Narendra Singh Negi Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Name Earned	Garh Ratna [1]Lok Sanhita
Profession(s)	Folk Singer, Composer, and Poet
Physical Stats & More
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	First Music Release: Garhwali Geetmala Album: Burans
Award	Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2018)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	12 August 1949
Age (as of 2020)	71 years
Birthplace	Pauri, Uttar Pradesh, India (Now Uttarakhand, India)
Zodiac sign	Leo
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Pauri, Uttarakhand
Educational Qualification	He did his graduation from Rampur in Uttarakhand. [2]Wikipedia
Controversies	• Narendra Singh Negi received the ire of The Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party when he composed a sarcastic song against the then N D Tiwari government in 2005 and his musical composition against the then Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank government in 2011, respectively. [3]The Statesman • In January 2021, a 17-year-old boy asked Mr.Negi a ransom of Rs.20000. Later, Negi filed a complaint at a police station Pauri. After the police arrested the boy, Negi wrote a letter to the SSP and asked him to pardon the boy. Reportedly, the boy was a student of class 12th.[4]Sankhnaad • Gajender Rana, a budding singer of Uttarakhand, sang a song that indirectly criticized Mr. Negi's sarcastic songs composed on youngsters. He said in an interview that- "Mr. Negi is jealous of my success. The lyrics of the song are true. All youngsters are with me. Narendra Singh Negi has written songs against my songs. He copied my song 'Leela Gasyaari'. He conspired to vanish my career. My song is not a publicity stunt. Many people are happy with my song. Feel my pain too. My song is not against Mr. Negi. Everyone should be given recognition. Narendra Singh Negi has also written songs against politicians. He has a problem with everyone. It is not only my views, but the singers like me are also promoting this song." [5]Gullak
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Family
Parents	Father- Name Not Known (Naib Subedar in the Indian Army) Mother- Name Not Known (Homemaker)
Wife/Spouse	Usha Negi
Children	Son- Kavilas Daughter- Ritu

Some Lesser Known Facts About Narendra Singh Negi

• Narendra Singh Negi is a well-known Indian folk singer, poet, and music composer of the Garhwal region of Uttrakhand. He is also known as ‘Garh Ratan.’ It is believed that if you want to know the culture, traditions, social structure, politics, and the life of people in Uttarakhand, the songs of Narendra Singh Negi may help you understand these in a more interesting way.

• Since childhood, he was passionate about music, and he would often visit various musical events to listen to traditional folk singers of Uttarakhand. Ultimately, inspired by the vigorous efforts of his mother, he created and composed his first song in 1974.

• From 1st to 4th standard he studied in a girls’ school. Later on, when Negi grew up, the principal of the school asked Negi’s father to shift him to another school. ^[6]Uttar Ka Puttar

• According to Negi, he never sang songs during his school and college days, and it was only when he became a government employee that he started singing. He learned Tabla from his nephew Ajit Singh Negi.

• In an interview, Mr. Negi revealed that the first time when he was inspired to write a song was when he visited Lehmann Hospital in Herbertpur, Uttrakhand for his father’s eye operation amid heavy rain, where he sat in a corner and wrote his first song. The lyrics of the song were-
  

  शेरा बस जाओ मोहन उमा रूडी कोटड़ा मां'”

• Since childhood, he aspired to join the Indian Army and did a lot of hard work to crack it, but was not successful in it. ^[7] News Uttarakhand

• In 1976, he got the opportunity to sing at Akashvani as Keshav Sharma, the then program executive there, persuaded him to sing, and he began singing as a casual artist.
  

  Young Narendra Singh Negi

• Starting with ‘Garhwali Geetmala,’ his first music release, he has sung more than 1000 songs in his career.

•  He has sung in different regional languages like Garwali, Kumaoni, and Jaunsari.

• He has also sung for the movies like ‘Chakrachal,’ ‘Gharjawai,’ and ‘Meri Ganga Holi Ta Maima Aaliare.’

