Zohra Bai Ambala Wali (1918-90)
Zohra Bai Ambala Wali
A noted classical singer, Zohra bai Ambale wali belonged to the first generation playback singers of Hindi cinema. Born into an orthodox Muslim family, Zohrabai’s introduction to music was through the gramophone records playing in her home in Ambala (now in the Punjab).
Recognizing her musical talent, Zohrabai’s grandfather put her under the tutelage of Ghulam Hussain Khan and Ustad Nasir Hussain Khan. The latter trained her in the Agra gharana (school) of Hindustani music, and it was this robust, unrestrained style of singing that Zohrabai brought to film music.
She began her career as a radio artiste, singing mainly classical and semi-classical numbers. She also cut albums with HMV, the leading gramophone company of the time. Music Director Vasant Desai gave Zohrabai her first film song in the historical drama, Shakuntala (1943). She subsequently sang for music director Naushad Ali in Rattan, delivering such hits as Aai Diwali aai Diwali and Akhiyan mila ke, jiya bharma ke. In fact, most of the singer’s famous songs, including those in Anmol Ghadi, Mela, and Jadoo, were to come under the music direction of Naushad Ali.
Zohrabai retired at the peak of her career to help her daughter, the noted kathak dancer Roshan Kumari – (Source :- Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema)
Did you know?
According to Hindi Film Geet Kosh, Zohra Bai sang the most number of songs between 1941-1950 (more than 1000 songs!), making her the most prolific singer of that decade – Mr Jinx
Note
Article’s claim that Zohra Bai’s debut song was for film Shakuntala (1943) is doubtful. If you have any information, please contact us at cineplot@yahoo.com or leave a comment.
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sir I wish to know the lyrics of a song sung by Zohra bai in a film {1945}the words of which are as:
NAINO ME KRISHNA MURARI HAIN, MANKE BIHARI HAIN.
The best part above is a two line note of Mr.Jinx.I want to be his Shagird.Wah bai Wah.
The earliest song listings of Zohrabai Ji available are from Jawani Diwani (1934) with Rafique Ghaznavi as music director. She may have also acted in some 30s films as then there was no playback (esp. pre-35)
Yeah, that is what I thought too. I don’t think that her first song was for Shakuntala (1943).Thanks for providing more info on her.
I also read a 1938 article in http://www.hindi-films-songs.com that Zohrabai’s first song was for Anil Biswas in Surendra starrer Gramphone Singer (1938).
Hi Mr Jinx. How are you? Hope everything is allrght. I am sorry to say but this Bollywood Zohrabai was not a classical singer. There was another singer with the same name and she was a classical singer. She had never sung in a movie. This Zohrabai or Zohrajaan was not a classical singer
Radjesh
Hello Rajdesh!
Nice to see you back! I think you are right, Zohra Bai was not a classical singer. I think they confused her with Zohra Bai AgreWali who was a noted classical singer. I will update the article later. “Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema: An Enchanting Close-Up of India’s Hindi Cinema (Britannica)” has quite a few errors and omissions.
Zohrabai was definitely trained in classical music but Zohrabai Agrewali was completely different, of course. Amabalewali’s early songs were during Agrewali’s demise (1939).
What Rajdesh meant was that Zohra Bai was not a classical singer. Ofcourse, she was classically trained like Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan. And like Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan, her main forte was film music.