Kalpana Patowary

Kalpana Patowary is an Indian playback and folk singer from Assam. She has recorded songs and folk music in several Indian languages, with Bhojpuri music being the major genre.

Patowary embarked on her career at the age of 4 and received further training from Dipen Roy and Shikha Dutta for Sangeet Bisharad in Hindustani Classical Music at Bhatkhande Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Lucknow. She has sung in more than 32 languages, including Bhojpuri, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and English, throughout her solo musical journey.

Early life and background
Patowary was born in a Yogi-Nath family of Nath sampradaya community in Barpeta district in Assam. A graduate in English literature, Patowary is an alumnus of Cotton College of Guwahati. Trained in Kamrupiya and Goalporiya folk music by her folksinger father Sri Bipin Nath Patowary, Kalpana started to publicly perform at the tender age of 4 with her father and is also trained as Sangeet Visharad in Indian classical music from Bhatkhande Music Institute University, Lucknow. She sings many forms of Bhojpuri folk music including Purvi, Pachra, Kajri, Sohar, Vivaah geet, Chaita, and Nautanki.

Patowary has worked little on the works of Bhikhari Thakur and has released an album commemorating his life and work.

Career
Patowary holds the distinction of being the inaugural Bhojpuri singer to introduce the age-old Khadi Birha tradition to international platforms.

In 2013, Patowary featured in the documentary film Bidesia in Bambai, released on December 8. The documentary provides a perspective on Mumbai through the eyes of migrant workers and their music.

She received an invitation to perform during a 15-day tour across four Latin American countries, arranged by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to commemorate Indian Arrival Day.

A noteworthy achievement is Patowary's pioneering accomplishment as the first woman to record and sing in the Chhaprahiya Purvi style, a genre previously dominated by male artists.

Patowary marked her acting debut in the Bhojpuri movie "Chalat Musafir Moh Liyo Re," portraying the character of Janki alongside co-star Dinesh Lal Yadav.

She participated in the reality show Junoon - Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka (2008) on NDTV Imagine.

Political career
In July 2018, Patowary became a member of the BJP in a ceremony graced by the presence of its president, Amit Shah, and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi in Patna.

In October 2020, Patowary affiliated herself with the Asom Gana Parishad during an event conducted at the party's headquarters in Guwahati.

In the 2021 Assam Assembly election, Patowary contested as a candidate representing the Asom Gana Parishad from the Sarukheri constituency. Jakir Hussain Sikdar defeated her.