Malini Awasthi | |
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Background information | |
Born | Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, India | 11 February 1967
Origin | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India |
Genres | Indian folk music |
Occupation | Folk Singer |
Years active | 31 years |
Malini Awasthi (born 11 February 1967) is an Indian singer, more commonly referred to as Folk Queen of India.[1][2] Having been trained classically, she is equally adept in various forms of Hindustani music like vintage Dadra Thumri Kajri Chaiti[3][4] etc. Her colossal knowledge of music finds a reflection in her renditions of Ghazals and Sufiyaana Kalaams too.[5][6] A Ganda-baandh disciple of Padma Vibhushan Vidushi Girija Devi,[7] she is a connoisseur of 'Chaumukhi gayan' of Benares Gharana. She commands equally over multiple dialects like Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Bundeli, and Braj.[2]
Acknowledging her decades long service to music of the land, Government of India awarded her the civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2016.[8] She is currently a visiting professor at Centre for Media Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University[9]