Indian Music: Selective Discographies
(1916-2006)
List of 78 rpm recordings – Saraswati Rane
(some of these records were issued under her maiden name: Saraswati Mane)
Odeon Records
1 SB 2097 S 1029 Na Bolo Shyam – SARANG
S 1030 Chalo Sakhi Khele – HORI
2 SB 2135 S 1523 Padari Ghyave Ya Jana – DURGA
S 1554 Disat Na Tujvina – SINDHURA (Comp. By Mr.Vasant. S. Desai)
3 SB 2153 S 1503 – MAND
S 1524
4 SB 2218 S 2159 Ha Prem Padi Ramla – BHOOP (Comp. By Mr.Vasantrao. S. Desai)
S 2217 Ja Jhani Ganga Kinari – MAND (Tunes & Comp. By Mr. D. P. Korgaonkar)
Columbia Records
5 GE-3198 S 2740-1 Hrudayat Majhiya Tun Sauli – BHAVGEET
S 2742-1 Majhya Mani Tujhya Mani Ekach Lage – BHAVGEET (Comp. – M.G.Rangnekar)
6 GE-3202 S 2744 Shinali Hari Re Kiti Vaat Baghuniya
S 2746 Nako Nako Re Soduni Jaun (Comp. by M.G.Rangnekar, Tune by Dhamankhan)
7 GE-3207 S 2741 Tun Ja Dur, Ja Dur Re- BHAVGEET
S 2745 Kan Hasata Majhya Preetila – BHAVGEET (Comp. b M.G.Rangnekar)
8 GE-3297 CEI 13865 Khachit Bai Na Kale Kaise – “KANYADAN”
CEI 13866 Prempash Vaya Kan Davisire – “KANYADAN”
(From Adarsha Natyalaya’s Marathi drama – ‘Kanyadan’)
(Comp. M. G. Rangnekar. Music : Shridhar Parsekar)
9 GE-3308 CEI 13884 Ghanashyam Nayani Aala
CEI 13885 Ja Gheuni Sandesh Pakhara (Comp : G. D. Madgulkar
10 GE-3459 CEI 18956 Kiti Kiti Sangu Tula Ga – From ‘Saubhadra’
CEI 18957 Nayani Tyjhya Aansoo Yetil Ka (Comp : G. D. Madgulkar)
11 GE-3550 CEI 18965 Jobnare Lalaiyya – CHANDRAKAUNS
CEI 21436 Mora Manava Jogi – THUMRI
12 GE 3926 CEI 27129 Meri Pukar Sun Le – Part 1
CEI 27130 Meri Pukar Sun Le – Part 2
[From Hindi Film – ‘Mahasati Tulsi Vrinda’, Jayant Desai Productions]
13 GE-8164 CEI 21746 Jagi Hat Bhaga – `Ekach Pyala’
CEI 21747 Lalna Mana – `Ekach Pyala’ (Comp : V. S. Gurjar)
14 GE-8238 CEI 29067 Rusuni Ugich Krishna Sakhya
CEI 29068 Gade Priticha Pela Rita (Comp : S. A. Shukla, Music: Shridhar Parsekar)
15 GE-8391 CEI 21867 Maina Madhur Madhur Vach Bol
CEI 29130 Me Tujhich Na Re Radha Bala (Comp : S. A. Shukla, Music : Shridhar Parsekar)
16 GE-8454 CEI 29131 Olakhali Me Aapulya Manichi Hi
CEI 29198 Aasach Manjul Ga Kokila (Comp: G. K. Datar, Music: Shridhar Parsekar)
17 GE-8582 CEI 60164 Vihinbai Sambhala Ho
CEI 60165 Mangal Ghatika Aaj Ugavali (Comp : M. G. Patkar, Music : Shridhar Parsekar)
18 GE 8677 Nachate jalavari chandrabimba
Chandanyachya sagaraat
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Film music
19 GE 3847 He mana preetse jeevan
AMEERBAI KARNATAKI: Sunaun kya tujhe
[From Hameed Pictures: ‘Jeevan Ka Saaz’]
20 GE 3848 Preet Nagarki Reet
[AMEERBAI KARNATAKI: Sansarmen Dukha Sukha Hota Hai
[From Hameed Pictures: ‘Jeevan Ka Saaz’]
21 GE 3849 Sajani Prem Hai
[AMEERBAI KARNATAKI: Bichada Bachpan
[From Hameed Pictures: ‘Jeevan Ka Saaz’]
22 GE 3850 Sajanise Sajan Mil Gaye
[MASTER ASHRAF KHAN: Saki-e-Jahan]
[From Hameed Pictures: ‘Jeevan Ka Saaz’]
23 GE 3926 Meri Pukar Sunle – Part 1 & 2
[From Jayant Desai Productions: ‘Mahasati Tulsivrinda’]
24 GE 3927 Tu Kisliye Khamosh
Dikhade Dikhade Prabhu
[From Jayant Desai Productions: ‘Mahasati Tulsivrinda’]
25 GE 8445 Manda Manda Pavan Chale
[LALITA PHADKE: Mana Rota Hai]
[From Nav-Jhankar Productions: ‘Jay Bheem’]
———————————————————————
26 GE 23205 Kan Dur Ramraya
Abhaginiche Ek Magane [Lyric: Anil Bharati]
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Suresh Chandvankar, and to Mr. Kalyan Vanubhai Bhuta (Bombay) for help with the above. The photo is borrowed from, and hyperlinked to the Toronto Gharana website.
