Davinder Deol
Singing, teaching and performing Punjabi women's Folk Songs
About the Artist
Davinder Deol was born in Punjab, India and immigrated to Yuba City, California at the age of five. Though she grew up in the U.S., her childhood was filled with rich cultural experiences reflecting her Punjabi heritage. Many of her passions as an adult are rooted in that upbringing—especially her love for Punjabi folk songs, which she first heard sung by her mother and “aunties” during wedding festivities.
What once sounded like wailing to her as a child soon revealed itself to be a powerful tradition: songs filled with stories of love, loss, resilience, and the lived experiences of Punjabi women across generations. This realization sparked Davinder’s passion to learn, sing, and teach these songs as a way of preserving and celebrating the tradition within the Punjabi American community.
This project honors her mother, the women of her mother’s generation, and the ancestral women who came before them—ensuring this beautiful and meaningful art form continues to thrive for generations to come.
Living Cultures
2024
Developing Workshops for Preserving Women’s Punjabi Folk Songs
Funding will support the research, collection, and development of workshops in Yuba City to preserve ancestral women’s Punjabi folk songs—an increasingly endangered art form within the Punjabi diaspora. These workshops aim to rekindle community interest and inspire participants to recognize and sustain the cultural significance and continuity of this tradition. This project honors the artist’s mother, the women of her mother’s generation, and the ancestral women who came before them—ensuring this beautiful and meaningful art form continues to thrive for generations to come.
