I am not sure but maybe it’s somewhere in 1990s. We used to live in a place called Boleng in Arunachal Pradesh. There were many times when our days began with music of Sharda Sinha. Imagine a morning, sun shining through the lush green hills, bright blue sky and rays coming in through the windows. In the morning sun you could see the dust in the air and it was a Philips Tape Recorder (my mother still has it) and the Sharda Sinha’s cassette (this is also there in some box that my mother has) plays. This memory of my childhood has remained etched deep in my subconscious.
Now I don’t remember the song, also probably I didn’t understand it. Her voice fills me with nostalgia even now. It was the music or the landscape that made those morning almost magical and that scene is hardcoded in my long term memory.
I have listened to her songs in repeat for many times like the Gangs of Wasseypur “Taar Bijli Se Patle hamare piya”. Couple of years back probably my brother put her song in his car from the web series Maharani 2 called “Nirmohiya” and that again was something that got stuck in my head. When my daughter was 3, she liked the song so much that she asked that to be played hundreds of times. I am not sure what she liked, the song itself was a sad one. There was a time when she almost asked for it daily.
I have never seen Chatth Puja myself but looks like that her music is very much a part of it. She recently died during the Chatth Puja.
Bhojpuri music became synonymous to vulgar songs and many singers switched to that kind of music. Thats what people liked and probably propelled many singers to stardom and money. But Sarada Sinha always remained true to her music and never ever she crossed that line. It needs lot of courage to be on a path when you know that the other is easier.
Her legacy is going to be there for a long time and people will keep listening to her. And as far as Bhojpuri music is concerned, one which is not vulgar, is also going to stay and Sharda Sinha would be a good reason for that.
🕉 शान्ति।