Monday 1 August 2011

Kalpana Patowary - Biography.




Kalpana Patowary is from Assam, darling of the North Indian belt and has carved herself a special niche in the Bhojpuri music world credited with reviving and promoting Bhojpuri music industry all over the world and bringing back traditional forms of music to the International stage. Indian folk music particularly of Northern India has been showcased and revived by her in a big way. “She gave Bhojpuri Music a new twist”. As Kalpana says, I don’t want my folk music to be trapped in our villages. Yes it’s safe there in its original form, but of no use unless we make the world hear our very soulful and meditative music. So to make it global I am trying to blend the music of my homeland with world music and other genres.

A graduate in English literature from Cotton College, Assam and Visharad in Indian Classical Music (vocal) under Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidyapeeth, Lucknow in 1996, a regular artist Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati, Assam as well as All India Radio (yuba bani) Guwahati, Assam since 1992 her goal was set on furthering a career in music. Kalpana is the worthy torchbearer of a rich legacy of vocals, being the daughter of Assam’s folk singer Bipin Chandra Nath and disciple of the legendary Ustad Gulam Mustafa Khan.

In 2001, with endless aspirations and immense confidence, Kalpana moved towards Mumbai the dream city of India. In spite of her mother tongue being Assamese, Kalpana easily adapted different languages. She has already sung in around 7000 songs for round 22 languages.

Her debut on Bhojpuri album “ Gawanwa Leja Rajaji ” raised a storm which heralded the dawn of new era in the realm of Bhojpuri folk music. Released in 2003, Gawanwa Leja Rajaji strongly resonated with audiences, becoming that year's best-selling album in India and selling more than 1 crore units nationwide to date. Kalpana broke milestones with the album which opened the Bhojpuri music industry in India. She has given more than 10/15 Bhojpuri hit albums in Northern India.

In a very short span of time she has playbacked in more than 400 Bhojpuri films like Sasura Bada Paisawala, Saiya Se Karda Milanwa Hey Ram, Ganga Jaisan Mai Hamar,Niruhwa Riksha Wala, Saath Sahelia,Ajay Devgan’s–Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke, Chalat Musafir Moh Lio Re, Panditji Batiee Na Biha Kab Hoi, ,Purab Amitabh Bachchan – Hema Malini starrer Ganga, Gangotri, Ganga Devi to name a few. She have given many a hit Bhojpuri film songs like ‘Man ke Sawaria’, ‘Dil ke Dhardkan’, ‘Balamji’, “Suna Pardes Balam”,”Rasgulla”,”Pani Bhare Gaine Rama”,etc. She has also provided the playback for multiple generations of the actresses in Bhojpuri cinema.From that time till now Bhojpuri film industry has evolved so much that now it has become a global industry. The best-selling female artist of all time - Kalpana has made an indelible impact on the Bhojpuri music industry and audiences everywhere. Bhojpuri folk music has been showcased and revived by Kalpana in a big way.

Major Albums Out
The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur (2012) (Virgin Records/EMI Music),
TajMahal (T-series),
Nirgun (T-series),
Kajree (T-series),
MASSICAL released from BIRD JAM label  in Germany & Times Music in India with world class India’s vitreous percussionist and bandleader Trilok Gurtu and collaborated with international unique musicians like Carlo Cantini, Jan Garbarek, Phil Drummy, Roland Cabezas, Stefano Dall’Ora.

Major Nominations & Recognisations.
BEST BENGALI PLAYBACK SINGER FEMALE - hit item song “Koka Kola” - film Faande Poriya Boga Kanande - 12th TELE CINE AWARDS  – Kolkata 2012 - SCIENCE CITY AUDITORIUM, KOLKATA - 7th APRIL 2012.

BEST SONG IN FOLK CATEGORY - Bhojpuri chhath song "Saiya Chali Aawa Karat Bani Chhath" – Chhath album "Aage  Bilaiyya  Peechhe  Chhati  Maiya" - BIG STAR IMA AWARDS - 11th March 2011, Mumbai.

BEST ITEM SONG CATEGORY OF THE YEAR - song “Aila Re Aila” - hindi film Khatta Meetha - Radio Mirchi’s 98.3 FM’s - 3rd Uninor Mirchi Music Awards –- 27th of January 2011, Mumbai.

MOST POPULAR MARATHI SINGER - ZEE  TALKIES  - Maharashtra Cha  Favourite  Kaun - People’s Choice  Award – 2010 - song "Sarkar Aahoo Sarkar" - film Gallit Gondhal  Dillit Mujra - 29th October 2010, Grand Hayatt, Santacruse in Mumbai.

