We live in a time and age where every day hundreds of voices are recorded and heard. But do you know who the first singers were whose songs were recorded? Some may know, some may not. Tuesday marks the birth anniversary of one such personality - Gauhar Jaan. Born as Eileen Angelina Yeoward in Azamgarh on June 26, 1873, Gauhar Jaan is believed to be one of India’s first-ever recorded singer. On the special occasion of Gauhar Jaan’s 145th birth anniversary, search engine giant Google has presented its users with a very bright, colourful and a tad quirky doodle. This creation has got us hooked to know more about the charismatic Indian singer and dancer to recording music on 78 rpm records in India, and released by Gramophone Company of India.

Google is not only helpful for our thousands of searches throughout the day and night, but at times it presents us with exciting stories of magnificent personalities by itself to open the closed doors of our mind. The tale of Gauhar Jaan with an impactful Google doodle on her birth anniversary is just one such beautiful reminder by the internet giant.

Aditi Damle illustrates the beautiful doodle. The creative boasts of all the right elements from Gauhar Jaan’s life and illustrious career. As you can see from the beautiful creative, it presents the singer wearing finest of clothes and jewellery, a phonograph in the background as she holds a red rose and a white cat in her right hand. The story behind having the cat is undoubtedly the most interesting elements of them all.

It is believed a rich and famous Gauhar Jaan loved flaunting her wealth. At one such occasion, it is said that the performer splurged Rs 1200 to celebrate the marriage of her pet cat. There is another version of the story as well in which it is said that she spent Rs 20,000 for a party after her pet cat gave birth to a litter of kittens! That is the mystery behind her holding a cat in this Google Doodle.

But above all the examples of ostentation, Gauhar Jaan was a talented artiste who worked hard to attain the level of stardom she enjoyed. She was of American descent, and after her parents divorced, her mother Victoria Hemmings, an Indian by birth shifted with her to Banaras with a Muslim nobleman. She changed her name to Malka Jaan while renamed Angelina's name to 'Gauhar Jaan'. A young Gauhar received her formal training in singing and dancing in Calcutta.

From giving her maiden performance at the royal courts of Darbhanga Raj to popularising light Hindustani classical music with her thumri, dadra, kajri, chaiti, bhajan, tarana renditions, Gauhar Jaan finally made an unforgettable place in Indian musical history after India's first recording sessions included Gauhar Jaan, singing a khayal in Raag Jogiya, recorded by Fred Gaisberg of the Gramophone Company. That was Gauhar Khan or should we end this in the legendary singer’s style - 'My name is Gauhar Jaan'.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 26, 2018 12:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).