Indian Classical Singers

Singing is an art where you can reach souls with your music. Singing is a way where you can connect to people. India is a country where we have very talented singers of all time. After long, Indian women musicians in the country are getting noticed in the indie and alternative space. Whether it's electro-pop or gentle acoustic folk or something in between those worlds, here's our roundup of new and noteworthy Indian singer-songwriters, rappers, and producers who are making waves. But Hindustani classical bandishes have always captured a raag's soul.

Check out the list of famous female Hindustani singers in India.

Girija Devi

Girija Devi was an Indian classical singer of the Seniya and Banaras gharanas. She performed classically and light classical music and helped elevate the profile of thumri. Girija Devi made her public debut in 1949 on All India Radio Allahabad, after marrying a businessman circa 1946, but faced opposition from her mother and grandmother because it was traditionally believed that no upper-class woman should perform publicly. Girija Devi agreed not to perform privately for others but gave her first public concert in Bihar in 1951. She studied with Sri Chand Misra until he died in the early 1960s, 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.Girija Devi often toured and continued to perform in 2009.

Shreya Ghoshal

Shreya Ghoshal is a very popular Indian female singer. She started learning music at the age of four years and at the age of six years she started classical music training. She started her career in 1998 and now she is one of the highest paid playback singers in Bollywood. Shreya was born on 12th March 1984 in Murshidabad, West Bengal. She has won the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa reality singing show. She is also one of the richest singers in Bollywood with a net worth of 25 million US dollars. Shreya specialised in Vocals and received many awards, worked with many record studios like Sagar Music Times Music Saregama Asha Audio.

Kaushiki Chakraborty

Kaushiki Chakraborty is an Indian classical vocalist. She attended Sangeet Research Academy, and was one of the exponents of Patiala gharana. Her repertoire covers Khyals and semi-classical Thumris. She is the recipient of 2005 BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in the Asia-Pacific category. She is the daughter of Hindustani classical vocalist, Ajoy Chakraborty and she has held performances with her husband, Parthasarathi Desikan. In 2020, she was awarded Nari Shakti Puraskar. Chakraborty has participated in many major concerts. Apart from rendering Khyals in her performances, she has occasionally adopted contemporary forms of Indian pop music. She performed at the Dover Lane Music Conference from the age of 20 and continued participating for the next 5 years. In her recitals, she presents a mature and rhythmical swing succeeded by unrestrained taans in three-and-a-half octaves.

Monali Thakur

Monali Thakur is an Indian singer and actress. She is the recipient of a National Film Award, Filmfare Award and many more awards. Thakur won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Moh Moh Ke Dhaage" from the film Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) and the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Sawaar Loon" from the Film "Lootera" (2013). She was a judge on Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs 2014. She was also an "expert" on Colors TV's Rising Star for two consecutive seasons.

Shubha Mudgal

Born into a musically dedicated family, Shubha Mudgal has been trained by some of the finest musicians and musicologists in India. Naina Devi and is thus a versatile and popular performer. In addition to being a performer, Shubha has also won recognition as a composer. She is the recipient of numerous times awards, including the Padma Shri from the Government of India in the year 2000, and the Gold Plaque Award for Special Achievement in Music at the 34th Chicago International Film Festival, 1998, and the Yash Bharati Samman from the Government of Uttar Pradesh in 2015. She has also been closely involved with several projects related to music education in India. Formerly a member of the Central Advisory Board of Education constituted by the Government of India, Shubha also chaired a focus group discussing the need for introducing an arts education program in mainstream school education during the National Curriculum Framework 2005. Shubha Mudgal was also a Nana Shirgaokar Visiting Research Professor for traditional music at Goa University.

Gangubai Hangal

Gangubai Hangal was an Indian singer of the khayal genre of Hindustani classical music from Karnataka, who was known for her deep and powerful voice.Hangal belonged to the Kirana gharana. Gangubai Hangal's is one of the most famous names in the world of Hindustani classical music. Born to a mother who was an expert of Carnatic music, singing was already in Gangubai Hangal's genes. The voice of Gangubai Hangal is identified by its soulful and powerful qualities. She belonged to the Kirana gharana and practiced the khyal genre of Hindustani classical music beginning from the early 1930s. Though Gangubai Hangal had to leave her school at a very small age, she was highly educated in music, learning from the best teachers of classical music, and even securing the position of the music professor of Karnataka University, courtesy her talent and achievements in the field.