LUCKNOW, Apr 20: Malini Awasthi, a noted singer credited with bringing back these traditional forms of folk music to the national stage, is preparing a ‘tune bank’ of age-old popular songs mainly originated from Uttar Pradesh.
” The folk songs have their set tunes sung since ages and it is necessary to conserve and preserve those tunes for the generations to come,” she told while disclosing an album is on the anvil which will have all the tunes.
Ms Awasthi said she was already working on the album beside hosting various music shows and judging the talent search programmes in Hindi and Bhojpuri.
The number of folk music lovers was on the rise everywhere, Malini claims while expressing pleasant surprise over the curiosity of foreigners over Indian forms of music. “My shows in United States,UK and other places have been hit which shows the sustainability of Indian classical music,” she says. The folk music represents way of Indian life and its rendition always gives out the picture of how the Indian tarditions existed over the ages, she said.
Malini Awasthi who was shot to fame with her versatility in the famous music reality show ‘Junoon’ telecast on a popular television channel few years ago, further enhanced her popularity with a fusion mujra song ‘Dil Mera Muft Mein’ picturised on Kareena Kapoor in recent bollywood flick of Saif Ali Khan ‘Agent Vinod’.
Though , she has been flooded with offers from Mumbai film industry but for Ms Awasthi, already a singing star in Bhojpuri and Hindi films,the folk music will remain her prime passion. She modestly denies her contribution in reviving the folk music culture in the country but says she will always strive to keep such traditions alive for the times to come.
An expert in various forms of folk music from Benaras( Now Varanasi) and Awadh like the Dadra, Sohar, Banna, Jhoola, Kajri, Holi, Chaiti, Vivaah, Dhobiya, Nirgun, she showcased these different forms of folk music in her own way. Some of these forms which are almost dying forms when sung on the stage mesmerized the viewers and took the nation by a storm.
A disciple of the Thumri proponent Padma Vibhushan Girija Devi today, Malini is one of the leading Thumri singers of the Benaras Gharana while folk music remains her forte. She excels in folk forms of Awadh, Bundlekhand, Braj, Bhojpuri and Benaras.
A versatile singer, Malini is a regular performer for the famous ‘Jahan-e-Khusro’ organized by renowned film maker and artist Muzaffer Ali. Her Sufi music albums on Roomi and Hazrat Amir Khusro have been widely appreciated. Times Music has recently released a music album ‘Purvaiya’ with Malini which was launched by Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia in Mumbai in 2009. She has also sung for the famous band ‘Medieval Panditz’ in their album ‘Hello Hello’and her fusion song Tonic has been a world wide hit.
Malini Awasthi,A post graduate in hindustani classical music from Bhatkhande University , Lucknow, counts being disciple of most-revered Girija Devi and earning praise from melody queen Lata Mangeshkar as her biggest achievements so far. Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar had praised her during media interview on her 80th birthday in 2009. (UNI)
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