One of the most established singers of Uttarakhand is none other than Gopal Babu Goswami. There are people who run after money and fame, both of which are short-lived. It is the name that you have earned for yourself that will be remembered by people for generations. Such was the life of Gopal Babu Goswami.
He was born on 2 February 1941, in a very poor family of Chandi Khet, Almora. He was very fond of singing, but his hobby was not appreciated by his family. His father passed away at a very early age. The burden of responsibilities at such a tender age caused him to mature faster.
He started his first job as a truck driver. To fulfill his needs, he often performed magic tricks at local fare and sang there to entertain his audience. Hardships were always there, yet he kept going with the flow. His luck was soon about to change. One day, while singing at a local fare, his talent was spotted by Kumaoni music composer Late Brijendra Laal Shah.
This was the turning point of his life. He recorded his first song, “Kaile Bajae Murli, “ which was recorded at Lucknow and was a huge hit at AakashwaniAlmora and Najibabad.
His popularity was growing day by day. People wanted him to release a cassette of his songs. Giving in to people’s demands, he released his first cassette in 1976. Soon Gopal Babu Goswami songs became trending in uttarakhand.
Gopal Babu Goswami Kumaoni songs famous songs include “Ye Peta Khaatir,” “Ghughuti Na Basa,” and many more described the daily struggle of Pahadi people, especially women.
Apart from singing, he had a passion for writing as well. He wrote many books in both Hindi and Kumaoni. The majority of the songs that he sang were written by him.
He wrote about 550 songs in his lifespan. Unfortunately, he left for his heavenly abode on 26 November 1996. His life was nothing short of struggles. However, he overcame all of them and became an inspiration to all the upcoming generations.