भिखारी ठाकुर रंगमंच शताब्दी समारोह, छपरा 25-29 दिसंबर 2017: The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur

I feel blessed to have been born in a country that speaks so many different languages and dialects. Languages have always been my strong point. Even while I was growing up, they were my strong subjects. Also because I grew up in Guwahati, my medium of teaching in school was Assamese. Hindi was taught only in Class IV, V & VI with English being compulsory subjects. Later I opted for English in higher standards and I spoke Assamese at home. Bengali was never a subject in school and I had no Bengali neighbors at my native place. Even in Mumbai, diction was a problem at first being from Assam. Pronunciation of a Hindi song became a big problem but by God’s grace I proved myself in the Bhojpuri language which is even more problematic. That's what worked in my favor. I am one of the few luckiest artists who get invited to Kashmir as well as to Kanyakumari, from Gujarat to Assam, only because I sing in so many different languages. I have sung in Dongri, Kannad, Telegu, Marathi, Garo, Assamese, Bhojpuri, Maithali, Angika, Awadhi, Rajasthani, Gujrati and many more languages. Language is beautiful and I love languages. It’s a pleasure to sing in a different language, Kalpana says.

FAGUNAHAT means

‘Fagun ke aane ki Aahat’. This season speaks about itself when it arrives through Mother Nature. Kalpana Patowary known for an incredible vocal talent has produced and rendered 6 tracks in the album.

Rangbaaj fagunwa aail - This song speak of the indication of the coming of the season and how a couple enjoys their love after a long separation. Husband has to go to ‘Pardes’ to earn money. His beloved wife waits the whole year for him to come back & this year when he returns in Holi, her happiness knows no bounds. This song also speaks of the sensusiousness, the urge of their physical union.

Ab lehu rangwa lagai – A traditional Holi song reflecting Indian tradition linking Holi to Lord Rama and Sita. Sita’s sahelis welcomes Rama to Janakpur and urges Sita to play Holi with Rama as who knows when again he will be again coming from Avadh.

Dewra rangbaaj – A spicy or a chatpata song where the lady is complaining about her brother-in-law. In Indian family – Dewar Bhabi relationship speaks in different levels, sometimes he is a son, other times a best friend with whom you can share your inner feelings also. But in ‘Fagun’ ie Holi the Dewar becomes a little flirty kind of and he teases his sister in law. This is a double meaning song.

Piyawa calcutta gaile – Many years before while speaking about the Bihar scenario, lots of young man travelled to East Calcutta for livelihood. Back home the beloved wife cries in agony. No more she can hold the pain of separation. This track captures this particular mood of that lady.

Babu Kunwar Singh – This is traditional ‘Dhamar’ a holi folk form. Here it speaks of the historical spectacle of Babu Veer Kunwar Singh of Bihar as he fought for our Nations Independence from the British. Here colors of Holi is symbolic to the bloodshed. This song salutes Kunwar Sings fighting spirit.

Ab kaha fafuwa gawata – Again, a traditional Holi composition where the song expresses the descending ‘Fagua’ tradition. Today, everywhere there is hatred among us. We are no more celebrating the human race, instead speaking of our own cult and castes. The song is trying to express the message of the unity we need today – An awareness song.

About@Me musician/singer/composer/ recording artist/ record producer

The “Bhojpuri Queen” as she is fondly called by friends, followers and fans alike, had a start in the golden years of the late 2001s in the bustling city of Mumbai, India. Thus began a comprehensive journey that generated mass hysteria and established this gentle vocalist as one of the most powerful new voices in India. Introduced to music early in her childhood, Kalpana Patowary 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. Her first language is Assamese but she sings in Bhojpuri, Hindi, Bengali, English & 23 other languages.Initially trained in Assamese,folk and Indian Classical music,Kalpana Patowary, a devoted vocalist, has been hailed as a prodigy in the world of Bhojpuri music. She 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”. Critic wrote that she changed the art of Bhojpuri vocals. Very few people know that Kalpana Patowary is as versatile that she justify or render both in raw folk forms as well as western singing. Kalpana Patowary’s music genre is about primitive / acoustic folk with some trace of Indian classical music, ambient electronic and new age jazz - fusion. She is a household name. Many acknowledge her as having powerfully contributed to a resurgence of Bhikhari Thakur traditions in Bhojpuri. Kalpana Patowary combines a powerful singing style with a magnetic ability to communicate with her audiences. Her concerts are more than entertaining music and are deep engagements with the spiritual and social thought of music. 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. Hats off to you Kalpana on your effort to expose Assamese folk traditions & Bhojpuri artistic traditions into Indian mainstream music scene.

