Girija Devi - tappa in Raga Desh

An extract from a performance by Girija Devi, taken from the archives of the Asian Music Circuit. Girija Devi (Hindi: गिरिजा देवी), born 1929, is an Indian classical singer of the Banaras gharana. She performs classical and light classical music and has helped elevate the profile of thumri. Tappa is a form of Indian semi-classical vocal music. Its speciality is its rolling pace based on fast, subtle and knotty construction. Its tunes are melodious, sweet and depict the emotional outbursts of a lover. Tappas were sung mostly by songstresses, known as Baigees, in royal courts. Find out more at www.amc.org.uk