She has been recognized with Bhikhari Thakur Samman in Calcutta, Bhikhari Thakur Samman in Jamshedpur, Swar Samragee , Bhojpuri Swar Mallika, Bhojpuri Sewa Samman, Bhojpuri Sangam Samman, Panchamrit Samman, Atkrista Gayak Samman, The Bhojpuri Queen to name a few. She was entitled with “Bhojpuri Samragee” and “Swar Kokila” for popularity contribution to folk music of Bihar by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar government.

She had many opportunities to sing for Hindi films and has already playblacked in more than 100 Hindi feature films. Her numbers in the Hindi block buster’s  Anil  Kapoor’s -  NO  PROBLEM,  Ajay Devgan’s- AAKROSH, Akshay Kumar’s - KHATTA MEETHA, WELCOME, DE DANA DAN, Shah Rukh Khan’s - BILLU BARBER, ANTARDWAND &  Monty Sharma’s - CHAMKU & MIRCHH have further endeared her countless people in India and abroad.

Kalpana Patowary”s popularity is as tremendous as a performing artist that for the last 6 years she has been the biggest crowd puller. During her cultural tours sponsored by I C C R (Govt. of India ) of Scotland, Suriname, Trinard & Tobogo, Mascut, Oman, Dubai, Australia, Germany, Holland with her subtle artistry and mellifluous voice, the Bhojpuri Queen charmed the millions of rural folk and city-bred elites alike.

She is deeply rooted in Nirgun, Purvi, Kajree, Pachra(devi geet), Bihu, Goalporia folk forms. Some of these forms which have become extinct were presented by Kalpana in different stages.

This powerhouse vocalist set the stage on fire when she hit some orotund notes on the sets of NDTV Imagine’s Junoon Kuch Kar Dikhane Ka. Kalpana had been taking Assamese and Bhojpuri folk songs to various corners of India for more than a decade and Junoon Kuch Kar Dikhane Ka was simply the perfect platform for her to attain nationwide recognition.

She also gave a vocal performance in Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 for theme-Celebration track-Assamese with music by Ranjit Barot and produced by BHARAT BALA PRODUCTIONS.

She was the anchor for FOLK JALWA, Etv Bihar. After Mahua Channels SUR SANGRAM -1 & 2 Kalpana as judge proved once again to become one of the most popular female singers breaking through into the big time Bhojpuri Music World.  She was as one of the judges on Mahua Tv’s childrens music reality show NEHLE PE DEHLA – “Nanhe Suron Ka Maha Sangram”.  In 2012 Kalpana was the Judge in  Bhojpuri Channel,  Mahua Tv  for the new musical reality show –“ Suron Ka Maha Sangram” with Bhojpuri Superstar Manoj Tiwari.

Maa-e-Ri - a lyrical conversation with Mother Nature is her latest music video album to be released this year 2012 by London based music label Virgin Records/EMI Music is going places with screenings and nominations to prestigious short Film Festivals like –
The 2nd  Guwahati International Short Film Festival (GISFF)
Nominated in the Northeast Shorts Competition open only for filmmakers from Northeast, Assam - May 4th to 6th 2012,

1st Imphal International Short Film Festival 2012.
Selected as the OFFICIAL SONG - Screened to International audiences as the OPENING THEME - 15th April to 18th April 2012 at Imphal, Manipur, North Eastern India.

CMS VATAVARAN: Environment & Wildlife Film Festival and Forum 2011.
Screened & awarded the CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION - 6th competitive CMS VATAVARAN: Environment & Wildlife Film Festival and Forum in the “BIODIVERSITY CATEGORY” 2011 - 06th to 10th December 2011 in New Delhi.

Shaan-e-Awadh International Film Festival 2011.
Nominated & screened in  BEST FILM CATEGORY - 18th November to 20th October 2011 at Lucknow.

Kalpana has enthralled music lovers with her flawless singing and even the most multiple generations of the Bhojpuri population have grown up listening to her. There are hundreds of thousands of her fans all around the world conveys their deep appreciation for Kalpana Patowary’s contributions to the genre of folk music of the province of Bihar and making an urbane, suave and contemporary presentation of the same to the society at large.

In 2009, after a lengthy hiatus Kalpana build her own dream home studio MUSIC BOX STUDIOS in Mumbai.

To know more about Kalpana Patowary checkout Official Blog http://singerkalpana.blogspot.com/

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