Bhojpuri Queen releases new album 'Fagunahat'

Bhojpuri Queen Kalpana Patowary is back with a bang following the massive success and widespread appreciation of ‘The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur’. The folk singer is now ready to hit the music stores with her subsequent album ‘Fagunahat’, featuring traditional 'Holi' songs.

The album was released on Sunday at Basera Studios Kandivali in Mumbai city on the sets of BHOJPURI HOLI UTSAV in the presence of noted filmmaker Abhay Sinha, Bhojpuri musical icon Pawan Singh, choreographer Pappu Khanna & actress Madhu Sharma.

‘Fagunahat’ indicates ‘Fagun ke aane ki aahat’ (the onset of spring), according to Kalpana. The tunes in her album carry freshness that can rouse the languid spirit and cheer up the gloomy.

While ‘Rangbaaj fagunwa aail’ is a tale of the passionate reunion of a separated couple associated with the commencement of spring, ‘Ab lehu rangwa lagai’ follows a devotional route in praise of Lord Rama and Sita. Other tracks like Dewra Rangbaaj, Piyawa Calcutta Gaile too will get your foot tapping. Over all, folk music lovers, this is an album to look out for.

This is the Kalpana's first Bhojpuri Holi album with an International label after she made her grand debut with her Bhojpuri album 'Gawanwa Leja Rajaji' in 2001. She has around 12 Bhojpuri albums released till date.

Deep rooted in folk music, Kalpana’s musical expedition has drifted her into many genres of music from contemporary to more eccentric ones. She recently enjoyed ample attention in Bacardi NH7 Weekender concerts in Pune as well as through her collaboration with Trilok Gurtu in an episode of The Dewarists.

Download Fagunahat 

- EFNI

Assamese singer Kalpana Patowary resurrects Bhojpuri Shakespeare

Indian folk music goes global, thanks to Bhojpuri singing sensation of Assamese origin, Kalapana Patowary with the launch of her new album The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur. Produced by EMI/Virgin records, the album is a tribute noted Bhojpuri litterateur Bhikhari Thakur. It was launched in Mauritius on the 4th of June 2012, by the country's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Public Infrastructure Mr. Anil Kumar Bachoo and Mr. Mookhesswur Choonee, Minister of Arts and Culture.

The richness of Bhojpuri mores have perhaps been shadowed by the massive popularity of double meaning hip shakers, thanks to the competitive rating points driven entertainment industry. It therefore comes as a surprise when one of the most popular Bhojpuri vocalists decides to stream aside from the rat race and explore the lost works of Bhikhari Thakur, fondly known as Shakespeare of Bhojpuri literature for his contribution to poetry and drama.

Assam born singer Kaplana Patowary has carved a mighty niche for herself in the entertainment industry having lent her vocals to a numerous Bhojpuri songs as well as Bollywood numbers including films like Billo Barber and De Dhana Dhan. Although she has a myriad of folk and popular songs to her credit, Bhojpuri music has been her most dedicated foray.

Born in 1887, Bhikhari Thakur’s creative sojourn began late in his life for he was an illiterate until quite a few decades of his life. He learnt the three Rs from a shopkeeper when he went to Calcutta following a family tradition of working in the city. The stark social and cultural variations of his village and Calcutta, as well as works of Raja Ram Mohan Roy inspired him to express his experiences through literature. On returning to his village Bhikhari Thakur formed Bhikhari Thakur Natak Mandali thus creating a theatre form called Bidesia. Unlike conventional poets and dramatists, Thakur’s work took a dig at the redundant ways and customs of the society of his. One of his most noted works includes the tale of a woman in a village whose husband leaves the village to work in a but she still has physical desires, so she gets involved with another man and has a child.

Inspired by the contemporary nature of Thakur’s writings, Kalpana felt a need to share his work with a present day global audience. It turned out to be a mammoth task as the material available on Bhikhari Thakur is negligible. Luckily her rendezvous with a 98 year old dancer from the Bhikhari Thakur Natak Mandali gave her a first person account of the experiences of Tahkur’s legend as well as well walked her through his works.

