Falguni Pathak

Falguni Pathak a.k.a Dandiya Queen was born on March 12, 1964, in Vadodara, Gujarat. She has four sisters. She is professionally recognized has “Dandiya Queen” of the world.
She is quite a famous personality among Gujarati community.

Every year during the festival of Navratri people from all over the world listen Falguni Pathak’s songs to do Garba on her Garga and Dandiya jingles. She is regarded as one of the first artists to make Garba so popular amount other people except Gujaratis. Let’s hear something more about her.

Career

Falguni completed her schooling and college from Mumbai. She graduated from M.M.K College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai. She started singing on stage at age 9, growing up to perform at neighborhood events before she hit the big league in the 1990s. Since childhood she was treated like a boy, her parents wanted a boy right when Falguni was born that is one of the reasons why she is always dressed in a men’s attire. Her elder sisters always used to wear clothes like guys while playing with her so that she would feel less awkward.

She got trained in folk music from Dilwaliben Bhil and also Bhavdeep Jaipurwale for nearly 5 years.

She had recorded her first song in Gujarati movie when she was 10 years old along with Bollywood’s most successful singer Alka Yagnik.

Falguni Pathak has also sung many Bollywood jingles like –

Badan Juda Hote Hain, alongside Kumar Sanu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bclQhj5m_eM

Aha Aha

Nach Nach Nach

Baba Yeh Meri Jawani

Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi

Kahan Teri Bansuri

Falguni Pathak’s Garba

Navratri is a 9 day-long festival that is celebrated with dance and music. In the northern part of India, this festival is celebrated with the Ram Leela, while in other states like Gujarat, people perform Dandiya and Garba. Singer Falguni Pathak is known as the Dandiya and Garba Queen for all the right reason. This year due to the pandemic, there are no live shows happening around the city, but if you want to enjoy dancing to the tunes of Falguni Pathak’s songs in the comfort of your home, here’s a full list of her songs to get that Garba vibe on.

Ta Thaiya

Pathak is India’s undisputed Dandaiya Queen. She’s been performing since 1986, forming Ta Thaiya in 1994. Her youthful but powerful voice may seem at odds with her signature jacket, sunglasses, short hair, trousers and ever-so-gentle headbang. But her look doesn’t matter.

Pathak’s specialty is in mixing unheard, unusual numbers with popular hits. She likes to perform in a new and different way every year. Fans happily pay higher prices for it.

Pathak is also a constant in the fast-changing world of the dandiya raas. Builders and construction companies, the chief sponsors of the events, are battling a slump in the real-estate market. Bollywood is turning villain, with copyright issues putting an end to contemporary film music performed for dandiya. And the community celebration is itself becoming more stylized and competitive.

Dwayne Das, Ta Thaiya’s sound engineer for 23 years, says Pathak is unusually meticulous. She knows exactly what she wants and how sound should be projected, if her requirements aren’t met, she won’t work with that organizer.

Still, Pathak admits to being a nervous wreck before every show. She can’t help but worry about how things will go. She becomes so anxious, she don’t feel like talking to anyone before getting out there to sing.

Falguni Pathak is also celebrating her silver jubilee with Ta-Thaiya after completing 25 years of numerous memorable performances with the band. The singer and the band will join hands once again to entertain Navratri revelers, with Falguni’s hit and popular tracks, including Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi & Maine Payal Hai Chhankai

Other Hit songs by Falguni Pathak

Jode Rejo Raaj

Rut Ne Jo Bansi Bajayi

Jhoom Jhoom

Hawa Mein Udati Jaaye

Yeh Kisne Jadoo Kiya

Saawariya Teri Yaad Mein

Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye

Maine Payal Hai Chhankai

In the recent pandemic of COVID19 faced by all the people in the world , when government of India declared National Emergency, Falguni Pathak during the lockdown period used to entertain her neighbors by singing songs from her balcony of her residence and got nationwide love.

Collaboration

Shantanu Moitra – Kanha Teri Bansuri (Leela)
Rajesh Roshan – Aha Aha (Na Tum Jano Na Hum)
Adnan Sami, Sukhwinder Singh – Nach Nach Nach (Deewanapan)
Anu Malik, Sapna Awasthi – Baba Meri Yeh Jawani (Ghaath)
Jatin – Lalit – Yaad Piya Ki (Pyaar Koi Khel Nahi)
Rajesh Roshan – Badan Juda Hote Hain (Koyla).

Awards and Recognition

Falguni Pathak had received Dada Saheb Phalke Award for her contribution towards music in the Bollywood and towards the society.

Also she had received International Viewer’s Choice Award for MTV India for the song – Meri Chunnar Udd Udd Jaye.