Zohrabai Agrewali was one of the most noted and influential singers of Hindustani Classical Music

Hindustani classical music

Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...

 from the early 1900s. Along with Gauhar Jan, she marks the dying phase of the courtesan

Courtesan

A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...

 singing tradition in Indian classical music. She is known for her macho

Macho

Macho typically refers to machismo. Other uses include:*Macho , a short-lived disco group in the late 1970s*Pique macho, Bolivian dish*Macho Man , a 1978 disco song performed by the Village People...

 style of singing.

Early life and background

She belonged to the Agra gharana

Agra gharana

Agra Gharana is a tradition of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi....

 (lit. Agrewali = from Agra

Agra

Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...

). She was trained by Ustad Sher Khan, Ustad Kallan Khan and the noted composer Mehboob Khan (Daras Piya).

Performing career

She was known both for khayal as well as lighter varieties including Thumri and Ghazals which she learned from Ahmad Khan of Dhaka

Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...

.
Her singing influenced Ustad Faiyaz Khan

Faiyaz Khan

Ustad Faiyaz Khan is so far the best known exponent of Agra Gharana in Hindustani classical music. He was the master khayal vocalist of his time. Born at Sikandara near Agra in 1886 , he was the son of Shabr Hussain, who died three months before his birth...

, the greatest name in the Agra Gharana in modern times, and even Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of the Patiala Gharana

Patiala Gharana

The Patiala gharana is one of the most prominent gharanas of vocal Hindustani classical music. It was initially sponsored by the Maharaja of Patiala, Punjab, which was famous for ghazal, thumri, and khyal.-History:...

 held her in high regard.

Only short pieces by her survive in a number of 78 rpm recordings, including the notable 1909 pieces matki more re goras in raga Jaunpuri

Jaunpuri

Jaunpuri is a rāga in Hindustani classical music in the Asavari thaat. Some experts like Pandit Omkarnath Thakur consider it indistinguishable from the shuddha rishabh Asavari.The name of the rāga associates it with Jaunpur in northern Uttar Pradesh....

 or dekhen ko man lalchay (Sohni

Sohni

Sohni is a raga in Hindustani classical music in the Marwa thaat. It may be spelt Sohani, Sohini,Sohinee or even Shohini.It is an extremely melodious raga.-Technical Description:...

).