Bihar Kokila or nightingale of Bihar Sharda Sinha is a respected folk singer of India whose efforts are most primal in promoting folk music of Bihar at the national as well as international level. Singing since youth and born on 01, October 1952 at Hulas, a small village in Samastipur district of Bihar, Sharda Sinha has been devoted to keep Bihar’s folk songs alive and well known especially those in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magahi languages. Her songs are well admired for presenting the features of the Bihari culture that portrays the life of joy and pain, and the soul through farm and rural music and lyrics.
As she grew up, Sharda Sinha was exposed to folk music that is heard in her native country, as children listen to the songs performed during weddings, or during other holidays and rituals. Blessed to be from a family of music lovers she decided to take formal training in classical music which refined her vocal ability as well enriched her vocal range. She continued her course through Patna University which gave her academic discipline offset with talent hence she combined the studying of the classical music with folk database, preparing her to optimally balance academic music training and folk instinct. As for Sinha, although he studied in classical style, he never lost his links with the roots rooted for a literal folk interconnection, of which turned into an even more preference towards folk as opposed to the modern classification. Her decision made her stand out from the rest, and she immediately went back to dedicating efforts for documentation and production of the sounds and songs of Bihar’s history.
Notability, work of Sharda Sinha was notable for portraying the real and true cultural–social picture of Bihar. Even her songs penetrate deeply to the rural population and other fans from other areas due to emotional appeal and given topics. The themes she touches on are basic aspects of life that include festivals, seasons, love, family and even aspects of nature. Traditionally celebrating the significance of Hindu god of Sun Surya Dev or Sun God and hugely popular in Bihar Chhath puja festival has become synonymous with Sinha’s music. Fortunately, her melodious voice in Chhath songs like; ‘Ho Dinanath,’ ‘Pehle Pahil Hum Kayini Chhath,’ ‘Kanha Chhod Chali Gokul’ has provided a spiritual feeling to the Chhath festival as millions of Chhath devotees perform during the festival.
Some of social causes that Sharda Sinha has also addressed in her songs include the position of women and the lofty importance of their position in the rural society. Both singing and her songs tell about the life experience of rural women and present their dedication to themselves as daughters, sisters, mothers, and wives. From her songs, she was commonly singing about love, separation and reunion which are some of the most common themes in the world and yet very rooted in the Bihar’s context. The tone includes the desire, happiness and religiosity and shows the rhythm of the village and sternness within herself in her native society.
None the less the subject matter of most of Sharda Sinha’s songs go beyond the structural facets of a festival and in fact portrays moments and seasons that are important to Bihar. For instance, she revealed that enjoyable songs such as wedding songs are singled out in her list. Compared to Bhojpuri and Maithili wedding songs, Sinha’s performances have given a new way for people who may not be Bihari to learn about union and family bands. Some of her performances include “Vivah Geet” (wedding songs) are brought up to revitalize the tradition of Bihar marriage ceremony. She has also sung for Bihar’s beauty and customs in films like “Ganga Devi” explaining the Bhojpuri folk tunes into movies and as a culturally Bihari song for the viewers.
Gradually, with time, and she came into the lime light and her ability to transform Indian folk music got nationwide fame. For her valuable efforts to preserve and promote folk music in India she was honored with Padmashri in 1991 the third highest Indian civilian award. Despite this, apart from Bihar, she sang all over India and in other countries which have residents who used appreciation of good music across cultures to appreciate her performances. In 2018 her achievements were recognized again when she was awarded Padma Bhushan the third highest civilian award in India which officially recognized her as a cultural icon the most important of Bihar’s music anthem. These achievements have set her status, thus she is not only a living icon in Bihar, but also the Cultural icon supporting the indian folk music across the globe.
And, apart from her singing it is highly appreciated that she has earned her contribution in music. She is also has been a teacher and guide, worked in Women’s College, Samastipur as a professor for many years. Thus in this role she has shaped a new generation of musicians/ urged youth talents for exploring folk music. She has been instrumental in instilling respect of earned appreciation for folk arts of Bihar amongst the younger generation and encouraging many feel proud of their roots. Again even today she has become a role model for the people who want to preserve folk music in the world.
Due to her consistent focus on her originality and her people, she has and still remains that voice of Bihar through her music. Her songs are not simple staged renditions of a community’s theme but elucidations of communitarian experiences and proclivities. In the current generation’s music book, Sharda Sinha seems to defy the current hits seeking to embrace global market tastes more than celebrating cultural roots. Her songs are timeless, which bring together the present generation with the past generations as well as brings Bihar’s culture to life.
In her enduring career, Sharda Sinha has achieved what few artists manage to do: she has embarked for her community and has taken audio of Bihar to the world. Her songs remain popular today, and she set a great example to anyone who understands the importance of recorded folk music for telling the story of our lives.