latest ongoing@Project

A musical documentation about the reformer, a wandering philosopher, saint and poet, creative genius and consummate artist Mahapurush Srimanto Shankaradeva and his disciple SRIMANTA MADHAVDEVA in Assam who walked across Northern India, to the source of the Ganges and returned to his people in the cloistered valley of Assam and called for a union of all the people in a united Bharatvarsha. He preached Eka-Sarana-Nama-Dharma a monotheistic doctrine based on the Bhagvata Purana with Surdas, Chandidas, Kabir, Vidyapati the Maithili Poet and Lyricist, Mirabai, Narsi Mehta the poet saint and Bhakta from Gujarat, Vallabhacharya the devotional philosopher from Andhra, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Bengal at a time when a young 24 year old Guru Nanak was also exploring his own vision of Eka-Sarana-Nama-Dharma which he went on to preach throughout the world as “Ek Omkar Satnam”. It was the dawn of the Bhakti Era. The language used is BRAJAWALI and she will be credited of bringing back some of Assams primitive instruments.

SYNOPSIS - “Maa-e-Ri – a lyrical conversation with Mother Nature”.

Caught up in their fast – paced, technology – driven lives, human beings are forgetting the laws of Nature. Consequently, mankind is imperiled: natural calamities such as tsunami, earthquake is on the rise, global warming is melting glaciers. The music video “Maa-e-Ri – a lyrical conversation with Mother Nature” documents these perils and urges respect for the Nature’s laws for a sustainable future. Let Nature be our Teacher. 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 is an enigma in India’s creative sky…

Maa-e-Ri, the upcoming hindi music video album of singer Kalpana is already creating waves in terms of concept, location & picturization. This music video has been selected for inclusion in the esteemed Shaan-e-Awadh International Film Festival 2011. The music video will be screened to international audiences at this year’s Shaan-e-Awadh International Film Festival 2011. The festival will take place from 18th November to 20th October 2011 at Lucknow. This musical presentation is a subtle change of direction for Kalpana, who is best known for her item songs. Kalpana’s “Maa-e-Ri” will come with a unique concept conceived & directed by the creative heads of MUSIC BOX STUDIOS. This video features Kalpana in the womb of nature and amidst most beautiful creations on earth. Shot in the wettest land on the earth, Cherapunji, this video is one of its kinds in multitude. The audience will get a chance to visualize one of the most beautiful wonderlands - Mawlynong, titled by BBC as the cleanest village in Asia. The living Root Bridge, which has been attracting lots of tourist from far and wide, has been rightly brought up to world’s notice through this video. This will be indeed the main attraction of the video which has brought up the hidden treasures of the North East India in particular. Says Kalpana, I am on a journey of evolution through this album. As I went deeper into music, I had to deal with musical mathematics. A tribute to Mother Earth, I will say one of the strongest concepts ever. “Let us return to nature" because only in nature cans the spirit of mankind be found meaningful. Through this music video I have tried to express to the external world, hints of a greater spiritual reality; trees are symbols; a hidden language, mountains mysterious statements made by a creator who tries to communicate with his creation. This supreme consciousness, spirit of nature, or God is present everywhere. We see sciences turning mankind into mere machines bereft of essence. This is very dangerous. She says that Nature should be our moral teacher and we should find beauty & joy in there. Kalpana’s “Maa-e-Ri” is targeted towards all music lovers, she says. Music should not be limited to a few to enjoy. She describes music as something very spiritual. “I feel confident in doing it simple,” she says.

Kalpana makes music for a cause.

Music has always been a great vehicle for a social message. And now,the latest in this well-intentioned lineage is singer Kalpana (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 rare album on nature 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 ?

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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur - Special Thanks to all.

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