Raj Begum
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March 27, 1927
Raj Begum | |
|---|---|
| راج بیگم | |
| Born | Raj Begum March 27, 1927 Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, British India |
| Died | October 26, 2016 (aged 89) Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1950s–1986 |
| Known for | Kashmiri folk and light classical singing; "Nightingale of Kashmir" |
| Spouse | Qadir Ganderbali (d.) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards |
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Raj Begum (27 March 1927 – 26 October 2016) was a Kashmiri playback and folk singer often called the "Nightingale" or "Melody Queen" of Kashmir. She popularised Kashmiri poetic traditions, and received the Padma Shri in 2002 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2013.[1][2][3][4][5]
Career and impact
She was introduced to Radio Kashmir Srinagar in the early 1950s and formally joined in 1954, soon becoming one of the station’s defining live voices. She sang in the styles of folk, classical, ghazal, devotional, and romantic songs, with inspiration from Kashmiri poetic traditions.
Along with contemporary Naseem Akhtar, Raj Begum helped dismantle social taboos around women singing publicly in Kashmir, opening doors for later generations of women artists on stage and radio.[7][3]She retired in 1986.[2][5][7][8]
Selected songs
Awards and honours
Personal life
Raj Begum married Qadir Ganderbali, a senior Jammu and Kashmir Police official (DIG), who predeceased her. She lived in the Chanapora area of Srinagar in later years and was survived by a daughter.[7][2][5]
Death
Film and playback
Beyond radio and concert work, she has been associated with playback for the Kashmiri feature film Mehjoor, aligning her voice with cinematic interpretations of Kashmiri poetry; formal catalogs of her film songs remain limited in public sources.[10]
The 2025 film Songs of Paradise follows the journey of a Kashmiri woman who dreams of becoming a singer, inspired by the songs of Raj Begum.