Meet the Bhojpuri Melody Queen

Kalpana Patowary is an Assamese on a mission to revamp the image of Bhojpuri songs. Along with her efforts to put Bhojpuri folk music on the world map, she is also the preserver of endangered Northeastern tribal music and its rare languages

- Vinay Agrawal

When Kalpana Patowary is on stage, she emulsifies identities. Born Assamese, she sings in Bhojpuri, as if it has always been her first language. Although her singing comes with an agenda of changing the perception of Purvanchali music. Bhojpuri songs are often monikered as crass, risqué and distasteful. They are the songs associated with the lower strata, music made for the wallahs: autowallah, dhobiwallah and the likes.

But there’s more to it than meets the eye. Through her music, Kalpana brings out a side to Bhojpuri music that’s unheard of. One that is rustic and smells luxuriously of traditions, customs and folklore. While singing, she taps a visual message, sort of a morose code. Also, her attire on stage perfectly complements her wonderful voice. She drapes the Assamese saree in an interesting way. Is it a tribute to her Assamese roots? We ask. Or is it symbolic of a certain assertion of her being an Assamese singing in Bhojpuri? “I like to dress in a traditional way on stage as I represent folk traditions of my country. The saree you are talking about is Bodo Dokhna from the Bodo community of Assam, the largest tribal community of Northeast. By wearing a Dokhna, I am trying to communicate what makes you on a global platform. It is the language you sing in. And your traditional attire contributes to it and makes you international. For me, being international is not about following the West,” she states.