Kalpana Patowary - "My intention is to make music I love".

Singer Kalpana Patowary tells about her new act and life beyond.

Your debut single "Maa-e-ri" is set for release this year,how would you describe the track?

Maa-e-ri is a song with a universal message in harmony with nature that’s fun and a great introduction of singer Kalpana and to the rest of the album.

How would you describe your new overall sound?

Beautiful melodies and honest lyrics.

The concept is very different/contrast, was that intentional?

I always experiment with my music but my intention was to make music that I love and it lead me to love Nature. I am excited about this new chapter of life. The album is done and being mixed and mastered so expect it early this year! I suggested the name of the album Maa-e-ri. It’s a name that lends itself to a cinematic audio and visual experience!

Do you have any other plans up your sleeve?

I promise I will be doing my best to give back to the world My Earth My Duty. 

Kalpana makes music for a cause.

Music has always tried been a great vehicle for a social message. And now, the latest in this well-intentioned lineage is singer Kalpana Patowary (who can forget her hit track Tere Ishq Se Meetha from film Aakrosh and Aila Re Aila from film Khatta Meetha) who is geared up for her new Hindi album Maa-e-Ri.

This is the first time in India, a music video album with nature depicted in it and releasing a full length album of 6 tracks. "There has been a cry for saving the enviornment, save the earth in the nation and worldwide. We have done a huge damage to the universe through pollution. Through this album, Kalpana is potraying herself as messenger of mankind and urging people  to come together and spread the message to love and save the Nature", explains Kalpana.

And there’s more, Kalpana intends donating a percent of the income from this album to the MUMBAI POLICE in order to aid the families of those who lost their lives while fighting for the nation. Now, if that isn’t a great cause, then what is?

Kalpana Patowary’s Maa-e-Ri - an effort for Mother Earth.

Secretary to save Nature.

To kick of the eco-friendly campaign this year, singer Kalpana is set to release her latest Hindi music video album Maa-e-Ri. Every year efforts are made to save Mother Earth with the help of several promotional campaigns. This time Kalpana has taken it a step further. To spread awareness about NATURE, and to promote tourism of North East. Says Kalpana, we all living and non living beings are dancing the Rhythm of Love and this will be the first music video in India where you get to see Kalpana portrayed in Harmony with Nature.We get to see Kalpana fly like a bird, sitting, conversing & playing  with the lion and more. In Maae-Ri , Kalpana transverses through the landscapes of Cherapunji. Says Kalpana,"to potray all of them were a big challenge for me and I am doing this to help and promote the assuage of a GREEN EARTH.

Kalpana Patowary - Maa-e-Ri - a lyrical conversation with Mother Nature.

         Once stardom was a dream to me, now here I don’t think myself a star or something,but yes atleast I feel I m a chosen one,u make me feel so many times that I m special.Here want to thank u all from the core of my heart…….Life is very much busy here in Mumbai, the dream city of every Indian singer. But sometimes even in busy schedules, deep inside my heart it feels some kind of a vacuam, an emptiness.Stardom, fame, success… everything becomes meaningless to me, as if everything is fake. Why am I  feeling like this? What is this emptiness?.... I asked myself. Was trying to find out the answer for so many days, months and suddenly one fine day,in that sparkling moment I realized that a different kind of journey had started deep inside my soul. For a while, I was shocked to realise the answer to my anxiety...so simple it was!!

         Answer was hiding in my childhood, or in a way in Mother Nature. I was a child of the beautiful hills of North-Eastern part of India. I have grown up playing with concrete and sand, breathing the breeze of beautiful and serene greenery, bathing at waterfalls...... Precisely, I have been brought up by Nature; in short I am daughter of Mother Nature!       

        Years have passed away. Life has become more and more mechanical with success and fame. Dealing with this world I never realized when and how I have lost the touch of Mother, the Earth  Mother. I feel pain and unsafe....wounded within. But now again I am returning to her lap. I can feel the unconditional love of Mother Nature, an unknown silence is drowning me to the sea of peace...its blissful!

        I think this is happening to the whole of our race. We are detached. So just trying to share the nectar of Nature through my music with all of you.

       “Kalpana Patowary” - as we all know is from Assam and is the 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”. She has been credited with reviving and promoting the 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 & North East has been showcased and revived by Kalpana in a big way. Her  passion for traditional music, the burning sense of rhythm and grooves made her work in an album together with world class India’s virtuoso percussionist and bandleader Trilok Gurtu, one of the most dynamic and prolific musicians on a new project MASSICAL released from BIRD JAM label Germany and collaborated with international unique musicians like  Carlo Cantini, Jan Garbarek, Phil Drummy, Roland Cabezas, Stefano Dall’Ora. 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. At present her world music album The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur is about to release from Times Music.

