Popular Sindhi Singer : Bhagvanti Navani

One name is bound to come during the sindhi marriage celebrations at least for Indian land this is fact that no sindhi marriage get completed without pronouncing name of Kumari Bhagwanti Navani as most of the Sindhi Lada sung during the wedding celebration are sung by her.

Bhagwanti Navani was born at Nasarpur Sindh- the land become part of Pakistan after the partition- on 01-02-1940. After shifting to India, she started exploring and expanding the reach of Sindhi folk music by singing Bhajans, Dohira, Sufi Kalams, Lolies, Sakhiyoon etc. She was introduced to singing by her grandmother who was used to sing Bhajans and Sindhi folk songs.

Her first formal music teaching was cared by Devghar Music School and Arun Sangeet Vidyalaya [Nikhil Ghosh]. After wards she joined Indian People Theatre Association, where her musical talent was flourished under the guidance from Kanu Ghosh & Kanu Ray. This Bengal connection inspired Bhagwanti to learn more about “Ravindra Sangeet” from Chitra Barua & Hemant Kumar.

Her voice was so melodious that till today she is refereed as Sindhi Koyel. She gained popularity and become singer of masses when she started singing Lada [traditional sindhi marriage songs] and become a well-known name in the house hold of sindhi families.
As a singer she was part of stage performance of Sindhis for more than 3000 times at various social, religious and cultural celebrations of Sindhis in India and abroad. Her singing career extended for more than 25 years.

In the playback singing for sindhi films her achievement become more meaningful as after 1963, she sung for almost all the sindhi films releases, some of these are Jhoolelal, Ladli, Sindhua Je Kinare, Shal Dhiar Na Jaman, Hojamalo, Kanwar Ram, Halu Ta Bhaji Haloon, Pardesi Preetam etc.

Bhagvanti Navani also acted in many Sindhi Plays, specially directed by famous writer Director Govind Malhi, the few prominent plays among these are “Mehman”, “Gustakhi Muaff”, “Tuhinjo So Muhinjo” & “Desh Ji Lalkar”. Bhagvanti Navani also appeared on silver screen as the heroin in the film “Sindhua Je Kinare”.

During this span of 25 years, she was felicitated many times with many awards and trophies for the best singer. The best composition of her is the religious singing “Sukhmani Saheb” which is still part of daily life of many sindhi homes.

She died on 22-10-1986 but still her lada are the integral part of marriage celebration of Sindhis.