One of our most popular singers will be in Auckland next weekend to present an evening of melody in aid of charity.
Shriram Iyer, who left New Zealand for Australia four years ago in pursuit of higher education and better career, will perform at Shanti Niwas Charitable Trust Hall at 14 Springs Street in Onehunga on November 9 at 6 pm.
Tickets priced at $15 including a dinner pack are now on sale. For details, please contact Nilima Venkat on (09) 6221010.
Indian Newslink has been tracking the progress of this young singer for more than 10 years. Known for his mellifluous voice, Shriram has regaled music lovers on both sides of the Tasman and currently lives in Melbourne.
Music Album
As well as rendering popular Bollywood numbers at local performances, Shriram had his own album of songs called Is Dhundh Mein, released in Mumbai in 2007 by Shankar Mahadevan (of the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy fame), one of the most prolific and successful music maestros of Bollywood.
Outlining heartbreak and separation, it carries songs written, composed and sung by Shriram, and features a duet with Sadhna Sargam, a popular Bollywood playback singer (Indian Newslink, February 1, 2007).
Successful author
Last year, Shriram proved that he is also a man of letters when his first book was released in many parts of the world, including New Zealand.
Titled, ‘Wings of Silence,’ narrates the story of two brothers, one of who is born stone deaf and aspirant Para-Olympian. With twists and turns, the book is essentially an emotional journey that captures the vicissitudes of a family and conflicts of interest.
The Plot
Following is an extract of a review that appeared in our September 1, 2012 issue.
‘Wings of Silence’ is about the lives of a dominant patriarch, Akshay Sethi, a retired Squadron Leader of the Indian Air Force, his sons Saurav a tennis star in the making and Raj, too diffident to speak about his Olympics dreams, his wife Sharada, obedient and yet forceful and a host of other relatives and friends.
Of course, there is Aunt Sheela, who influences everyone’s life.
When an offer arrives from Akshay’s brother Prakash inviting the family to settle down in the US, a volley of emotions come to the fore.
Shriram speaks through the mind of Saurav, who comes across as a self-serving youngster but as you turn the pages, you realise that the concern for his elder brother Raj is unheard of love and affection.
Hard to resist
As an addicted reader of novels, I have always avoided books written in first person, because they somehow appear too personal to relish.
But Shriram’s Saurav held my attention and there were several instances that prompted to revisit pages to read a few striking sentences. “For an intelligent man, Papa missed a lot when it came to Raj who was all at sea, struggling to grasp things that he could only see.”
Raj is keen to be a marathon runner at the Olympics (Moscow 1980), while Saurav does well in the Tennis court. There is an inevitable clash of interests. Whether the warmth of brotherhood sink into a cold war, similar to the diplomatic winter experienced by the US and the then USSR is for you to read and know.
We understand that ‘Wings of Silence’ has indeed taken off with soaring sales. Copies of the book may be available at the forthcoming event.
