Smt. Jayavanti Hirebet - A Tribute

First Encounter

Year - December 2015

Event - Sawai Gandharva Mahotsava

On the last evening, as usual, Pt. Upendra Bhat was performing and before starting off his rendition of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi's Bhagyada Lakshi Baramma, he had mentioned about a version by a lady named Smt. Jayavanti Hirebet, that he used to sing when young.

I was interested in finding if this version mentioned by Pt. Bhat was the one we too sang in our homes, and found it easily on youtube. It was slightly different from the version we sang, but it was no mistaking that my Grandma and her daughters had been inspired from here.

Second Encounter

I discovered the absolutely mesmerizing version of Endaro Mahanubhavulu, by Chittoor Nagaiah, from his super hit movie, Tyagaiah ('46), based on the life of Tyagaraja Swami. Slowly i realised that each and every song from this movie is a masterpiece. Most of them have been performed by Nagaiah garu himself, in his chaste and beautiful manner, as well as by B. Jayamma, who played the role of Dharmamba, Tyagaiah's dharmapatni.

Tyagaiah - Film Poster

The movie (thankfully available on youtube) has a scene, when Maharaja Sarabhoji enters his darbar, and is mesmerized by the performance of a Hindustani singer. The actress performing the song was both pretty as well as a proficient singer. Curiosity to find out about her, pointed out to one Jayavanti Devi from Mysore. A little more digging made me realise that she is none other than 19 years old Smt. Hirebet!!

Credits - Jayavanthi - Court Singer

As a court singer

I have snipped the scene, for anyone wishing to see it.

Also, the track for listening is below (with some basic improvements)



The association of Shri. Nagaiah and young Jayavanti seems to have been beyond this movie, as they had collaborated on an entire album containing her famous Kannada bhajanas, including the famous version of Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma was recorded and composed by Nagaiah himself.

The version is here. Check the LP image carefully:)

About Smt. Hirebet

There have been many great artistes, whose lives have been not adequately documented and popularized due to many reasons. This is a humble attempt at sharing a little about her life, from material available online.

Jayavantidevi Hirebet (of ‘Bhagyada Lakshmi’ fame)

1927-2018

Sushama Arur, Goa

Jayavantidevi Dinkar Hirebet recently passed away in the month of May at the ripe age of 91 largely unsung and unheard at Pune’s ‘Athashri’, a home for the old. My brother, Prakash Burde, had visited Jayavanti at her Athashri house in Pune along with his daughter Aparna probably in 2010/11 where he had recorded an interview with her as he was prone to documenting music and musicians. In her last two decades,she spent her time in the serene and beautiful surroundings amidst the sound of birds. She would speak in Konkani to mainas and sparrows who were her regular visitors. After having tasted the glamour world in her younger days as a singer and an actor, in later life this smiling and soft-spoken lady had kept away from the hubbub. Born to Sitadevi and Shri Ramanand Padukone in Puttur, South Kanara district of Karnataka, Jayavanti had the privilege of being born in a highly cultured family. Shri Ramanand Padukone was known for the writing of humorous essays in Kannada. Her grandfather Narasingrao was a sculptor. Jayavanti’s uncle Shri Prabhakar was a profound singer, tabla and dilruba player. Their house was naturally a centre of literary, musical and dance activities and young Jayavanti was brought up in this atmosphere. Her two sisters too — Chandrabhaga Devi (who went on to become very famous) and Yashodhara — were dancers.

Jayavanti initially learned music from her mother, and later got trained in Carnatic music from B.G Ramnath of Madras. She was an ‘A grade artist’ on AIR Dharwad and Bangalore. She cut many records with HMV. Her popular songs are based on lyrics of great Kannada poets of Karnataka Unification Times or from Dasa Sahitya ( Kanaka or Purandhar) “Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma”, “Tallanisadiru ele manave”, “Huva taruvara manege hulla taruva”, “Sadaa yen Hrudayadalli”, Kannada ace poet K.S Narasimha Swami’s poems “Hattu Varushada Hinde”, “Mattura Santeyalli”, and “Attitta Sulidavaru Neevallave?”. These lyrics were set to music and sung by her in 1948 and they continue to retain their freshness.

After her marriage to Dinakar Rao, she moved to Pune where she continued her pursuit of learning, took to Hindustani classical music and learnt to sing Marathi and Hindi light music (bhavgeet) from music director, Yashvant Deo, from 1950-60. She also honed her skills by learning from Babanrao Navadikar as well, another music director.

Jayavanti also had an opportunity to sing in Udayshankar’s internationally famed, exceptional dance-drama movie called ‘Kalpana’. She sang along with Devilal Samar, ‘Sadiyonke hosha me’ and probably ‘Bahti jaa’ too. Prakash who was bent upon identifying the female voice from this movie had got the answer!

Jayavanti was in a nostalgic mood the day Prakash and Aparna met with her. She pulled out a documentary made on her three years ago by the Karnataka Government. In this 40 min documentary, they depicted Jayavanti’s acting-singing role in the film, “Tyaagayya” ( poet laureate Tyagaraj during Tanjavur Maratha king Sarabhoji’s times) in which she had sung a ghazal. Directed by V. Nagayya in 1944, Jayavanti must have been a pretty lass of 17 years. Jayavanti reminisced, “There was strong opposition from my father for further music learning, but my uncle persuaded and took all the responsibility of training me. He bought a Dilruba and taught me to play.” The documentary showed her uncle playing the dilruba very efficiently. The making of the documentary, however, was quite stressful at the time as Jayavanti had recently lost her husband and her health was not very good at the time.

Jayavanti also shared some bitter experiences from her days as a singer with Prakash and Aparna. During the conversation, Aparna brought up the song ‘Saang Lakshman Saang’ sung by Geeta Dutt. Jayavanti had a story related to this song, written by Ga Di Madagulkar of Geet Ramayan fame. Jayavanti told them that Geeta Dutt used to come to learn Marathi songs along with her from Babanrao Navadikar who was a music director. Most of his songs were sung by Jayavanti and she had already done rehearsals for the ‘Saang Lakshman Saang’. But, at the last minute, HMV decided that Geeta Dutt would sing the song because she had star value!

Jayavanti did not take this setback personally because she knew Geeta Dutt was genuine who always felt guilty aboutsinging this song, and till the end she reiterated that the song belonged to Jayavanti. Jayavanti only rued the unfairness in the industry for some playback singers who did the rehearsals only to be replaced by a famous singer. Despite these hurdles, Jayavantidevi Hirebet, the melodious singer of Kannada light music did achieve welldeserved recognition when she was awarded with the prestigious first ever ‘Shishunala Sharif Prashasti’ in 1997 for being the early bird of Kannada Sugam Sangit. Akashvani Bangalore’s interview with Prakash Burde on Jayavanti Hirebet was later added to the documentary which was specially made for the occasion.

Jayavanti could have been a bigger name if she would have remained in Karnataka. Just when she was getting recognition as a singer she had to move to Pune, a transition which every woman faces after marriage. But she had no regrets, she said. She continued to sing in Kannada Associations and in Akashavani Mumbai, and will always be remembered as one of the pioneers of the tradition of singing Kannada lyrics.(Sugama Sangeet).

May Her Soul Rest in Peace.

Courtesy - Prakash Burde’s ‘Sangit Sarasi’

References-

1. http://www.kamat.com/database/janata/jayawanti_hirebet.htm 
2. http://www.kanarasaraswat.in/Admin/Master/MagzineDocs.aspx?MagzineID=a3d7a117-e594-4db6-a362-8ef6228e1541&FileName=2018%2008%20final%20issue.pdf