Hira Devi Waiba

Hira Devi Waiba
Waiba in 2010
Born(1940-09-09)9 September 1940
Ambootia, Bengal Presidency, British India (West Bengal, India)
Died19 January 2011(2011-01-19) (aged 70)
Kadamtala, Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India
Other namesLok Geet Samragi (Queen of Nepali Folk Songs)
Alma mater
  • Government College, Darjeeling (B.A College)
  • Shree Ramakrishna B T College, Darjeeling (Bachelor in Teaching)
Occupations
  • Singer
  • Musician
  • Writer
Years active1974–2011
Known forPioneer of Nepali folk songs and music
SpouseRatal Lal Aditya
Children2, including Navneet Aditya Waiba
Musical career
GenresTamang Selo, Nepali Folk
Instrument(s)
Madal, harmonium, damphu
  • Vocal
Labels
  • His Masters Voice (HMV)
  • All India Radio (AIR)
  • Radio Nepal
  • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Hira Devi Waiba (9 September 1940 – 19 January 2011) was an Indian folk singer in the Nepali-language and is hailed as the pioneer of Nepali folk songs.

Her song "Chura ta Hoina Astura" is said to be the first Tamang Selo (a genre of Nepali folk music) ever recorded. Hira Devi Waiba is the only Nepali folk singer to have cut albums (in 1974 and 1978) with HMV.[1] She was the sole Grade A Nepali Folk Singer with All India Radio. She was also the first musical artist that Music Nepal, a leading music house in Nepal recorded and released an album of. Before that Music Nepal only released compilation and remastered songs[1]

  1. ^ a b "चुरा त होइन अस्तुरा - पहिलो तामाङ सेलो गीत ? - Tamang Online". Tamang Online. 7 December 2016. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.