Maa-e-Ri- the upcoming hindi music video album of singer Kalpana will be releasing soon. This musical presentation is a subtle change of direction for Kalpana, who is best known for her item songs. But, despite not bowing to market dictates unlike many of her contemporaries, this versatile folk singer has been able to carve her niche in the world of folk music.As she says-this album took 5 long years to complete.in a waythis whole project grew with my mental state level.there are total 6 tracks.

1)       MAA-E-RI ( Hindi)

The title track is in two versions-hindi and english both. Talking about the theme of Maa-e-Ri, Kalpana says “There’s a deep wound in people that they have been so cut off from the source of their being-- their mother, Earth Mother”. We are so caught up in these modern times that we forget about the laws and principles by which we should live. Once we know these laws and drift from them, we get in trouble. Now, we really are in a troubled situation with raising natural calamities like tsunami, earthquake, global warming or glaciers melting. Mother Earth is reacting towards our disrespect for her. Now is the time to reconnect with Mother Earth. How we treat Mother Earth will affect the children yet to be born. Let’s consciously think about the generations to come. Kalpana Patowary’s Maa-e-ri is all about celebrating the beauty of Mother Nature shot in the North-eastern region, yet an unexplored area of India, exotic and richly diverse. Dawki is an oft visited place in Meghalaya, more so for tourists who regale at the sight of the plains of Bangladesh as they stand at a vantage point amongst the green rolling hills at the Indo-Bangladesh border. Another exotic retreat point where the videos have been shot is Mawlynong, which BBC has flashed in its chronicles as the Cleanest Village in Asia. The Living Root Bridge, a phenomenon to be seen to be believed has been rightly brought up to world’s notice through this audio-visual. This video has brought up some of the hidden treasures of the North East India in particular. A part of the video has also been shot in Cherrapunjee, once the wettest place on earth.  Mae-e-Ri, apart from portraying the rich tapestry of some of the places of the Northeast India has also laid ample emphasis on the attires, which is an array of attractive colors from the looms of the place. The first attire is an ensemble inspired from one of the tribes of Nagaland, a state known for its mesmerizing topography, its unique ethnic culture, language, food and of course its courteous and humble people. The video also captures traditionally garbed Naga tribesmen performing to the beat of Kalpana’s song. Second attire is unique to the Darrang district of Assam. This is mostly worn by the women during the performance of the Deodhani Nritya on the auspicious day of Maa Manasha Puja. The motifs woven into this attire are usually inspired by objects from nature, like birds, flowers, trees, etc.

2)     MAAERI ( English)

This happened accidently. Way back in 2001,when I aspired to become a national level artist, I was very  much into western kind of singing  but then happened Bhojpuri folk and somehow I got so busy. This genre singing got lost. Here I have to give the credit to MUSIC BOX – the most heard album in my entire life…… Mariah Carey, my inspiration while I was in tenth standard. Long after fifteen long years now I miracle even I have my own recording studio in Mumbai named after her most famous and saleable MUSIC BOX.

3)     TUM BIN

             On a personal note this song is the most favorite out. Even its instrumentation   

             Speaks love! This is me in its very core. Silently its  arouses the urge!

4)     PIYA HAI RE

I think it’s a blessing that I got the very opportunity to explore music  thru its      different genre from soulful western number to raw and rustic folk style, from Indian classical music to playback singing. But the most liked and talked about singing style till now is the peppy,sensous rhythmic style of North India. So I had to sing Piya hai Re.Without this zone Kalpana is not complete…..I feel.

5)     MAULA

While Piya Hai Re is the most comfort gener.Maula happened when I was most confused in life…seeking the truth.

6)     TEJORE KOMOKAPOTY

Bhakti or Vaishnav movement in India gave birth to a new genre of religious poems and songs in 14th - 16th century. The same trend was brought to Assam by Srimanta Sankardeva and later his disciple Srimanta Madhabdev in the form of 'Borgeet'. Almost all Borgeets were written in the Brajavali Language. Apart from Assamese influence, Bjravali has influence of Sankskrit, Maithili, etc languages popular in other parts of India during the Bhakti movement. This particular borgeet says-Yashoda, mother of Krishna was awakening him as it was dawn and she wanted to see her child’s (Krishna’s) beautiful face. She says that Dama & Sudama (krishna’s friends) were calling him (Krishna) & elder brother Balram also has arrived. So Krishna should also wake up to lead the cow boys to cow the surabhi (cow). Now, for me, lyrically I see this particular borgeet as a celebration of “innocent childhood” where every moment was magical and blissful.

