Dipali Nag was the undisputed first lady of raga-based Bengali songs.

Vidushi Dipali Nag was born (in Darjeeling, 22nd February, 1922) in an era when bais, devis and dancing jaans reigned supreme. While listening to gharanedar ustads was a style statement amongst the elite, learning music from them was taboo. Public performances by girls belonging to noble families were unheard of even in Bengal, more so in comparatively conservative Uttar Pradesh of yore where girls did not step out even for formal school education. But Dipali Nag (nee Talukdar) did all that and much more with the encouragement of her father, a professor of History settled in Agra. Apart from learning classical music from Ustad Tasadduq Hussain Khan, Bashir Khan and later from the Aftab-e-Mousiqui Ustad Faiyaz Khan, she pursued academics in co-ed colleges and was groomed to walk and talk and play hostess like a perfect lady by a British governess. She was well-versed with Avadh's traditional tehzeeb so deeply enshrined in its music.

At 17, she mesmerised the undivided Bengal with her debut record of a raga pradhan Bangla gaan penned by Kazi Nazrul Islam. A brief encounter with the confident girl was enough for the legendary ‘rebel' poet to entrust his “Megho meduro barashaye” to be tuned by her. She simply fitted the lyrics on “More mandir ajahoon nahi aaye”, a traditional bandish in raga Jaijaiwanti. And it became a rage. She was hailed as the ‘First Lady of Raga Pradhan Bangla Gaan'. A young Dipali was humbled by this and much later she would always refer to it as “Phanka maathe goal diyechilam” (I posted a goal in an empty ground because I had no competitor!)

No looking back

After that there was no looking back. Ustad Faiyaz Khan's recommendation saw her as an AIR artiste. Chaperoned by her father she would participate in concerts and come back without steeling even a glance at the dazzling beauty of singers like Begum Akhtar, leave alone striking a conversation with them. A devotee of everything beautiful, she could not get over those chance meetings all her life.

Her marriage with Dr. Basanti Dulal Nag Chowdhury gave her all the independence with its share of responsibilities. She created a flutter by successfully accompanying her ustad during a Calcutta event. Her uncomplicated raga rendition in deep, emotive, true Agra style became connoisseur's delight. Besides, the intrinsic qualities of a well-groomed lady flowered manifolds and she emerged as a feted composer, teacher, hostess, , compere, administrator, organiser and critic.

While accompanying her husband on his foreign assignment, she studied musicology at London's Trinity College. As the wife of an eminent scientist who was in the advisory committee of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, she suddenly found herself in the corridors of power. Their Delhi residence was more famous for warm baithaks featuring the best performing musicians of India and Pakistan.

During their earlier stay in Calcutta, she founded a choral group called Saptasur. Later, its Delhi branch became as active. She was in the experts' panel of AIR and when ITC Sangeet Research Academy was founded in Kolkata, she was invited as the head of its Scientific Research Department and member of its expert committee. She held the position for almost 30 years. But it was Saptasur, both in Kolkata and Delhi, which she mothered and cherished with all her might. She kept shuttling between the two cities to keep it going till recently.

A cerebral attack and brief illness brought the curtains down on her super active, multifaceted, illustrious life on 20th December at her son's residence in Gandhinagar. But her name will remain synonymous to stylish persona, polished respectability of highly educated and enviable grace in the arena of classical music.