Titled The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur, Kalpana’s tribute to the Shakespeare of Bhojpuri literature has nine melodious tracks, the lyrics of which were penned down by Thakur himself. His memorable poems on immigration and unemployment rendered by Kapalana's powerhouse vocals have been welcomed with warmth in many parts of the globe. It has been launched in France and Mauritius and a launch in is scheduled in the foreseeable future. It's comes as no surprise that EMI/Virgin Records has undertaken the risk of pricing this Bhojpuri album at Rs. 195. The Legacy of Bhikari Thakur takes Bhojpuri music from the masses to the classes.

- by Parmita Borah

Candid Conversation With Kalpana Patowary

 (Click on the play button above to listen to the interview)

She’s an Assamese lassie who sings in Bhojpuri. When most musicians vie for contemporary forms of music, Kalpana Patowary headed in the direction of folk and has established herself as a sought after Folk Music vocalist of our time. Parmita Borah talks to the lady herself about her rendezvous with music.

Parmita Borah: Although you’re from Assam, you have voiced more songs in Bhojpuri language. What inspired you? 

Kalpana Patowary: Frankly speaking, being from Assam, we Assamese artists have a very dangerous ‘accent’ problem. Even I face it. However, much before me, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika paved the way when he made a traditional Assamese wedding song into a Bhojpuri song (bursts into as song by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika). People like Dr. Bhupen Hazarika made it large even with Bhojpuri songs. Similarly, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala was from Rajasthan but took on Assamese music and gave a new direction to it. So they have all inspired me. 

PB: You’ve mentioned that Assamese artists have trouble with the accent. So when it comes to mastering the ability to sing in Bhojpuri and getting accepted by the Bhojpuri people themselves, was it a challenge for you? 

KP:If some tells you to write in Gujrati or Bhojpuri out of the blue, you will face a problem. Be it the literature perspective or grammatical, it’s bound to be a challenge. But I simply went with the flow. Currently I am singing in 23 different languages, somehow Bhojpuri clicked. I don’t know how. 

PB: It’s destiny... 

KP: Yeah. I am doing a research, a thesis sort of work on the legacy of Bhikhari Thakur. He is like Assam’s Dr. Bhupen Hazarika or Bengal’s Rabindra Nath Tagore. Bhikhari Thakur is a personality of that category. About hundreds of years ago, during the British Raj, a lot of people from UP and Bihar were taken out as labourers, to places like West Indies, Trinidad, Tobago and Fiji. Now, I’ve been called by the Government on West Indies because the people over there want to their roots, their musical roots. They know that they are basically from UP and Bihar, but don’t know much beyond that. It’s an irony that an Assamese girl will introduce them to their own roots. It’s actually very interesting. 

PB: Tell us something about you upcoming album Mai-re. 

KP: Mai-re is a Hindi album. About three-four years back, when I began to taste success, there was also a vacuum forming inside me simultaneously. I was searching for something inexplicable, that search led to Mai-re. The emptiness that was around despite the rush around me, that’s Mai-re. The whole world, its global warming and its negativity, everything that’s going on, Mai-re is all about that. 

PB: Let’s talk about JUNOON…..Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka. The show shot you to nationwide fame. How was the experience? 

KP: Thrilling! It was a where I discovered more of myself. Basically I was called for the UP/Bihar group. “Maati Ke Laal” was its name. But I spoke to the production team, that being from Assam; I wanted to show the Assamese folk as well. Finally I managed to represent UP/Bihar and Assam. Assamese music was widely accepted and liked on the show. 

PB: You made quite a splash with Billo Barber and Khatta Meetha. Are you planning to focus entirely on Bollywood? 

KP: Bollywood is not that important for me now. Work keeps coming and going, but I am not concentrating only on Bollywood. 

PB: Northeast has many talented singers and musicians. Do you think they have been successful on a national level? 

KP: Ofcourse, Northeast guys are very talented-not just musicians, but technicians as well. But somehow we lack a certain fighting spirit and the will to promote ourselves. It’s not possible to survive only on talent- one has to market herself/himself properly. The mindset that that we are from Northeast, we are backward is very negative and we need to lose that to succeed. 

PB: I was about to ask you for a message for aspiring musicians, but you’ve already covered that. I’d like you to leave a message for our readers now. 

KP: Explore yourself. The world of music is very interesting. Don’t restrict yourself, shed your inhibitions and get out of your comfort zones. Music has only one language and that is the language of feelings 

PB: Thank you so much for joining us.

KP: Thank you.