Naina Devi (singer)
| Naina Devi (singer) | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Nilina Sen |
| Born |
27 September 1917 Kolkata, British India |
| Died | 1 November 1993 (aged 76) |
| Genres | Hindustani classical music |
| Occupation(s) | vocalist, music producer, artistic director |
| Years active | 1950–1993 |
Naina Devi (27 September 1917 – 1 November 1993) also known as Naina Ripjit Singh, was Indian vocalist of Hindustani classical music, most known for her thumri renditions, though she also sang dadra and ghazals. She was a music producer at All India Radio and later with Doordarshan. She started her musical training under Girja Shankar Chakravarty in her teens, later restarted it with Mushtaq Hussain Khan Rampur-Sahaswan gharana and Rasoolan Bai of Benaras gharana in the 1950s. Born in an aristocratic family in Kolkata, she was married into the royal family of Kapurthala State at age 16, and was started singing in concerts only after her husband died in 1949, and she moved to Delhi.
In 1974, she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour given by Government of India.
Born Nilina Sen, in an aristocratic Bengali family in Kolkata, where her grandfather was Keshub Chandra Sen, nationalist leader and social reformer from the Brahmo Samaj movement. One of five siblings: (Sunit, Binita, Sadhona, Nilina and Pradip), Nilina received a liberal upbringing from their parents Saral Chandra Sen, a barrister and Nirmala (Nellie). She first got interested in music, when her uncle, Panchu took young Nilina to a concert of Angurbala, at a local theatre. Thereafter, she went to listen to Agurbala at her home in Masjid Bari Street. Eventually she trained for nine years under Girija Shankar Chakravarty (1885–1948), noted vocalist and teacher, known for revitalising the khayal tradition in Bengal.
In 1934, at the age of 16, she married Ripjit Singh (b. 1906), third son of Raja Charanjit Singh of princely Kapurthala State. After her marriage she moved to Kapurthala in Punjab and wasn't allowed to sing. Though her husband died in 1949, when she was 32 years of age.
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