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When Namita is ten, her mother takes her to Kennedy Bridge, a seamy in Mumbai. There, in a cramped one room flat, lives Dhondutai. Despite her squalid surroundings, Dhondutai is special. For she is the only remaining student of the finest singers of the Jaipur gharana: the legendary Alladiya Khan and renowned songbird, Kesarbai Kerkar. Dhondutai is the keeper of the gharana’s secrets and of their rarest compositions. And yet for all her devotion to music, Dhondutai herself has never achieved fame. Namita begins to learn singing from Dhondutai, at first reluctantly and then with growing passion. Dhondutai sees in her a second Kesar, but does Namita have the dedication? Or will there always be too many late nights and cigarettes? The
Music Room is the story of Namita and her teacher; of the charismatic Alladiya Khan; and of the foul-mouthed and bewitching Kesarbai. At its heart is Dhondutai, shy, diffident yet full of determination. Beautifully written, full of anecdotes, gossip and legend, it is a stunning book.
ISBN - 9788184000122
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Pages : 320
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