An artiste of outstanding
versatility and range, Shrimati Asha Kaul is the recipient of the prestigious
Begum Akhtar Award: India’s highest national award given for Ghazal singing.
She began her musical quest as
a child prodigy at the age of 5 from her home state of Jammu & Kashmir. Ever
since, Asha has been a regular broadcaster on Indian Radio and T.V. for over 40
years and has given performances all over India. Besides being a gifted
singer, she is also a versatile Stage and Drama Artiste. She was an active
member of the Song and Drama Division of the Government of India.
She represented Jammu & Kashmir in the 9th Inter University Youth Festival.
She was the Cultural Ambassador of Jammu & Kashmir and has performed before
eminent dignitaries such as Presidents, Prime Ministers, Governors and Heads of
State. She participated and organized many cultural shows for Indian
Defense Service Personnel in Front Areas. She also taught music at
Government Women’s College in Srinagar.
The deep dimensions of her
evolving vocalism reveal themselves in all their dignity and charm. Her
extremely flexible and well modulated voice with an amazing wide tonal range can
conjure up an exciting variety of musical effects – from tender nuances to
swift melodic figures. There is grace and charm in her Ghazals, Bhajans,
Kashmiri Folk and Stage Songs. Her Ghazals and Kashmiri Songs are gems of
rare and fascinating artistry. Endowed with the gift of imagination, she
has evolved a style of her own. She has a sweet and mellow voice and makes
judicious use of it by laying emphasis on the more profound virtues of
traditional and versatile singing. A clear and perfect pronunciation adds
charm. She has won several awards and accolades.
Asha Kaul’s innumerable and priceless songs are
now Treasures in the Music Archives of Akashvani Delhi & Srinagar. The
songs sung by her in the First Kashmiri Film-“Shair-e-Kashmir Mahjoor” were
so popular that they still continue to charm music lovers of Kashmiri Music.
She has also rendered her sweet voice for Light & Sound Programs of the
Ministry of Cultural Affairs under the Music Direction of Mr. Satish Bhatia.
She was the most sought after and popular Kashmiri Ghazal Singer of her time and
has sung many great Kashmiri Operas.
Shrimati Asha Kaul is also well learned in
Hindustani Classical Music having received her training from the Great Music
Maestros and Gurus - Pandit Shambhu Nath Sopori of Srinagar and Pandit
Chandrakant Apte of Jamshedpur. She has dual graduate degrees in Music (Sangeet-Visharad)
from India’s two top music schools: Gandharva Mahavidyalaya of Mumbai and
Prayag Vishwavidyalaya of Allahabad. She performs Hindustani classical music
with equal dexterity and charisma as light classical, Kashmiri Ghazals and Geets.
Asha has composed innumerable songs, classical
bandishes and ghazals of her own and has rendered tunes to the lyrics and shayri
of some of India’s great poets of her time. She has also groomed her son
Anurag Harsh, into a fine Hindustani Classical concert singer, whose bio can be
found on www.Anuragharsh.com.
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Hagulo Tohi
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Shahamer Zulfava
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Yeshkar Madanvar
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Ami Lol Nyayiki
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Yath Zameenas
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Shah Zadai
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me ha kar' chey kith
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