The Score Magazine - Archive Aug-Sept 2016 issue! | Page 38

PRAMITA BOSE Kalpana Patowary Her loyal service to Bhojpuri folk music has rightly earned her the sobriquet ‘Bhojpuri Queen’, despite being born out of that strong cowbelt region. Blessed with an enviable high-octave range, Kalpana Patowary is a rare female folk voice to reckon with in current-day context. Disciple of the legendary Hindustani classical vocalist Ustad Gulam Mustafa Khan, this dynamic Assamese girl is also trained in the rich folk traditions of Kamrupiya and Goalporiya lokgeet by her mentor-father Sri Bipin Patowary, who is also an accomplished folk singer. Having collaborated with ace percussionist Trilok Gurtu and formed the happening folk-fusion band Dhruv Voyage alongwith Dhruv Ghanekar, a co-founder of the path-breaking state-of-the art live performance venue — Blue Frog, this amazingly talented artiste has already many feathers in her cap as a musician- achiever. 36 The Score Magazine www.thescoremagazine.com “ I just love to chase the phonetics of every single tongue and boli