Sukri Bommagowda

Sukri Bomma gowda is a prominent singer and social activist who has won the hearts of millions of people through her intrinsic knowledge of folk arts. Known fondly as ‘Sukriajji,’ she has been a voice for tribes people and their culture for over five decades. Sukriajji’s delightful singing and her music, which comprises a collection of around 1,000 traditional halakki songs,

have earned her the title, ‘The Nightingale of Halakki Vokkaliga tribes.’ Born in the lush mountains of Ankola Taluk in Karnataka, Sukri Bommagowda grew up learning the music of her people through her mother. She used talents to overcome the death of her family at a young, age and she went on to develop and propagate her culture to ensure its survival through the tides of time. Sukri Bomma gowda has been a vocal candidate for the preservation of tribal communities and their welfare.

She used her musical platform to highlight the declining culture of the mountains and urged the government and the people of the land to preserve the rich heritage of the mountain tribes. Having been denied the luxury of education herself, she has been a staunch supporter of schooling female children. She has been a member of the Badiegiri Panchayat and has pushed for the ban on alcohol consumption. At the age of 81, she is still a sought after presence in local festivities and social causes.

The Indian government recognized her numerous contributions to society by awarding her the prestigious ‘Padma Shri’ award in 2017. She has also been the recipient of the ‘JanapadaShri Award,’ ‘Naduja Award,’ and the ‘Alva’s Nudisri Award’ for her career in music. In 1988, the Karnataka government awarded her for ‘The Preservation of the Culture of Aboriginal Tribes’. Her name is also found in the Kannada textbooks of class eight students of the SSLC board. Her songs, which are sung at various festivities, mark her message to society and her place in the cultural history of Karnataka.