first public recital (1949) from All India Radio, Allahabad, followed by recitals from stage at Arrah, Bihar, were highly appreciated. During her active singing career, she has rendered her recitations in several parts of India, as also in other parts of the world, including the U.S., the former USSR, and several countries of Europe. Girija Devi was rendered Padma Shree in 1972, and the Padma Bhushan in 1989, which are among the highest civilian awards of the Republic of India. A documentary - Girija, has also been made in her honour by the government of India.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• girija
• devi
• Kajri
• UP
• utter
• pardesh
• monsoon
• Varanasi
• Hindustan
• classical
• shastriya
• thumri
• dadra
• rag
• raga
• Banaras
• gharana
• agra
• benaras

[biltuburo]

The song as i gathered is Kaale bhanwara re, and not kaale badra re. doesnot really matter.its a superb rendition.

[veejaynarain]

sooooooooooo pleasant to listen; superb

[akumarut]

This is an amazing song. One of the best I have ever heard! I became a fan of Ms. Girija Devi almost instantaneously. What a melodious song!! Thanks for positng this song my friend. Best wishes from Miami, Florida.

[isha36]

yo thnx for uploading...i needed to get in touch wih my land..and i greatly appreciate ur effort

[doubleleo]

great song. Hey the first line sounds like. Kale Bavra Re. Which is Bee.

[bhupendraness]

Marvallous !!!

[arifkhan100]

Avery sweet, melodious Kajri. Its such a treat to hear these almost extinct folk renditions in honour of the monsoons.

Thank you for sharing with us all.

An admirer of Kajris

[sticky4rod]

kajri was sung by females who felt sad because their husbands were away especially when the monsoon had already started and that season makes one more longing for the lover.

those husbands had usually gone for an extended period of job called naukari which suually involved mercenary soldeiring in different princes -Rajas -of 17th to 19th centuries.those soldeirs were mostly from UP and Bihar.

that is how kajri -a sad song sung by wifes left at home-came about.

[anagarik]

kajari - kya kehna. ye shayad you tube per pahali hongi. kuch samay pahle maine search kiya tha, to kuch nahien mila tha. ye anmol ratan hain. aapke liye dil ki gaharai se dua nikal rahi hai :)