Gurmeet Bawa

Gurmeet Bawa was a Punjabi folk singer who carried the music of Punjab to audiences around the world. She was known for her lambi hek, a long, breathless opening note held for more than 45 seconds in her songs ^[2]. She was named for the Padma Bhushan posthumously in 2022 in the field of art, from Punjab ^[1].

From schoolteacher to singer

Bawa was born on 18 February 1944 ^[2]. After a teacher training diploma from Patti she taught in an elementary school ^[2]. She married Gurkirpal Singh Bedi in 1968, and it was then that she began singing Punjabi folk songs professionally ^[2]. She sang on radio and television from the start, became a top-grade artist of All India Radio, and was the first woman to sing at the opening of Doordarshan Jalandhar ^[2]. She always performed with Punjabi folk instruments ^[2].

On stages abroad

She represented India at the Festival of India in the Soviet Union in 1988, where, according to her citation, her 45-second lambi hek in Georgia was recorded as a world record ^[2]. She sang at the Festival of India in Japan in 1989 and in countries including France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan, and at the Wagah border for the launch of the first India–Pakistan bus ^[2]. She also sang for Punjabi films such as Sarpanch and Lajjo ^[2].

For 53 years she kept performing ^[2]. She received the Punjab state award in 1991 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award ^[2]. She died on 21 November 2021 ^[2].