Mahatma Gandhi was an English Player!

[Tullochgorum]

I came across a passage early in Gandhi's autobiography where he describes watching a play as a child:

 

"The agonized lament of the parents over Shravana's death is still fresh in my memory. The melting tune moved me deeply, and I played it on a concertina which my father had purchased for me."

 

Additional information is sparse, but I did find the following image on Pinterest. This suggests that he played the English into later life. Unfortunately the original page is deleted, but there's an anonymous comment that claims he used it to play western classical music:

 

Though it seems he had an ambivalent relationship with the instrument, because I also found the following passage in his essay "The Music Of The Spinning Wheel":

Not on the clatter of arms depends the revival of her (India's) prosperity and true independence. It depends most largely upon re-introduction, in every home, of the music of the spinning wheel. It gives sweeter music and is more profitable than the execrable harmonium, concertina and accordion.

 

A search suggests that this hasn't been discussed on the site before. Does anyone have any more information to share?

[aeolina]

Great stuff. I can't stop thinking of both Alfred Balfour and Gandhi as concertina players!

[David Barnert]

3 hours ago, Tullochgorum said:

This suggests that he played the English into later life.

 

Doesn’t look like an English to me. I see three curved rows of keys, like a 30-key Anglo, but perhaps longer. And the end of a hand strap at the bottom corner of the instrument, as oriented in the picture. Most of the strap is hidden behind his hand.

 

Edited to add: Looking at it again, maybe it’s four rows. Jeffries Duet?

Edited October 28, 2024 by David Barnert

[Luke Hillman]

Looks like a 38-button Jeffries Anglo. You can see from the orientation of the keyboard and the hand strap that the side facing the camera is the right hand side. There is only one definite button under the main three rows, and it's in the center, which rules out the standard 40b layout and a four-row layout.

 

I can't help but wonder if the mahatma's concertina might have eventually found its way to a member of this forum...

Edited October 29, 2024 by Luke Hillman

[Luke Hillman]

22 hours ago, Tullochgorum said:

Though it seems he had an ambivalent relationship with the instrument, because I also found the following passage in his essay "The Music Of The Spinning Wheel"

 

My interpretation of that passage is that he's linking textile production to Indian independence and writing as strongly as he can to incite patriotic action, rather than hating on free reeds. Though who among our family members can't relate? Perhaps he's trying to manipulate parents here 😄

[DickT]

Anybody think that this is Photoshopped or am I missing something?

[Steve Schulteis]

17 minutes ago, DickT said:

Anybody think that this is Photoshopped or am I missing something?

 

Yes, it's photoshopped.

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2024 by Steve Schulteis

[Clive Thorne]

19 minutes ago, Steve Schulteis said:

 

Yes, it's photoshopped.

 

 

 

Doh!

[Luke Hillman]

HA! Internet strikes again.

[Roger Hare]

 

Another fine example of this sort of malarky:

 

Lenin sings the Russian folk song 'Three Little Geese', accompanied by Trotsky on a two-row...

 

 

Edited October 29, 2024 by Roger Hare

[Luke Hillman]

2 hours ago, Roger Hare said:

Another fine example of this sort of malarky [...]

 

With a key difference, however; Gandhi was a concertinist. The text sources in the OP are legit!

[seanc]

Very interesting.. 

 

It leads you to wonder, exactly WHAT did he play? Regardless as to what specific concertina he might have used. 

 

Is there an Indian tradition of retuning concertinas to use in traditional Indian (classical) music?

 

Or, can we imagine him being super "hip" and banging out some "Charleston" or Ellington, or Gershwin.. Or some Woodie Guthrie type sing alongs by the fireside?

 

It would be suoer interesting to know his repitoire and audience.