Venkat Raman
Music constitutes the single most binding factor not only between people of varied ethnicities and language barriers, but also between generations.
Shankar and Jaikishan, the musical duo that brought joy to millions of people around the world and fame to hundreds of directors, producers, actors and singers, have left an insatiable record of compositions that have surpassed time and time zones.
Some of them will come alive through the voices of eight local singers at an event coming up later this month in Auckland.
Mt Roskill based Swar Sadhana Academy of Indian Music is organising the programme titled, ‘Zindagi Ik Safar Hai Suhana’ on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at Dorothy Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls Grammar School.
We profile here four singers whose passion for music makes them spirited participants at the forthcoming show.
Ritika Badakere
Known for her powerful voice that fills every auditorium and every heart, Ritika is becoming one of the most sought-after singers on the New Zealand scene. She learnt Hindustani Classical Music from Mohinderjeet Singh at the age of three and recorded her first song when she was seven years old.
“Moving to New Zealand helped me connect to music even deeper and I continued to take training in light Classical, Gazals and Bhajans from my mother. I started participating in shows that were supported by highly talented artists. I then turned to singing Bollywood numbers which was an experience in itself,” Ritika said.
Chaitanya Rajapurkar
Perhaps the youngest singer at the forthcoming show, 16-year-old Chaitanya Rajapurkar is also adept at Harmonium and Bass Guitar.
A certified Disk Jockey and Music Producer, Chaitanya is in New Zealand to manage music and sound for Indian stage plays.
“I was in India last year to learn mixing, recording and other techniques in sound. I look forward to participating in school productions and small shows,” he said.
Srishaa Iyer
Srishaa Iyer is passionate about singing in different languages and has been a student of Carnatic Music since she was five years old and of Hindustani Music at Swar Sadhana Academy of Music for the past seven years.
The 17-year-old singer said that she has learnt the technique of voice control and breathing, which has helped her in giving her best in several performances.
“I hope that I can apply these skills to the Shankar Jaikishan show and do justice to my songs,” Srishaa said.
Guncha Singh
Her musical journey began in 2010 with a singing contest on television. Since then, Guncha Singh has participated in a number of competitions.
She believes that her on-going Hindustani Classical Music training at Swar Sadhana Academy has given her opportunities to improve her talent.
“The Academy has taught me the meaning of each note and how to deliver it with passion. My understanding towards music has gone deeper including listening skills. I look forward to performing great melodies of Shankar Jai Kishan including ‘Rasik Balma’ (from Hindi film ‘Chori Chori’) and ‘Tera Mera Pyaar Amar’ (‘Asli Naqli’).
