Aspirations have no limits, when we wish to take them higher. Some people have fire in their hearts to give their dreams the wings to fly high. Odisha is a land blessed with blossoming talents, carrying high hopes in their hearts. We have innumerable inspirations, who transformed their dreams into realities with sheer determination.

Meet Barnali Hota from Odisha

A voice blessed by the angels, Barnali is a shining example for the present generation. She always knew how to make the best use of her potential and bring Odisha’s folk tradition to the forefront.

While every passionate singer loves to sing songs of different genres, folk songs are often forgotten about. Singing folk songs is a matter of pride for many & Barnali’s voice is the soul of Odia folk songs. At the very young age of eleven, she ventured into the music field at an age when she did not know much about the world.

Early Days Of Music

Barnali stated that she had a keen interest in music since childhood. She was able to sing songs from popular serials like Kasauti Zindagi Ki and Kumkum Bhagya. Seeing her talent blooming from such a young age, her parents decided to assign a music teacher to help her acquire skills in music.

Late Shantilata Barik took her under her wing and trained her to be a singer. Being no less than her mother, Barik nurtured Baranali’s talent and dedicated herself to grooming her as a singer. Barnali spent her mornings and evenings mastering the nuances of music from her Guru, whom she calls her biggest inspiration.

To date, she recalls how her Guru inspired her to sing on stage, which finally led her to sing a devotional song Singhadwara when she was about four.

Her performance earned her praise, which boosted her confidence in performing on several other occasions.

Appearance in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa

While she was in 7th grade, she auditioned for ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ Little Champs. She got selected and made it to the top 5, enthralling several viewers with her sweet voice.

Barnali’s fate began to shine, as she got the opportunity for international tours, especially to South Africa with Adnan Sami.

Initial Struggles

As we all know, every success story has its share of struggles. Barnali shared hers when she received an offer from Zee TV to be a playback singer, which did not materialize. The reason behind this was the demand for high remuneration from Zee TV. When the prospects for collaboration failed, rumors started circulating about Barnali’s arrogance and her unjust demand for high remuneration. However, there was another side to the story. She was told that she does not possess the vocal range that a playback singer should have to be a part of Zee TV.

Even then, Barnali’s spirit remained high. Having been blessed with a lot of fortune, Barnali has worked with several well-known Ollywood music directors.

With Lord Jagannath’s blessings, Barnali got the opportunity to showcase her musical prowess at Amrit Kalash, a show that provided a platform for singers from various states to perform folk songs.

Recognition showered in abundance upon Barnali, as she went viral after having performed ‘Bajare Baja Bala’ and ‘Dekha Lo Sangata’, which perfectly reflected the essence of our folk song.

While she has earned much fame through reality shows, she also has a few albums to her credibility. When she was merely 17, she recorded two of her albums. She has also had a stint in the Bangladeshi film industry and has thus set a milestone for being the first Odia to sing a Bangladeshi song.

At Odisha Parba, 2024:

As the Odias gear up for Odisha Parba in Delhi, Barnali’s fans are ready to see her perform at the cultural extravaganza.

In the night filled with cultural extravaganza, Barnali’s soothing voice will add to the spirit of Odisha Parba!

So do not forget to visit Odisha Parba, 2024 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Gate No. 14 on 22nd-24th November and witness Odisha’s beauty at its finest.