BIOGRAPHY – Kalpana Patowary.

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”.

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. A disciple of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Kalpana was fortunate to con music from him in order to shape her career. With her debut on Bhojpuri album “ Gawanwa Leja Rajaji ” she 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.

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. 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. This passion for traditional music, the burning sense of rhythm and grooves made singer Kalpana worked 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.

Albums

The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur - Folk - EMI Music.

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.

She have given many a hit Bhojpuri 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.

A tribute to The Shakespear of Bhojpuri Literature – The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur  unreleased, is bringing her applause even in distant land countries like Africa, Russia ,China, the U K and the U S A .

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, Mauritius, Suriname, Trinard & Tobogo, Mascut, Oman, Dubai, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Egypt , with her subtle artistry and mellifluous voice, the Bhojpuri Queen charmed the millions of rural folk and city-bred elites alike.

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.

Awards and honors have come to Kalpana in plenty. She has been recognized with Bhikhari Thakur Samman in Calcutta, 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.

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.

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”.

Her song Aila Re Aila from film Khatta Meetha has been nominated for the BEST ITEM SONG CATEGORY OF THE YEAR at Radio Mirchi’s 98.3 FM’s - 3^rd Uninor Mirchi Music Awards held on 27^th of January 2011 at the Bandra Kurla Complex. Her another  Bhojpuri chhat song "Saiya Chali Aawa Karat Bani Chhath" from... album "Aage  Bilaiyya  Peechhe  Chhati  Maiya" was nominated for best song in folk category in BIG STAR IMA AWARDS held on 11th March 2011 in Goregoan Sports ground, Mumbai.

She has been nominated recently by  ZEE  TALKIES   for   Maharashtra cha  Favourite  Kaun - People’s Choice  Award - 2010  for most popular Marathi singer for  song "Sarkar Aahoo Sarkar" for  film Gallit Gondhal  Dillit Mujra held on the 29th October 2010 at Grand Hayatt, Santacruse in Mumbai.

At present Kalpana is the Judge in  Bhojpuri Channel,  Mahua Tv  for the new musical reality show –“ Suron Ka Maha Sangram” with Bhojpuri Superstar Manoj Tiwari.

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/