Dev Negi



With songs like 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania,' 'Sweety Tera Drama' and ' Chalti Hai Kya 9 Se 12' to his credit, Uttarakhand singer Dev Negi have carved a niche for himself in the music industry. In a conversation with us, the singer gets candid about his Uttarakhand memories, his struggling days and how the Kumaoni music has influenced his style of singing.

‘I would sing, play manjira in Almora ’

Dev says that his style of singing is majorly inspired by the state’s folk music. “Uttarakhand’s folk music has a lot to offer to the music industry. I feel blessed to belong from a musically rich state. Aur kahin na kahin meri upbringing ne mere singing ko bahut influence kiya hai. I would sing, play manjira in Almora, would sing bhanjans at temples there. Uttarakhand mein bahut sukoon milta hai. Back then, I never thought that I would become a singer. I have a penchant for Kumaoni music and, thanks to its influence, I love soft melodies and soulful ballads and this is reflected in my singing,” he says.

‘I struggled a lot between 2006 and 2011’

It wasn’t easy for Dev to make inroads into the music industry. “I participated in over seven reality shows but didn’t succeed in any of them. I struggled a lot between 2006 and 2011. But I stayed patient and it was in 2013 that I got my first break. During my struggling period, I sang title tracks for several daily soaps to sustain a livelihood,” he says.

‘ Despite coming from an army background, my parents supported my dreams’

Dev, who comes from an Army background, says, “My father is an ex-Army man and a former boxer, my uncle, my brother-in-law everyone was in the Army. So, it was only natural that they all wanted me to join the force. They wanted me to get a secure, well-paid government job. But their mindset changed when they saw me perform at the Ramlila organised in our town. They were really impressed by my singing skills and since that day they supported me in my music career.”

‘Difficult for songs to have lasting impact now’

Talking about today’s music scene, he says, “Bollywood has evolved and so has the music. But with multiple movies releasing every week, sustainability of songs has reduced now. By the time people like and start humming one song from a film, another peppy track of another movie comes up and they move to that song. It’s not possible to have the everlasting impact that Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar ’s songs had on people.”

