Renowned Kumaoni folk singer who had been singing incessantly since the last thirty five years and entertaining the people of Uttarakhand through his melodious voice and mesmerising songs has died sending shock waves all around.
Having started his break as a popular singer from the first Kumaoni movie Megha Aa, Deewan Singh had a special place in the hearts of thousands of his fans in Kumaon Uttarakhand particularly having performed in hundreds of events in Uttarakhand , Delhi Mumbai and other states of the kubtry inhabited by Uttarakhand’s people.
He performed in Utarakhand Ksuthigs and Uttarakhand Utsavs in Metropolises entertaining his thousands of fans.
Renowned singer Kanyal passed M.Com. in 1983. He did B.ed from Akashvani Najibabad. Kanwal did B.High grade from Akashvani Almora. He has also done B.High grade in Hudka. Late Jeevan Bisht gave him the first opportunity to sing in Film Medha, a first Kumaoni movie.
This is from where his singing journey started. Along with this, he also continued writing. He has mostly composed and sung his own songs. He worked as a branch manager in Almoda Cooperative Bank.
He started enacting different characters in Ramlilas since childhood. Kanwal started playing characters in Ramlila from a Club of Almoda.
First of all he played the role of Mandodari. Gradually he started getting roles of bigger characters. His interest in singing started from Ramlila itself. His inclination towards theatre also increased. He joined the renowned theatre group of renowned intellectual and theatre activist, Director Mohan Upreti. He learnt the minute details of the theatres from Mohan Upreti while in his company in Delhi where he used to earn his livluhood as well.
After staying in Delhi for nearly a decade he returned back to Almora and started directing regional Kumaoni plays.
He had directed plays like Kal Bisht, Ganganath, Hal Hit, Surju Kunwar Jot Mala, Ajua bafaul etc. Kanwal ji’s plays like That Baat, Suva, Pailag, Hudki Gham Gham, Nanda Chalisa, Jai Maya Barahi, Sufal Hai Jai Panchnam Dev etc. have been released.
Apart from this, he had sung in Kumaoni films like Mepa Aa, Bilvedana, Ae Ge Bahar, Jai Hind, Aapan Ribaran, Jai Golu Dev etc. Kanwal ji is also the founder of Himalaya Lok Kala Kendra. His death has undoubtedly created a huge vaccum in the cultural circles of Uttarakhand a vaccum difficult to be filled.
The Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami while expressing his condolences wrote on X : We received the very sad news of the passing of Shri Diwan Singh Kanwal, the renowned folk singer of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. His death is an irreparable loss to the world of folk culture and music.
He gave a new identity to the folk music of the state and kept the culture, tradition, and folk life of the mountains alive through his songs.
I pray to God to grant his departed soul a place in His feet and give strength to the bereaved family and fans to bear this immense loss.
Om Shanti…!
Terming the untimely sad demise of Deewan Singh Kanyal asan irreoeraple loss to the cultural traditions of Uttarakhand union minister of state for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta said that the news of the passing of Uttarakhand’s renowned folk singer, Diwan Singh Kanwal, is deeply saddening. Hailing from Khatyadi village in Almora district, he played a significant role in reinventing Kumaoni folk music. Through his melodious voice, he helped spread Kumaon’s rich folk traditions and folk songs across the country and abroad.
His life was dedicated to the preservation and promotion of folk culture. His passing has caused an irreparable loss to the cultural world of Uttarakhand.
We pray to Lord Golu Devta to grant his departed soul a place in his feet and provide strength to his bereaved family and fans wrote Tamta on his handle X.
