Gauhar Jaan
Indian singer and dancer (1873 – 1930)
Why this is trending
Interest in “Gauhar Jaan” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-26.
Categorised under Entertainment, this article fits a familiar pattern. Articles in the entertainment category often trend when tied to award ceremonies, film releases, celebrity news, or viral social media moments.
GlyphSignal tracks these patterns daily, turning raw Wikipedia traffic data into a curated feed of what the world is curious about. Every spike tells a story.
Key Takeaways
- Gauhar Jaan (born Angelina Yeoward ; 26 June 1873 – 17 January 1930) was an Indian singer and dancer from Kolkata.
- She was one of the first preferences for audio houses to record music on the then-new 78rpm record in India circa 1902.
- Her father, Robert William Yeoward, worked as an engineer in a dry ice factory, and married her mother, Adeline Victoria Hemmings, in 1872.
- Vicky as she was called had been trained in music and dance.
- Later, Victoria converted to Islam and changed Angelina's name to 'Gauhar Jaan' and hers to 'Malka Jaan'.
Gauhar Jaan (born Angelina Yeoward; 26 June 1873 – 17 January 1930) was an Indian singer and dancer from Kolkata. Popularly known as the gramophone girl, they were India's first celebrity singer. She was one of the first preferences for audio houses to record music on the then-new 78rpm record in India circa 1902.
Early life
Gauhar Jaan was born as Eleen Angelina Yeoward on 26 June 1873 in Azamgarh, to a family of Armenian descent. Her father, Robert William Yeoward, worked as an engineer in a dry ice factory, and married her mother, Adeline Victoria Hemmings, in 1872. Victoria herself, was the daughter of Hardy Hemmings, a British soldier and a local Hindu woman named Rukmini in Allahabad and had a sister Vela. Vicky as she was called had been trained in music and dance.
In 1879 the marriage ended, causing hardships to both mother and daughter, who moved to Banaras in 1881, with a Muslim man, 'Khursheed'. Later, Victoria converted to Islam and changed Angelina's name to 'Gauhar Jaan' and hers to 'Malka Jaan'.
Career
In time, Victoria (now 'Malka Jaan') became an accomplished singer, Kathak dancer and a tawaif in Banaras, and made a name for herself, as Badi Malka Jan; she was called Badi (elder) because at that time three other Malka Jans were famous: Malka Jan of Agra, Malka Jan of Mulk Pukhraj and Malka Jan the Chulbuli, and she was the eldest amongst them.
Content sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0
