Thumri - Kahe Piya Bin Chain

Hirabai Barodekar (1905–1989) was an Indian classical vocalist of the Kirana gharana known for her renditions of thumri, dadra, and khayal. Her work preserved the traditional styles of Benares and Lucknow thumri while incorporating the technical rigor of the Kirana school. Saregama released The Great Heritage: Hirabai Barodekar in 2011 as a compact disc compilation featuring archival recordings of her performances.

The album includes Kahe Piya Bin Chain as its fourth track. Barodekar performs this thumri in a duration of 3 minutes and 16 seconds. The composition exemplifies her control over sargam taan and emotional phrasing, characteristics of her interpretive style. The recording captures her use of bol-banao (lyrical improvisation) and subtle meend (glissando) techniques, hallmarks of the Benares thumri tradition.

The release date of the compilation aligns with Saregama’s broader efforts in the 2010s to digitize and reissue historical Indian classical recordings. The CD format allowed for remastered audio quality while retaining the original analog warmth of Barodekar’s performances. No additional session musicians or accompanists are documented in the available context for this specific track. Further details about the recording location, original session date, or collaborating artists remain unverified in public sources.