Farida Parveen
the Queen of Lalon Geeti songs
Farida Parveen is known as the Queen of Lalon Geeti songs. Lalon Geeti songs is a kind of folk songs of Bangladesh and Bengali areas.
Farida Parveen was born in 1954 in Natore, Bangladesh. Though she started her career with Nazrul Geeti, Farida attained popularity in 1973 when she performed the patriotic song Ei Padma ei Meghna and the Lalon Geeti song Shatyo bol shupothey chol. Throughout an outstanding career she has enchanted music lovers with songs like Tomra bhulei gechho Mallikadir naam, Nindar kanta jodi and several Lalon Geeti classics. She had travelled to many countries promoting and upholding our heritage of rich folk music. As an ambassador of Lalon Geeti songs she has gained huge appreciation.
Farida Parveen has been singing for more than thirty years with her singularity mellifluous voice, which flows just as the one thousand and one rivers of her sonar(golden) Bangla. Her inimitable style, her interpretation of the diverse moods of the songs and subtle tonal variations amply bring out the inner meaning of these songs. Farida has helped restore to the quintessential elements of Baul tradition: its simplicity of approach, its celebration of joy and its enlightened yet intimate understanding of the relations between the body and soul.
Listening to Farida rendition of Lalon Geeti immortal songs is thus a pure experience. Among the proponents of Lalon Geeti, Farida Parveen is particularly worth mentioning for her extensive work in modernising tunes.
In 2008, she won the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize for Best Music in Japan. In 1987, she received Ekushey Padak (one of the highest civilian awards in Bangladesh), and in 1993, she was given the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer.
She also supports the anti-poverty campaign in Bangladesh.