Rajnigandha Shekhawat (Singer) Wiki, Age, Husband, Family, Biography & More

Rajnigandha Shekhawat is an Indian singer who hails from Rajasthan. She is well-known for singing English and Rajasthani Marwari mashups. She is the princess of the erstwhile state of Malsisar, Rajasthan. ^[1]Wikipedia

Wiki/Biography

Rajnigandha Shekhawat was born on Tuesday, 18 November 1975 (age 45 years; as of 2020) in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. She did her schooling at Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School, Jaipur. Later, she pursued Bachelor in Commerce from Maharani College, Jaipur. Simultaneously, she studied Hindustani classical music from Rajasthan Sangeet Sansthan, and later, she learned classical music from Pt. Lakshman Bhatt Tailang and Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Sangeet Vidyalaya. She then moved to Mumbai where she learned music under the Gwalior Gharana from Pt. Rattan Mohan Sharma (Pt. Jasraj’s nephew). Rajnigandha did Vishaarad and MA in Music from SNDT University in Mumbai. ^[2]Facebook ^[3]Radio and Music ^[4]Rajasthan Ki Batan

While she was in school, she used to participate in various group song competitions. Later, one of her school teachers asked her to sing alone in the school assembly, and it was the first time she performed solo on the stage. She was inclined towards singing since childhood, and later, she started her training in Indian classical music. She then joined the Times music group to gain more knowledge about the music industry.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 6″

Eye Colour: Black

Hair Colour: Black

Caste

She was born in an orthodox Rajput royal family in Jaipur. ^[5]Rajasthan Ki Batan

Family

Parents & Siblings

Her father, Dr Bhawani Singh, is the Royal Highness (Thakur Sahab) of Malsisar, Jaipur. Her mother’s name is Late Rawalot Bhati who was from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. She has one elder brother and one elder sister, Vineeta Kumari Shekhawat, who is married in Lucknow.

Career

In 2006, she released her debut music album ‘Soul of the Desert.’ Some of her popular songs are ‘Tattoo’ from the album ‘Monsoon Shootout’ (2014), ‘Aai’s Aalaap’ from the album ‘Margarita with a Straw’ (2014), ‘Badri Ki Dulhania (Title Track)’ from ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’ (2017), and ‘Laalam Laal’ from the album ‘Kaagaz’ (2021). She is well versed in various music forms.

In an interview, she said,

I would sing western numbers too but I just did not want to develop an accent as that would really get into my way of singing Hindi numbers. So I would abstain from it but recently I have developed this interest in western music and I am taking lessons to get better at it.”

Reportedly, she is the only singer who does Rajasthani folk and English mashups together. One of her mashup songs ‘Cheap Thrills with Ghoomar’ (2017) gained immense popularity.

 

Rajnigandha has performed live in more than 500 concerts (as of 2021) at the national and international levels. She has also lent her voice in jingles for various TV advertisements like Fanta, Jabong, Lenovo, and Rajasthan Tourism. The Indian Idol 10 song “Mausam Music Ka” and one of the Red FM jingle has also been sung by her. In 2018, she participated in the TV reality singing show ‘Rising Star.’

She owns a marketing agency that works for the publicity of celebrities and popular brands. Her agency has worked for Disney India, Times of India (Times Music), and has been associated with the famous Indian actor Shahid Kapoor.

Awards & Honours

• Best Female Artist Aloud Award 2011

• 25 Women of Substance of Rajasthan (20 December 2012) by DNA

• Rajasthan Sangeet Ratna title on 23 December 2012

• Best Fusion Song Award in the Non-Film Music category at the Jaipur Music Festival Awards 2017

Favourite Things

• Food: Prawns Gassi at Mahesh, Mumbai, and Dosa at Andheri railway station, Mumbai

• Dessert: Strawberry Ice-Cream at Haji Ali Juice Centre, Mumbai

• Singer: Jagjit Singh

• Genre(s): Sufi Folk and Ghazals

Facts/Trivia

• In an interview, she said that she used to dress up like a tomboy in childhood.

• During an interview, she talked about her parents’ education. She said,

My father topped the university in his student days and has over 100 debating prizes to his credit, those lovely old trophies share a proud place in our drawing room at home now, at our insistence. He has written nearly 19 books to date. My late mother was a Rawalot Bhati from Jaisalmer, whose family shifted to Uttar Pradesh a few centuries ago. She studied in Lady Irwin College in Delhi before she married my father, came to Jaipur and turned herself into a typical Thakurani from Rajasthan! I have a brother who lives in Jaipur with his own family, and an elder sister, who got married and went to Lucknow.”

• While she was in school, she represented Rajasthan in the Taekwondo competition at the national level.

• In an interview, she shared that singing on a public platform was not allowed in her family. She further said,

It’s not been easy, I have a lot to achieve so the journey continues. My parents, like any normal Rajput parents, were not open to allowing a daughter to sing. But over the years they saw me getting prizes, then felicitations, they attended my concerts. I think they were worried that I will go out of Rajasthan and turn into something strange. They now realize I am more of a Rajasthani since I moved to Mumbai to pursue my dream and they are happy and proud of me now.”

• She performed in one of the episodes of the American TV reality show ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’

• She is considered the “MahaRani of Mashups” in India. ^[6]Play Board

• During an interview, she talked about her mother tongue. She said,

I love to talk in Marwari, but it is disheartening when I speak to people, shopkeepers or even in hotels and restaurants in Marwari and they reply back in Hindi. If I know the language, so do they. So what’s the shame in speaking in your mother tongue? People in Rajasthan need to understand that speaking in our own language is what will set us apart. It won’t make us look small,” she rues, but adds, “I have a lot of respect for Punjabi people and their music. The way they have promoted their music, not just in India but abroad as well, is commendable. The same push is needed to promote Rajasthani folk. Through my documentary, I want to get our music out there and make it popular.”

• Rajnigandha has a self-titled YouTube channel, and the first video on her channel was uploaded in 2009.

• She considers former Maharani of Jaipur, Gayatri Devi, her icon.

• Rajnigandha Shekhawat follows a non-vegetarian diet. ^[7]DNA India

• In an interview, she was asked to give a message to the young girls of India. She said,

I strongly believe that one has to take charge of one’s life, ones destiny and reach out for ones dreams. Excuses don’t make for great nostalgic stories, it’s the stories of victory that draw people to you. None of us have a perfect life or a perfect spring board to leap to success from, but constantly blaming others or circumstances for one’s failure is a waste of time. Sirf bahane list karte rehne se kuch nahi hoga, aage badho, face life and work hard.”

• In 2018, her haircut video went viral in which she had cut her knee-length hair (93 cms) to donate to a cancer charity organisation. She received both negative as well as positive comments on her video.
  

  Rajnigandha Shekhawat after her haircut