VOICE OF MOUNTAINS: DR. MADHURI BARTHWAL

Madhuri Barthwal (born Uniyal) is an Indian folk singer from Uttarakhand. She is the first  woman to work for All India Radio as a music composer. She is considered to be the first female  musician in Uttarakhand to teach music. Ram Nath Kovind presented her with the Nari Shakti  Puraskar on International Women’s Day in 2019. In the sphere of art, she was awarded the  Padma shri, India’s fourth most notable regular citizen prize, by the Indian government in 2022. 

Barthwal’s father was a vocalist who also played the sitar. She worked as a music teacher at a  college for several years after graduation. She spent her free time in Nazibabad composing for  All India Radio. She became an outspoken advocate of Uttarakhand’s folk music, hosting the  radio show “Dharohar,” which was dedicated to the region’s heritage and folk music. She is  claimed to be knowledgeable about every musical instrument used in Uttarakhand. She has  assisted in the recording of music by various musicians. 
Among the many hundreds of students she has taught, she has motivated several to pursue  careers as professional musicians. She has also performed with Narendra Singh Negi, another  famous Garhwali singer. 
Barthwal’s work was recognised with the Nari Shakti Puraskar, which was presented by Ram  Nath Kovind, the President of India in recognition of the sixty years she had dedicated to music,  broadcasting and teaching. The citation noted that she had “devoted her life” to the  preservation of music. 

The award ceremony was held at the President’s palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan, on International  Women’s Day in 2019 in New Delhi. About forty women received the award that day and three  of the awards were given to groups. The Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka  Gandhi was there and afterwards the awardees met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
In a conversation with a news agency, Barthwal said, “Today when I came to know that I am  being awarded Padma Shri, I was very happy. I felt that my penance for so many years was  successful and finally got its fruits” 
She said that music has that power which binds the entire human race in the thread of unity. She said that neither caste nor religion is seen on the stage of music. Barthwal, who has done  research on the topic of raga-ragini in Garhwali songs, said that she will continue to work in  this sphere until her last breath.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *