Girija Devi

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 was dubbed as the 'Queen of Thumri' for her contribution in the genre. She died on 24 October 2017.

Early life Girija Devi was born in Varanasi, on 8 May 1929, to Ramdeo Rai, a zamindar. Her father played the harmonium and taught music, and had Girija Devi take lessons in singing khyal and tappa from vocalist and sarangi player Sarju Prasad Misra starting at the age of five. She starred in the movie Yaad rahe aged nine and continued her studies under Chand Misra in a variety of styles. Girija Devi agreed not to perform privately for others, but gave her first public concert in Bihar in 1951.

Girija Devi sang in the Banaras gharana and performed the purabi ang thumri style typical of the tradition, whose status she helped elevate. Her repertoire included the semi-classical genres kajri, chaiti, and holi and she sang khyal, Indian folk music, and tappa. 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.

Awards Mohd. Hamid Ansari presenting the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship 2010 to Girija Devi, at the investiture ceremony of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2010

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Vibhushan Award to Dr. Girija Devi, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 12, 2016

Padma Shri (1972) Padma Bhushan (1989) Padma Vibhushan (2016) Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1977) Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2010) Maha Sangeet Samman Award (2012) Sangeet Samman Award ( Dover Lane Music Conference) GiMA Awards 2012 (Lifetime Achievement) TanaRiri Puraskar