Falguni Pathak

Falguni Pathak is a singer from Mumbai whose voice became closely tied to Navratri celebrations in India. She started with Hindustani classical training but found her audience with Gujarati folk songs. Her 1998 single 'Maine Payal Hai Chhankai' turned into a festival staple, and songs like 'Sawan Mein Morni Banke' kept that connection alive.

She released albums like 'Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi' in the early 1990s and 'Sawan Mein Lag Jaati Hai' a few years later. In 2013, there was some discussion about her song 'Chudi Jo Khanki Haath Mein' and its origins in Gujarati folk music.

Her band has included musicians like Prasanna Shastri on dhol and Manmeet Singh on keyboard. She performed at Wembley in 2012, and while she's known for upbeat festival music, her background in classical training gives her singing a particular clarity.