Kirtidan Gadhvi

Kirtidan Gadhvi is an Indian singing artist who prominently features in the genre of devotional music. He hails from the Anand district, and his mother tongue is Gujarati. After formal education, he took admission in a local college and studied B.Com. However, Kirtidan got inclined to music more than his studies. Finally, he decided to abandon it for his passion. Further, Kirtidan enrolled his name at the MS University in Vadodara where he learned the art of melody for five years. He believes that music runs in his genes which guided him to the pinnacle of his success. After his education, he wrote and sang Gujarati jingles, which received moderate success.

Meanwhile, he resumed developing the art of tribal songs to become a versatile singer. With the time, people noticed the arrival of a young musician who would take folk music by storm in the near future. His specialty lies in Dayra, one of the native song types. Soon, he created a unique image for himself in the industry. He surprised his fans with his detailed knowledge of the traditional Gujarati tracks. He added his zing to his singles, which the listeners termed it as dynamic in nature. Kirtidan became a youth icon in no time. With a sizeable Indian diaspora around the world, Kirtidan did not disappoint his followers and reciprocated their feelings by crooning to his hit songs.

Mainly, he toured New Zealand, England, Canada, United States of America, and Scotland where substantial Gujarat-based immigrants have been living. He is a regular at the cultural events as well. Nowadays, most of the devotees consider “Dandiya” celebration incomplete if they do not dance to Kirtidan’s soulful tunes. High-profile Dandiya events have seen Gadhvi as the chief guest. People living outside Gujarat, came to know about Gujarati folk music when they heard Kirtidan’s Ladkee on MTV Coke Studio. His track Ladkee emphasized the importance of a father-daughter relationship. Composer duo Sachin-Jigar wanted a Gujarati singer for their Coke Studio slot and zeroed on in Kirtidan.

Though he was reluctant to modify the rhythm, he gave his nod to sing Ladkee with a different tone. His favorite bhajans are “He Jag Jan Ni” and “Gagan Gadh Ramva Ne Halo.” In June 2015, he organized a concert whose theme was cow-protection which earned a whopping 4.5 crore rupees. In his another gig, the crowd showered the new Rs. 500 and 2000 notes on Kirtidan, which led to criticism of this insensitive act. However, the vocalist stated that his group would donate the money for the welfare of soldiers’ families. Nevertheless, he has been one of the inspirations for the upcoming talent. In 2015, the state government awarded Gadhvi the prize of Best Singer.