2018
Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar
Sangeet Natak Akademi · Folk Music, Bihar. The award was announced in July 2019.
About Chandan
A journey through song,
memory and belonging.
A folk vocalist connecting performance with the stories and traditions behind the music.
Roots & practice
A voice connected to its roots.
Rooted in Badka Gaon in Bihar’s Bhojpur district and raised in Bokaro, Jharkhand, Chandan Tiwari sings across regional languages including Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi, Awadhi, Nagpuri and Hindi.
Her practice brings together performance and the search for less widely heard compositions and writers. Purabiyataan is a musical platform for this journey, sharing traditions with their context and human meaning.
Rivers, seasons, marriage, motherhood, farming, Gandhi and shared culture are among the many subjects in her musical world.
Explore her musical worldPURABIYATAAN
From tradition
to today’s listener.
Purabiyataan brings together performances across folk forms and themes. Understanding a song’s words, credited writer and background adds depth to the act of listening.
Documentation, the discovery of rare folk poetry and conversations across communities are important parts of this continuing practice.
Enter the folk archiveRecognition
Recognition for the work.
Honours recognising her contribution to folk music.
View recognition2019
Bihar Kala Samman
Vindhyawasini Devi recognition · Government of Bihar.
A continuing journey with folk music
Performances, the search for compositions and a continuing conversation with listeners.
Bring folk music into your next gathering.
Tell us about your event, your audience and the experience you would like to create.