Padmashri Padma Phenany Joglekar is no stranger to a Maharasahtrian music buff. Just mention the name in his presence and watch a swirling wave of joy light up his face and spread across his countenance in the form of huge smile. No wonder she draws full houses anywhere she performs, be it back home in Kolhapur or across the seas in the Mid East, UK or US, anywhere her concerts are a sellout.
The scintillating songster’s musical sojourn began when she entered
the Inter collegiate singing competition and won 25 trophies that year.
Even as she graduated in Microbiology she opted to make a career in classical
music rather than clinical medicine.
She quickly grew up to become an extremely versatile singer, under the guidance of legendary Vocalist Padma Bhushan Pandit Jasraj, Sarangi Maestro Padma Bhushan Pandit Ram Narayan and invaluable guidance of the great Music Director Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
Today she sings both Hindustani Classical (Khayal, Thumri, Tappa etc.) and the light popular variety (Ghazals, Geet, Bhajans etc.) with poise and grace.
She became top AIR artist and has rendered light and semi classical music programmes over AIR, Doordarshan, Zee and other channels. She has performed in various prestigious conferences all over India and also had many successful concerts in UK, USA, Canada and UAE.
Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar on hearing Padmaja lauded the singer with “ Padmaja is extremely talented with an outstanding voice and she is my hope”. Padmaja was just 18 at that time. Padmaja’s rendition of ‘Ranjish hi sahi…’ had such an edge to it that Ahmad Faraaz, the poet himself was moved by the depth of her emotions. Rave reviews and flattering comments from the likes of Qateel Shifai, Rafiq Zakaria, P. L. Deshpande, Dr. Kiran Bedi are tributes to the versatility of the singer within her.
Recipient of Padmashri Award in January 2001, Miya Tansen Award, for best classical based song in Marathi film, Nivdung (1988), Padmaja has a special privilege of composing 2 poems and singing 8 poems written by Honorable Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, for the album titled ‘Geet Naya Gata Hoon’. She has also tuned & sung poems written by former Prime Minister Shri V. P. Singh from his book Ek Tukda Dharti, Ek Tukda Aakash, - album to be released shortly.
Albums of Gazals written by such great poets like Daag, Jigar, Ahmed Faraaz, Dr. Bashir Badr etc. are also in the making. Padmaja has also sung two duets in ‘Mangaldeep’ a collection of bhajans composed by Anup Jalota.
Striving
for exclusivity and quality more than quantity, Padmaja is open to good
offers for Hindi film playback.
So what’s keeping the exceptionally gifted and highly versatile
singer from storming the playback scenario, Cinema & TV Explorer
wonders…….!