In her time, she’s done all that she could for a popular genre of Hindustani classical music—Thumri. Girija Devi is 84 years old now, and she doesn’t perform as much as she used to earlier, but whenever she takes stage, she reminds everybody of how enchanting the romanticism of this ancient form of music can really be.
Performing with other classical artistes like Vidushi Uma Garg and Nabhodeep Chakraborty, Devi will be concluding a three-day Thumri festival being presented by Delhi Government’s Department of Art, Culture and Languages in association with Sahitya Kala Parishad.
While Thumri finds itself in a precarious cusp, with patronship decreasing by the day, government initiatives such as these seem to be its only hope, keeping it away from extinction. “Thumri’s history is quite interesting. Earlier, it was not considered high-class classical music but light music, which expressed feelings of all kinds, particularly romantic emotions. But with the advent of pop music, it’s losing its sheen,” says Niharika Rai, District Magistrate, South Delhi and Secretary, Sahitya Kala Parishad.
It remains to be seen whether a form of music that flourished a great deal under the patronage of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the fifth King of Oudh, will be able to drive back the enthusiasm it once enjoyed. Till that happens, this particular Thumri festival will continue to great music lovers with its romantic and spiritual subtext.