JAMMU, Jun 11: Renowned vocalist and composer Seema Anil Sehgal from Jammu and Kashmir has been conferred the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, India’s highest national recognition for performing artists, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to traditional and devotional music.
Popularly known as the “Peace Singer of India” and the “Nightingale of Jammu & Kashmir,” Seema has earned national and international acclaim for promoting harmony through music. She holds the unique distinction of being the only singer whose music has been officially presented as a national gift. During the historic Lahore Bus Yatra, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee gifted her music album “Sarhad” to then Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
In 2006, she was honoured with the prestigious Hakim Khan Sur National Award for National Integration, an honour also received by Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar and the Dalai Lama.
A disciple of legendary vocalist Kishori Amonkar, Seema has successfully taken Dogri, Gojri and Punjabi music to global audiences. She is also a Top Graded artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan and has been associated with both institutions for over three decades.