On the demise of Pandwani singer Teejan Bai, folk singer Malini Awasthi paid an emotional tribute remembering her. Awasthi said that Tejan Bai brought the Indian folklore tradition to the global stage at a time when it was a big and bold thing for a woman to do.
After the demise of the famous folk singer, Malini Awasthi said that Teejan Bai’s contribution to Indian culture will continue to inspire artists of the coming generations. Talking about the late artiste’s role in taking folk culture to the world, Awasthi said he “championed” one of India’s greatest traditions. He recalled how Tejan Bai represented the country on international platforms at a time when Indian folk art was not recognized globally.
Malini Awasthi paid emotional tribute
Awasthi told ANI, “Today we received the extremely sad and shocking news that revered Tijan Bai Ji has passed away. She championed one of India’s most powerful traditions, the art of story-singing, and brought the stories of our land to the global stage at a time when it required great courage for a young woman to step out of her village and society and perform in public.”
Sharing a personal memory, Awasthi recalled how she first saw Tejan Bai perform as a little girl and later met her on several occasions across the country. Talking about the “good fortune” of knowing the great artiste, he expressed hope that the rich tradition of Indian story-singing would continue to flourish in the same spirit as Teejan Bai had envisioned. She said, “It has been my good fortune to have known him; I first saw him on stage when I was a little girl, and later we met over the years in many places, from Raipur in Chhattisgarh to Bhopal and Delhi… My only hope is that the tradition of story-singing continues to flourish within Indian culture just as he dreamed of it.”
Wave of mourning in Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao also condoled the demise of the veteran artiste, calling it an “irreparable loss” to both the state and the country. He prayed for peace of Teejan Bai’s soul and strength for her family in this difficult time. Speaking to ANI, he said, “…his demise has deeply shocked all of us. I pray to God to give him a place at His holy feet. May God give strength to his family and loved ones to bear this loss. It is an irreparable loss for the country and Chhattisgarh.”
Earlier in the day, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai paid last tribute to Teejan Bai at Raipur AIIMS, where she died after a prolonged illness. He also announced that the famous folk singer’s last rites will be performed with full state honours.
Who was Tejan Bai?
Born on April 24, 1956 in Ganiyari village of Durg district, Teejan Bai changed the traditional art of Pandwani with her powerful performance. She broke tradition by becoming the first woman to perform standing in the “Kapalik” style, a traditional format dominated by men. In his career spanning more than five decades, he introduced the folk story-singing tradition of Chhattisgarh to audiences across India and the world, and earned honors such as the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. (ANI)
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