HAND SIGNED AUTOGRAPH RARE PHOTO OF INDIAN CLASSICAL IN DELHI

Girija Devi From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For the Indian politician, see  Girija Devi (politician). Girija Devi Devi performing in  Bharat Bhavan,  Bhopal (July 2015) Background information Born 8 May 1929 Varanasi,  Benares State,  British Raj Died 24 October 2017 (aged 88) Kolkatta,  Western Bengal,  Republic of India Genres Hindustani classical music Instruments vocal Years active 1949–2017 Girija Devi  (8 May 1929 – 24 October 2017) was an Indian classical singer of the  Seniya and Banaras   gharanas. She performed classical and light classical music and helped elevate the profile of  thumri. She died on 24 October 2017. Contents    [hide]  1 Early life 2 Performing career 3 Awards 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links Early life [edit] Devi was born in  Varanasi, on 8 May 1929, to Ramdeo Rai, a zamindar. [1]  Her father played the  harmonium  and taught music, and had Devi take lessons in singing  khyal  and  tappa  from vocalist and  sarangi  player Sarju Prasad Misra starting at the age of five. [2]  She starred in the movie  Yaad rahe  aged nine and continued her studies under Sri Chand Misra in a variety of styles. [2] Performing career [edit] Devi in 2006 Devi made her public debut in 1949 on  All India Radio   Allahabad, after getting married to a businessman circa 1946, but faced opposition from her mother and grandmother, because it was traditionally believed that no upper class woman should perform publicly. [1] [2] [3]  Devi agreed to not perform privately for others, but gave her first public concert in Bihar in 1951. [2]  She studied with Sri Chand Misra until he died in the early 1960s, worked as a faculty member of the  ITC Sangeet Research Academy  in  Kolkata  in the 1980s and of the  Banaras Hindu University  during the early 1990s, and taught several students to preserve her musical heritage. [2]  Devi often toured and continued to perform in 2009. [2] [4] Devi sang in the Banaras gharana and performed the  purabi ang   thumri  style typical of the tradition, whose status she helped elevate. [3] [5] Her repertoire included the semi-classical genres  kajri,  chaiti, and  holi  and she sang  khyal,  Indian folk music, and  tappa. [3] [6]   The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians  once stated that her semi-classical singing combined her classical training with the regional characteristics of the songs of  Bihar  and eastern  Uttar Pradesh. [2]  Devi is considered as  Queen of Thumri. When ever Girija debi was present at Sarodia Abanindra Maitra's concerts, she used to request him to play specific ragas like Kafi Kanada, Sudha Pilu, Basant Bahar, others. Abanindra after listening her performance at Prayag University Allahabad,on raga Lalit, Bhairab Bahar he learned Thumris from her for quite some time. She was a pioneer of Purab gharana and Hindustani Classical and non classical vocal music. (Pg 87,89, Autobiography of sarodia Abanindra Maitra) Awards [edit] Padma Shri  (1972) Padma Bhushan  (1989) Padma Vibhushan  (2016) [7] Sangeet Natak Akademi Award  (1977) Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship  (2010) [8] Maha Sangeet Samman Award (2012) [9] Sangeet Samman Award (Dover Lane Music Conference) GiMA Awards 2012 (Lifetime Achievement) TanaRiri Puraskar