Malini Awasthi

Malini Awasthi is a very famous female singer in Bhojpuri folk music. Her name represents the traditional style of Hindustani music and is known for preserving the songs and voices of rural Uttar Pradesh. She was born in Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh. Her mother encouraged her to start learning music at the age of 5. Neither her family nor she knew that this would later contribute greatly to the country's folk music culture. Her father's job, which often took them to suburban areas of Uttar Pradesh, gave her exposure to the local culture and helped her connect deeply with it.Along with her studies at Mount Carmel College, she began formal classical music training under Ustad Rahat Ali Khan, who worked with AIR, Gorakhpur. After moving to Lucknow, the center of Awadhi culture, she joined Bhatkhande Music University and Lucknow University, earning a master's degree with a gold medal in Hindustani classical vocal and an M.A. in modern history. Her serious music training began after she got married. She learned from Padma Vibhushan Vidushi Girija Devi, a famous Thumri singer from the Banares gharana, who adopted her as a disciple. This traditional method of learning was a turning point in her career, helping her perfect her talent. Under Devi's guidance, she learned the 'chaumukhi gayan' of Benares and became skilled in classical forms like khayaal and thumri, as well as semi-classical forms like Dadra, Kajri, Jhoola, Chaiti, and Hori. The unique style of the Benares gharana, known as 'purab-ang gaayki,' enriched her singing and added depth to her experience and training.Malini naturally felt a strong connection to folk music. After much self-reflection and discussions with scholars like Pt. Vidyaniwas Mishra, she fully dedicated herself to the folk music of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, aiming to restore and re-establish its lost glory. As a continuous learner and devoted artist, she says her training is still ongoing.Malini is a great performer in live music concerts for Bhojpuri and classical singing.

She has performed more than a thousand shows, both nationally and internationally, since she was 10 years old. She believes that the spirit of folk music can only be revived by reaching out to the masses. Each of her performances is a testimony to this belief. She is skilled in various singing styles and genres, with a dedicated audience for folk songs, classical, semi-classical, and gazals.Malini has performed at numerous major festivals across the country, such as the Thumri-Festival and Rag-Rang-Festival, Uttar Pradesh Mahotsav in Delhi, Goa, Kolkata, and Bhopal, Taj-Mahotsav, Ganga-Mahotsav, Lucknow-Festival, Buddh-Mahotsav, Ramayan-Mela, Kajri-Mela, Kabir-Utsav, etc. in Uttar Pradesh, Shruti-Mandal-Samaroh, Kumbhal-Gardh-Festival, Surajkund-Craft-Mela and Heritage-Festival-Pinjore, Badri-Kedar-Mahotsav in Uttarakhand, Naad-Utsav at Bharat Bhawan Bhopal, Gwalior-Mela, Kalidas-Samaroh at Ujjain, Folk-Festival at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, Kalidas-Mahotsav in Nagpur, Lok Rang festival in Mumbai, performance at Mahatma Gandhi Hindi University at Wardha, and Bihar Diwas at Siri-Fort. She has also performed at Rajgir-Festival, Vaishali-Mahotsav, Patliputra-Mahotsav, Chath-Festivals, and various other concerts in UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, and Delhi.Internationally, she has performed at the Festival of India in Mauritius (2015), ICCR 40th Anniversary celebration in Fiji (2011), Independence Day celebration in Houston, USA (2004 and 2015), Pakistan (2007), England (2007), South Bank Centre, London (1998), Holland (2011), and multiple Vishwa Bhojpuri Sammelans in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2015. Malini has the rare honor of providing playback music for the film 'Tulsi Das' produced by the Dutch Government.