Venkat Raman
Auckland, March 14, 2021
Suneheri Yaadein on May 8 at Dorothy Winstone Centre
The Raj Kapoor era in Indian Cinema was marked by lilting music of every emotion, ranging from comedy to tragedy, made famous by a range of lyricists, composers and singers. It was an era to itself, unmatched by almost none.
About the event
Raj Kapoor and the immortal melodies that are associated with him remain in the hearts of millions of people, generation after generation, kept alive and in esteem by singers of varied disposition, supported by instrumentalists and other performers.
Known as the ‘Greatest Showman on Earth,’ Raj Kapoor spent substantial time on the songs of his films, never compromising on the quality of lyrics, music and of course production.
A wide range of his songs will be brought to the New Zealand audience by Sandhya Badakere of ‘Swar Sadhana Academy of Indian Music’ and Ravi Shetty of ‘Ravi Shetty Concepts’ at their 2021 Edition of ‘Suneheri Yaadein.’
The event will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at Dorothy Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls Grammar School, 16 Howe Street, Newton, Auckland. A part of this year’s proceeds will be donated to ‘Suryodaya Foundation of Dr Anuradha Paudwal in India.
‘Suneheri Yaadein’ has earned the reputation of being the ‘Best Musical Show’ in Auckland. It brings to the fore the musical talent of not only famous producers, directors and music composers of India but also that of our own singers and instrumentalists.
Tickets for the show, priced at $35 (Platinum) and $25 (Gold) are on sale.
Raj Kapoor: The thespian who made people laugh, cry and love (INL Photo)
The Manna Dey Voice
There are many incidents that shaped songs, but one episode deserves mention.
Several weeks after Hasrat Jaipuri wrote ‘Aye Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo’ for Mera Naam Joker, there were serious discussions as to whether it should be rendered by Mukesh (whose voice suited Raj Kapoor), Mohammed Rafi or someone else.
“Let’s have Manna Dey,” the man said to everyone’s surprise.
It is such a great showman who would be honoured later this month by two Auckland based organisations, bringing to the fore the musical talents of local singers.
The show, ‘Suneheri Yaadein- The Ultimate Showman-A Tribute to Raj Kapoor,’ is being promoted as a musical extravaganza, aiming to transport connoisseurs of film music to an erstwhile world of songs, backed by soothing music.
Galaxy of musicians
The leader of the singing quint would be Sandhya Badakere, an accomplished singer from Mumbai, whose prowess is testified scores of cassettes and CDs of Bhajans and Ghazals.
She would probably the only artiste on stage at the forthcoming show, with a unique honour of having been felicitated by the icons of Bollywood including Raj Kapoor, BR Chopra, Naushad Ali, Salil Choudhary and Hridaynath Mangeshkar. She has also sung with a number of stalwarts including Anoop Jalota, during visits to New Zealand.
Ravie Shetty, the man whose voice is heard by tens of thousands of people as Radio Tarana programme host and as spirited audiences, Ritika Puri (nee Badakere), a powerful singer and a galaxy of other singers, would be among those attempting to do justice to the memorable songs that made Raj Kapoor and his films famous.
They will be supported by a group of talented instrumentalists.
The above Report has been sponsored by
