Hira Devi Waiba [the pioneer of Nepali folk songs]

Hira Devi Waiba was a legend of Nepali folk [MARUNI] singer from Darjeeling, India. She came from a family of musicians from Ambotia near Kurseong and is hailed as the pioneer of Nepali folk songs in India. She has sung nearly 300 folk songs during her musical career spanning 40 years. Her singing career began when she recorded three songs in Kurseong for Radio Nepal in 1966. She worked as an announcer at the All India Radio station in Kurseong from 1963 to 1965. She was also a Nepali folk singer with All India Radio. She is the only Nepali folk singer to have cut albums (in 1974 and 1978) with HMV, Kolkata. Her popular songs include Phariya Lyayidiyechhan and Ora daudi jaanda. As a tribute to her father, Waiba had opened the SM Waiba International Music and Dance Academy at her home in Kadamtala, near Siliguri in 2008. She was awarded the Mitrasen Purashkar by the Nepali Akademi of Darjeeling in 1986, the Mitrasen Smriti Puraskar by the Sikkim government in 1996, the Agam Singh Giri Puraskar in 2001 and the Gorkha Saheed Sewa Samiti’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The Nepal government had awarded her the Gorkha Dakshina Bahu, Sadhana Samman and the Madhurima Phul Kumari Mahato Award. Hira Waiba died on 19 January 2011 at the age of 71 years after suffering burn injuries in a fire accident at her home.