Bringing folk to the fore

What is common between the songs of blockbuster films like Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and Gangs of Wasseypur- II. Curious? It’s none other than singer Sharda Sinha. An exponent of folk music, Sinha has brought this neglected part of our cultural heritage to the fore with her performances.

This 58-year-old artist hails from an obscure village in Bihar. ‘My life changed drastically after marriage when my in-laws accepted my passion for folk music and even encouraged me to pursue it,’ says Sinha who performed in the city recently.

Sinha was initiated into Indian classical music by the late Pt. Raghu Jha, an eminent Khayal singer of Panchgachiya

gharana. Her debut Maithili number Dularua bhaiya raised a storm.

‘I am a Manipuri dancer and switching over to folk music was accidental. It just took one folk song which clicked instantly with the audience and since then there was no looking back,’ says Sinha.

Her numbers in Bollywood  — Taar Bijli from GOW 2 is a huge hit but the singer has chosen to stay away from Bollywood. ‘My motive is to uplift folk music in India which was till recently looked down upon. I am not allured by the life of Bollywood. I dream to make folk music popular,’ she said.