BREAKING: Indian folk singer Sharda Sinha tests positive for coronavirus

Indian folk singer Sharda Sinha has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Sharda herself shared this information with her fans through her Facebook account. 

For the uninformed, Sharda Sinha was born on October 1, 1952 and is an Indian Maithili-language folk singer. Apart from this she also sings in Bhojpuri as well as Magahi languages.

Fans of the singer know her extensively for her Maithili version of the Chhath Puja themed song "Ho Dinanath". Sinha was awarded Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, on the eve of Republic Day in the year 2018.

Sharda Sinha, a folk singer synonymous with Chhath, had come out with two new songs on Chhath after a decade in 2016 after her last album of devotional songs in 2006.

In the songs - with lyrics like Supawo Naa Mile Maai and Pahile Pahil Chhathi Maiya - Sharda is urging people to come to Bihar during Chhath. Though old, the songs are relevant and devotees play them every year.

In a 2016 interview with Telegraph, Sharda had said, "High-handedness of music companies and lack of good lyrics had kept me away all this while. As these issues got addressed this year, I rendered my voice to the songs."

In her entire career, Sharda has sung 62 Chhath songs in nine albums released by T-Series, HMV, and Tips. She said, "Through these songs, I have tried my level best to save our rich culture and tradition. There is an urban contemporary feel so that people can relate to it as well."