Artistes dance at the award function at Vidyapati Bhavan on Sunday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Jan. 16: In a first-of-its-kind event, folk singers and artistes from different districts of the state were awarded for their private albums at a function at the Vidyapati Bhavan auditorium today.

The event, called the Screen Fare Awards, was organised to encourage folk artistes to continue with their work in regional dialects.

The award ceremony was organised by a private company. The organiser of the event, Arvind Ojha, said: “There are a number of awards and reality shows currently on air which aim to find singers fit for working in Mumbai film industry. This award ceremony aims to find singers who are connected with their roots. These artistes are experts in their genre of music. Therefore, we have made an effort to give recognition to their skill. This award ceremony has been organised to give an opportunity to artistes and singers from different backgrounds to showcase their talent on a national level.”

He further said: “Very soon we are going to start a talent hunt reality show called Suro Ki Nai Khoj and it will be a completely folk-based programme which is a new concept.”

Before the award ceremony, a musical show was organised where several artistes from the state performed. A remixed version of the song Kaun disa mein le ke chala re batohiya from Bhojpuri film Nadiya Ke Paar was played the young artistes performed a contemporary dance. The performance was hugely applauded by the audience.

Clippings of Bhojpuri albums and films were shown to the audience the winners were selected by a panel of five celebrities from the state.

Aman Kumar Pandey, one of the judges at the event, said: “I believe the true spirit of India lies in regional and folk music which connect us to our rich culture. Due to the efforts of several Bollywood musicians and filmmakers, many regional songs have become popular in the mainstream and have helped promote the rustic charm and appeal. The audiences are now appreciating regional movies and songs which come once in a while. I’m talking about songs like Sasural Genda Phool (Delhi-6).”

Jyoti Kumari, who received the best female artiste award, said: “Regional cinema is the real cinema. It touches our heart and is related to our lives. Acting with regional artistes also gives us a chance to get recognition at the local level because acting cannot be learnt in just a day. We need grooming at the local level before we reach Bollywood. This is the first award that I have received and it’s a big boost for me. I am not comparing myself with Bollywood actors or actresses but I am happy with my achievement.”