Girija Devi

Girija Devi (8 May 1929 – 24 October 2017) was an Indian classical singer of the Seniya and Banaras gharanas. She performed classical and light classical music and helped elevate the profile of thumri.

Early career
Devi agreed to not perform privately for others, but gave her first public concert in Bihar in 1951. She worked as a faculty member of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata in the 1980s and of the Banaras Hindu University during the early 1990s, and taught several students to preserve her musical heritage. Devi often toured and continued to perform in 2009.

Musical career
Devi sang in the Banaras gharana and performed the purabi ang thumri style typical of the tradition, whose status she helped elevate.

Death
Devi died on 24 October 2017 of cardiac arrest at the age of 88.

Awards
 Padma Shri (1972)
 Padma Bhushan (1989)
 Padma Vibhushan (2016) 
 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1977)

References

Other websites

Category:1929 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:Deaths from cardiac arrest
Category:Indian singers