Short biographical Note on Saraswati Rane
Smt. Saraswati Mane/Rane alias Sakina [Chhotutai] was born in Miraj (October 1916). Sakina was the youngest daughter of the legendary maestro of the Kirana gharana, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan Sahib and Smt. Tarabai Mane. After separating from Karim Khan, Tarabai renamed all her children and Sakina became Kumari Saraswati Mane. The surname “Mane” was derived from her mother’s surname. Saraswati was initiated into music by her illustrious brother Sureshbabu Mane. After about 1930, she also learnt from her sister Smt. Hirabai Barodekar, Ustad Nathan Khan
(1889-1946) of the Jaipur gharana and Prof. B. R. Deodhar of the Gwalior gharana.
Working on stage in her mother’s ‘Nutan Sangeet Natak Mandali’, with luminaries like Bal Gandharva, Master Krishnarao, Vinayakbuwa Patwardhan, Sawai Gandharva and Meenakshi Shirodkar, musicals like ‘Soubhadra’, ‘Sanchaya Kollol’ and ‘Ekacha Pyala’ brought her fame. Between 1929 and
1933 she cut several discs with the ‘Odeon’ label under the name of Kumari Saraswati Mane, rendering Hindi Bhajans and Marathi Bhavgeet.
In the meantime, she married Mr. Sunderrao Rane. In the early 1940’s, she made recordings as a playback singer for movies such as ‘Paisa Bolto Aahe’ (Marathi, 1943). She also acted in a Marathi film ‘Savitri’, and later took to playback singing for Marathi and Hindi films. She provided playback to over 50 films. She sang in almost all the films produced by Acharya P. K. Atre. Her song ‘Beena madhur madhur vacha bol’ in raga Bhimpalas from the Hindi/Marathi film ‘Ram Rajya’ (Prakash Films) was most popular. Her songs were heard all over North India. Younger listeners will probably remember her rendering Raga Shudh Kalyan with her grand daughter Shrimati Meena Faterpekar in the movie ‘Bhumika’, directed by the renowned director Shyam Benegal.
Saraswati Rane cut over 200 songs on 78 rpm discs consisting of classical, light classical and film songs. She was probably one of the pioneering female playback singers of the Indian film industry.
However, in order to concentrate on the performance of Hindustani classical music, at one point in time she virtually stop accepting offers for playback singing. By then, she was a regular performer for All India Radio, and had also made several gramophone records with ‘Odeon’, ‘His Master’s Voice’, ‘Columbia’, and ‘Young India’ records, apart from her countrywide concert tours. Her renderings of Ragas Chandrakauns, Basant Bahar, Yaman and the immortal Marathi numbers ‘Ghanashyam Nayani Aalaa’, ‘Jaa Ghevuni Sandesh Pakhara’, the duets with her sister Hirabai Barodekar remain ever-popular. She also had the honour of singing the Maharashtra Geet on the very first Maharashtra Day, the 1st of May, along with her sister. She has also recorded a LP record of duet with her sister Heerabai Barodekar in 1960. She received several awards including the prestigious ITC Award 2006, presented at the ITC Sangeet Sammelan in Delhi.
She was very active in music circles and used to attend music programs and functions. She attended the Hirabai Barodekar birth centenary program at Sharada Sangeet Vidyalaya, Bandra in May 2006. She participated in this function and sang raga Todi. Smt. Saraswatibai Rane, the last living member of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan’s family passed away at Pune on Tuesday October 10, 2006.
[Note compiled by Suresh Chandvankar, Mumbai]
Last updated on 12 January 2007