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. To make it global here I tried to blend the folk music of my homeland with other genres. This is world music. While rendering my vocal I was very much attached to my motherland, Assam; but while deciding the track genre I had to completely detach myself from that native zone.

Kalpana Patowary - A still from Maa-e-Ri which brought the beauties of Mylongnong to Bollywood's notice.

Kalpana Patowary - how to handle criticism?

Says Kalpana: The more, the merrier! You have to believe in yourself. With self-belief comes the ability to deliver consistently. So, I have immense faith in my abilities and know full well what I am capable of. In fact, when any other artist does a good work, I try calling up that person and congratulate him or her. Unless you appreciate someone else’s from your heart, you are not a good artist yourself. Let me put it this way that – Mera bhi achha hai aur aapka bhi achha hai…aisa nahi hona chahiye ki sirf mera achha hai aur aapka kharab. This is hypocrisy done by some artists. I have no problems with anyone saying anything. I understand that just as it cannot always be roses. After reaching a particular point, you can only pull a person down. But I bounce back again. 

Kalpana Patowary - Looking ahead 2011.

Maa-e-Ri - a lyrical conversation with Mother Nature.

Singer - Kalpana

2010 was the best year for singer Kalpana. She struck gold with hits like Ishq se meetha (Aakrosh),Aila Re Aila (Khatta Meetha)Shakira se bhi jyada (No problem). And as the New Year rolls, she hopes that it’ll bring with it many more chartbusters and fulfill her dream with presentation of her latest Hindi music video album Maa-e-Ri. Kalpana symbolically attempts to play the human race in her video have been in news right from the time it was announced. The costumes and SFX of the video have already been talked about, likely to be one of Kalpana's biggest musical releases. Kalpana will tickle your funny bone in this video.This will be a music video that might well be peppered with Nature, slice of wild life and loads of blissful enlighten, music very dramatic and Kalpana's vocal-fusion of folk as Kalpana always liked it. Maa-e-ri has an interesting universal concept and is made by a singer who has shown depth & insight in this venture.

Kalpana Patowary - That’s the (green) spirit - Action for Green Care.

Nature favors those organisms which leave the environment in better shape for their progeny to survive...............JAMES LOVELOCK.

Nature has always been around. So instead of saving nature, would it not be better for us to alter our own nature? I totally agree. What is important is not the feeling of what "I did" but to work to restore to nature its prestine glory. This we could do by setting a personal, positive example.You can begin by minimizing consumerism. We need to follow the principle of "simple living and high thinking”. This is important to help us deal with manmade climate change.The unprecedented change in climate we see today is the result of human action -- so climate change is closely related to human values and how we regard the planet. Climate change is a collective issue that we need to solve together. Only mind consciousness cannot stop it. We need heart consciousness too. We need to use the language of the heart. We should not try to be bureaucrats and political leaders who play mind games instead Myself through this project working from the heart. This video potrays Kalpana as mankind and just asking people or spreading the message to plant trees or save the nature. I am very concerned about climate change. We should be ecologically conscious and live in an environment friendly way. We should know how to live with nature, respecting both animals and plants.It should be your karma and dharma to protect the Hindu philosophy of Panchatatva -- to protect the five elements of the universe. It is the primarily lack of awareness that has brought about this degradation of the environment.

Kalpana Patowary - Maa-e-Ri

Technically, the driest place on Earth is in the valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island; it is reported that there's been no rainfall there for two million years.

Kalpana Patowary - My Earth My Duty campaign

My Earth My Duty campaign is an initiative by Bhojpuri singer Kalpana to sensitize people towards the effects of climate change. This video focuses on the preservation of Mother Nature i.e. plantations. Let us all volunteer actively and participate to preserve our nature and make it an unprecedented success and recognize this effort.

And we are grateful to everyone associated with this campaign. As a responsible artist,Kalpana will continue with her various campaigns in the future to come. Says Kalpana, " It’s really a nice thing to be acknowledge for doing something that you love to do, but in truth I don't consider it a body of work because I don't consider it work.

Kalpana Patowary - Nature Talk.

Kalpana Patowary, singer

For someone like me, who’s grown up in close proximity to nature? It’s disheartening to see the ecological damage in India. So when I got a chance to associate with Save the Nature campaign, I took it up. As a child, I used to think/hear fascinating stories about Mother Nature. We remember going for walks and hikes in the surrounding forests to see the beauties of nature and wild animals. The nature has a place in our folklore, art, religious iconography and so on. It’s sad to imagine without this beautiful Nature. The North east represents our heritage and needs to be conserved.

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 - 12^th 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 - 3^rd Uninor Mirchi Music Awards –- 27^th 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 - 06^th 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/