Neglected, forgotten, these are usually the epithets given to our great singers or dancers. But not Begum Akthar. If there's one singer who is more than remembered, more than heard, whose anniversaries, both birth and death, religiously marked or celebrated it is the Malika-e-Ghazal. October 7th was Begum Akthar's 100th birthday and October 30th, her 40th death anniversary. Lovers of her music don't necessarily need anniversaries to celebrate her. For journalists these two dates give us a good excuse to look at glimpses of Akthari's life, her music and events that mark her centenary celebration across the country.
