Assam as well as the north-eastern part of India is a land of melody and rhythm. It has a rich cultural heritage. To spread the nectar of the melodious tunes of the Northeast, sprinkled with the tenderness of folk life, Miranda Choudhury, a promising artiste of Assam unveils herself.
Miranda was born at a small town of Gauripur in Dhubri district of Assam. It is a place which bears a rich historical background. Miranda is the elder daughter of Shrimati Archana Choudhury and Shri Naba Kumar Choudhury. She married with Prince Choudhury, a lyricist and composer at her tender age. She took her primary and higher education from the institutes of Gauripur and Dhubri.
Miranda’s main fascination is Goalpariya folk music. It may be mentioned here that ‘Goalpariya’ folk songs are also known as ‘Bhawaiya’ or ‘Koch-Rajbangshi’ songs in some part of the country and in the neighbouring country like Bangladesh. Apart from Goalpariya folk song, she contributes her time to study and perform different folk and modern songs of Assam as well as of rural India. Though she learned the enchanting folk tunes from the common people, which is a fundamental characteristic of performing music, she took musical lessons from established gurus of Gauripur, Dhubri and Guwahati. Her intimacy with Padmashree Pratima Barua Pandey, the ‘queen of Goalpariya folk song’, as a familial relationship also takes an important role in her musical journey.
Miranda took special training on ‘Kushan’ songs, a rich variety of Goalpariya folklore, imparted under Gauripur Cultural Centre. She also obtained certificate from Banga Sahitya Sanmilan for Bargeet.
Apart from folk songs, Miranda learned Hindustani classical songs from the reknown Gurus of Dhubri and Gauripur and did her ‘Visharad’ degree (B.Mus.) under Bhatkhande University of Lucknow in the year 1989.
Miranda was also associated with mass media campaign and performed many schematic songs and plays among the rural people of Dhubri district.
In 2007 Miranda passed vocal audition test in the category of Goalpariya folk song, conducted by the All India Radio, Guwahati. From then onward Miranda became a regular singer of All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati. In 2013 she achieved All India Radio’s ‘B High Grade Degree’ and in 2019 she was awarded with ‘A Grade Degree’ by the said authority. In the year 2017 Miranda was empanelled in the Reference panel of Artistes by the ICCR, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations under the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India. In 2022 she was appointed as a ‘Guru’ of Goalpariya folk songs by the NEZCC, the North East Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India under ‘Guru Shishya Parampara’ Scheme.
Miranda’s radio, television and stage shows have been largely applauded by the audience and viewers. Apart from AIR, DDK and PPC, her performances have been broadcasted by some popular private FM radio and satellite television channels.
Miranda sings Kamrupee, Bihu and many other folk songs of the Northeast. It is to be noted that, parallel to the folk music, she performs modern songs too. In the year 2001 she lipped for an Assamese Modern Album namely, ‘O Moinajan’. As a part of her fascination in folklore, she gave her voice in an Assamese folk album of marriage-songs, namely ‘Hemhaar’ in 2012. In the year 2013 her ‘Desher Maatir Gaan’, an album of Goalpariya folk songs, presented by ‘River Voice Assam’, created sensation among the music lovers. Miranda regularly performs at the stages in and around the state. In the year 2015 she sung for a folk video album produced by a British production at the Studio Vibration, Kolkata. Later, ‘Shraddhanjali’, the said video album, got bronze medal in the ceremony of ‘Global Music Award’, USA.
Miranda obtained ‘Moromland News Award-2015’ under the category of Best Singer of the year in Goalpariya folk song’, presented by Moromland News, an Assamese Monthly.
As an established artiste of the folk genre, Miranda imparted trainings to the learners under SCERT, the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Guwahati.
Miranda plans to make a research project, which would focus upon the variety of folksongs of the Northeast in general and Goalpariya folklores in particular. It is hoped, that the study on the field of culture of the Northeast, especially on the songs of the rural folk, would invite the interest of the music-lovers, students of folk music, scholars, literatures, socio-cultural activists and be able to strengthening the knot of our harmony and integration among the mass people of our country.
The aim of the artiste is to scatter the fragrance of our rich cultural heritage to the hearts of the music lovers of our country and abroad.
Cultural Biodata
ICCR Empanelment Letter
NEZCC Letter
