Was Gauhar Jaan the first Indian singer to record a song? Strictly speaking, no. The record goes to Sashi Mukhi, who also belonged to the theatre in the city. The place was Great Eastern Hotel, the date November 8, 1902. American sound engineer Fred Gaisberg arrived with a lot of equipment but he needed someone to test whether it was working to perfection. Sashi came to the room to help Fred test his equipment. The test was a grand success though the American engineer did not particularly praise her voice.
The song that Sashi recorded was Ami Ki Sanjani Kusumeri Mala. The entire information is recorded in a book titled Bengali Female Singers On Gramophone Records In British India (Vol 1) compiled by Deba Prasad Das and Prama Das. With the equipment tested to his satisfaction, Gauhar recorded her legendary song three days later on November 11.
On November 8, another girl from the theatre circuit named Fani Bala came to Fred’s room to test the equipment. She sang another Bengali song, Saral Maney Saral Praney.
However, these were trial runs and therefore sank into oblivion. A viral video recently brought this fascinating chapter of cultural history back to life. Discussing the intricacies of the era, a prominent music historian notes that this lost timeline is also corroborated by Michael S Kinnear’s meticulously researched book The Gramophone Company’s First Indian Recordings, 1899-1908.
"Her contribution has been largely overshadowed by the towering persona of Gauhar Jaan, but she remains the genuine trailblazer," the music historian explains in the clip.
Because Sashi lacked the royal patronage and immense fame that Gauhar commanded, her pioneering achievement was relegated to the margins of history. Today, this revelation is rewriting our understanding of Indian music's technological beginnings. It serves as a beautiful reminder that behind the most celebrated cultural milestones there are often unsung heroes who quietly set the stage.
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