I have written about this remarkable man in a previous post. Sadly he has died at the age of 96. I had visited him in the distant western suburbs not long ago, and as always it was a pleasure to meet him. Certainly his hearing was going, as was the eyesight, which was all too bad because the brain was faultless. He was also with a loving family. Of that there is no doubt. I think it was a remarkable relationship he had with Gita, her two talented children who grew up with deewanji, and her caring husband. I would like also to mention the most extraordinary friend he had- Mahipal Singh, the Meherwal (raja) of Dungarpur. I had the privilege of visiting Dungarpur with Diwanji a few years ago and respected an uncommon friendship (in Gujarati, excluding me). The respect Mahipal Singh gave to Diwanji was based on a shared love of classical music but went beyond that. Diwanji anticipated his yearly visits to Dungarpur as an occasion for his knowledge to be given the respect it deserved which I think some of us felt was not often the case in Mumbai. After 1st class train travel became difficult, Mahipal Singh provided airfare from Mumbai to Dungarpur via Udaipur for Diwanji, then when that was difficult to negotiate sent his car with chauffeur to Mumbai to bring Diwanji to Dungarpur. Every week, I believe it was on Saturdays Mahipal Singh spoke with Diwanji on the telephone. That was a bond of friendship that is a tribute to two great men. I would like these two relationships- with Gita and her family, and Mahipal Singh, to be at least acknowledged and my condolences to those who were so close to Diwanji. I certainly do not want the great love between Nicolas Magriel and Diwanji to go unremarked. I was also witness to that special relationship and the dedication of his (and Lalita DuPerron’s) masterwork ” The Songs of Khayal” to Diwanji is an impressive tribute. It is thanks to Nicolas that I came in contact with Diwanji. I was enthralled with Diwaji’s anecdotes and have video recorded some. Maybe Nicolas has as well along with his precious hours of talim with Diwanji. There was no hyperbole in his stories. It was as he said, whether it was stories about the drinking sessions with the great Latafat Hussain Khan (D. providing the booze) , or the friendship with Ravi Shankar when he first came to Bombay. He was a totally credible witness to a fascinating era in classical music, whether it was his friend Tiwari with his audio-graphic memory of any tune, no matter how long or complex, or his reverential memories of his meetings with Siddheshwari Devi. How extraordinary it was that despite all his vivid memories of Fayyaz Khan (the supreme), Siddheshwari, Begum Ahktar, and so many others he was interested in and appreciated any unrecognized newcomer as much as the big names. Unlike so many in the world of classical music he seemed to begin with the assumption that the music is good, the artist is sincere, trying to give the best they can, and that can’t be such a bad thing! I admired his guileless positive attitude and tried to emulate it. Diwanji was not part of the classical music world the world of cliques, backbiting, insecurity,money,politics and condemnations. Values of simplicity, directness and modesty were a part of his life. I wish that his life had been better appreciated and his witness of an era in classical music a valued part of recorded history. For this great connoisseur of classical music and especially thumri, with his vast collection of recordings there was a favorite recording. He recounted hearing Siddheshwari Devi’s dadra “Jhamake Jhuke ayi” on the radio years ago and it had had a profound impact. It is sad for us who loved him that he is gone.
