JITENDRA HARIPAL
SINGER
Odisha is a land of excellent art. Here, people are known for their wealth in art and culture more than material possessions. According to him “Music is not for safe source of earning”, hence he worked as a construction labourer for his livelihood. Proving that art knows no boundaries, this man’s melodious voice was in no way a product of formal training, but entirely a gift from his equally talented father, Mandhata Haripal, and his own ingenuity. He started his career as a singer with All India Radio (AIR) in 1971, and rose to fame with the cult number ‘Rangabati’ in the mid-1970s.
He is Jitendra Haripal, a fine and versatile folk music artist. Although he rose to fame because of the Rangabati song, which was in pure Sambalpuri dialect, he has not restricted himself to Sambalpuri folk music only. Besides the Sambalpuri dialect, he is well versed in folk songs of various other regional dialects too including Kosli, Bhojpuri, Odia, Chhattisgarhi and Dhaka Bengali. He is regarded as a top exponent of Sambalpuri language songs. He has shared the stage with many famous singers and personalities and has sung over 1000 songs in different languages and dialects. He is one of the few artists to ensure that the originality of folk songs remain preserved and uncontaminated from the current decadence of values throughout the entertainment industry.
Along with various awards and recognitions from different organisations, he got felicitated by the Odisha Chief Minister in the year 2007, and in 2017 he was conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri by the President of India for his contribution to the Indian Music.
VARINDIA recognizes this noble personality who has created a sensation with his unique style of singing folk songs, by selecting him as a Crown Jewels of Odisha.