• Mr. Negi said in one of his interviews that he releases only one cassette annually.

• Reportedly, Negi’s song ‘Nauchami Narayana’ released in 2007 was so influential that it led to the departure of the then Congress government in Uttarakhand. Similarly, his folk song ‘Ab Kathaga Khailo’ showed the way out to the BJP government in 2012.

• Before the 2011 Uttarakhand assembly elections, Mr. Negi released a video song that highlighted the prevailing corruption in the state.
  

  Narendra Singh Negi releasing his video song

• In the year 2017, he had a major heart attack, and during his recovery, he paid a poetic tribute to his fans through the poem ‘Jyura ka haath batin’ while thanking them for standing beside him in difficult times and for his miraculous recovery.

• The famous Bollywood singer Jubin Nautiyal remade Narendra Singh Negi’s song ‘Ta Chuma’ in 2018 with Tulsi Kumar.

• In 2018, he started a YouTube channel where he uploaded his first song ‘Hori Aygee.’ The song was used in the Garhwali film Batwaru in 1992. Although the movie failed at the box office, the song was a huge hit.
  

  Folk singer Narendra Singh Negi in a Holi scene

• In July 2019, Narendra Singh Negi supported a liquor bottling plant in Tehri Garhwal. In an interview, when asked why he supported the plant, he replied,
  

  I am not supporting alcohol but when people are consuming alcohol on daily basis, then there is no harm if a liquor factory operates in the area. The factory will provide jobs and people will not migrate in search of work.”

  He added,

  In fact the liquor also get cheaper if manufactured here. People consume over-priced non-country made liquor. people might differ but its my personal opinion.”

• In an interview that he gave on August 29, 2020, he mentioned that ‘Saving culture is society’s duty.’ In the same interview, he said,
  

  the new generation does not have much idea about language and culture.”

  

  A news article about Narendra Singh Negi

• In September 2020, Mr. Negi supported the ‘Himalaya Bachao, Polythene Hatao’ mission that was started on the 52nd establishment day of SSB by Deputy Commandant Harinder Singh Belwal. The folk singer appealed to the public that –
  

  Himalayas are not only our crown but it is the base of our lives. That is why it is our responsibility to protect our environment.”

• We come to know that Uttrakhand has nearly 52 Gharhs (bastions) from his popular local song ‘वीर भडु कु देश, बावन गढ़ों कु देश..’.

• When Narendra Singh Negi bagged the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2019, he became the first folk singer from Uttarakhand to achieve the feat.

• Apart from being an established folk singer, Mr. Negi has also worked as a government employee in Uttarakhand. Once, when he was on a tour to a remote village in Pauri as the district information officer with a political leader, he stood in a corner while the political leader started delivering his speech. During the speech, the villagers noticed Narendra Singh Negi and suddenly, the crowd approached him to get his autograph. According to Negi, he somehow managed the crowd and asked them to go back to their seats.

• During the Uttarakhand statehood movement, when he was in Uttarkashi, he released two music albums to favor the movement. Meanwhile, on the occasion of Republic Day, the Uttarkashi district magistrate was to unfurl the flag, but the audience there disrupted the program while singing his songs. Later on, DM called him and said that being a government official, he must avoid writing such songs.

• According to Negi, the ideal age to pen romantic songs is 60 and above. In an interview, while talking about this, he said,
  

  To write the perfect love songs, age 60 is the best time as at this age, you can easily observe the mind of the youngsters.”

• Narendra Singh Negi has written and sung a wide range of songs including lullabies, marriage songs, love songs, songs related to the environment and Ganga Pollution, songs related to history and the Uttrakhand movement. The songs on the status of women in Pahad by Mr. Negi are equally popular.

• Many of his songs elaborate on the migration of people from the villages of Uttarakhand. In an interview, while talking about this, Mr. Negi said,
  

  I have written many one sided songs to call back migrant youngsters who left their villages in  search of employment but skipped to write the other side that why they have migrated and what is the reason behind that particular step ?”