Malini Awasthi is a name that has emerged synonymous with Indian folk music. She is one of the most eminent folk artistes, excelling in Hindi language dialects of Awadhi, Bhojpuri and Bundelkhandi. She also performs and presents in Thumri and Sufiyana genres of classical music. She is also a scholar, writer and activist who has taken the reach of folk further to the younger generation and continues to work tirelessly for passing the tradition of folk music to the youth, through explaining its lore and with the evolution of technology. She has most recently been conferred the Padma Shri, India"s fourth highest civilian honour by the Government of India in 2016, for her contribution to the art of folk music.
Early Life of Malini Awasthi
Malini Awasthi was born in the city of Kannauj, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. She is a post graduate in Hindustani Classical Music from Bhatkhande University in Lucknow. She is a student of legendary Hindustani classical singer Girija Devi.
Career of Malini Awasthi
Malini Awasthi has performed in numerous stage shows and also recorded songs for films as a playback singer. She has been a regular performer at the popular annual classical music festival "Jahan-e-Khusrau", held in New Delhi. She maintains that she always enjoys live shows more as they give her the opportunity "to connect with the common man". She thrives in presenting her art before a large audience. She has a high-pitched voice and is popular for her rendition of Thumri "Thaare Raho Baanke Shyam".
Malini Awasthi also believes in passing the mantle of Indian folk music to the younger lot, for which she continues to work tirelessly. She has collaborated with the Midival Punditz and also performed with them in the band. They are into lounge music and electronic music and her few numbers with them include one in Bhairavi, one is Raga Pilu and two Thumris. She puts working with the group was a different experience for her, seeing the collaboration as an opportunity of taking folk music closer to today"s youth. She has broadened the reach of folk music to the younger generation of listeners and enchants and enthrals them with her renditions. She insists that the younger lot will listen to folk provided they understand it. At a performance in a university in Greater Noida, where she performed with her troupe three hours beyond their schedule, after which the young audience danced only to her music.
Her incredible folk has also had its impact in places like Azamgarh, Benaras, Indore, Bhopal, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Hyderabad, where she has performed and received standing ovations. She also showcased her art on television, participating on NDTV Imagine`s "Junoon". She was appointed as the brand ambassador by the Election Commission for Uttar Pradesh Elections 2012. She also performed at the Kumbha Mela 2013.
Malini Awasthi has also recorded playback songs for Bollywood films "Bumm Bumm Bole", "Soundtrack", "Agent Vinod", "Chaarfutiya Chhokare", "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" and has Prakash Jha Productions" "Lipstick Wale Sapne" in the pipeline, where she has an interesting wedding track set to the tune of traditional marriage songs from Afghanistan.
Malini maintains that the tradition of folk music needs to be passed on to the next generation with the present day support of technology and explanation of the folklore through documentation, audio-visual aids, archiving, etc.
Film Songs recorded by Malini Awasthi
Malini Awasthi has recorded the film songs highlighted hereunder with the respective years of release of the films.
| Year | Song | Film |
| 2008 | "Jai Ho Chhath Maiya" | Bhole Shankar (Bhojpuri) |
| 2010 | "Mann Ki Asha" | Bumm Bumm Bole |
| 2011 | "Yeh Jeevan Hai" | Soundtrack |
| 2012 | "Dil Mera Muft Ka" Remix | Agent Vinod |
| 2014 | "Saiyyan Mile" | Chaarfutiya Chhokare |
| 2015 | "Sunder Susheel" | Dum Laga Ke Haisha |
Awards received by Malini Awasthi
Malini Awasthi has been recognised with the following awards in her art.
•Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2016
•Sahara Awadh Samman Award by the Government of Uttar Pradesh in 2003
Malini has a nomination in the Best Traditional Folk Single category in the Global Indian Music Academy Awards of 2016.
