Asgari Bai

Asgari Bai (25 August 1918 – 9 August 2006) was an Indian Dhrupad singer. She was a recipient of Padma Shri, Tansen Samman, Academy Samman and Shikhar Samman.

Early life and career Asgari Bai was born in Bijawar, Chhatarpur, to a family of court singers. Her mother, Nazir Begum, was a court singer for the Bijawar royal family, and her grandmother, Balayat Bibi, was a court singer for the Ajaigarh princely state. However after the death of her husband in 1958, she was abandoned by her in-laws, and returned to Tikamgarh. Here, she started selling pickles to make ends meet but continued her riyaz on the side. Eventually, at age 63, she gave her first public performance at the Allauddin Khan Sangeet Samaroh in Gwalior in 1981. Soon, she made a name for herself with "her phenomenal command over tala, her breath-control and exquisite delineation of ragas" and an uncanny similarity of her voice to Begum Akhtar.

In her last years, she fell into dire straits and even offered to return her awards. Subsequently, then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babulal Gaur sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for her. She made news shortly before her death when she alleged that her eldest son Babu forged her signature and withdrew over Rs 1 lakh from her pension account and also tried to sell her awards. She died on 9 August 2006 in Tikamgarh, following a prolonged illness and was survived by four sons and three daughters.

Awards She received Tansen Samman of the Madhya Pradesh government in 1985, the Sikhar Samman in 1986, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama, and receiving the Padma Shri in 1990.