Sounds of Silence hum with melody and soul

Ratna Venkat – 
ratna@indiannewslink.co.nz

Auckland based Hindustani Classical musician and Director of Aarohi Academy of Music Vidya Teke and her team are gearing up for their forthcoming concert titled ‘Khamoshiyaan Gun Gunane Lagi’ on Saturday, September 24 at Dorothy Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls’ Grammar School.

Third in a Live-in-Concert series dedicated to Hindi Cinema’s ‘Queen of Melody’ Lata Mangeshkar (known as Lata Ji), the Concert is being organised and managed by Vidya Teke and her husband, Shekhar Babanrao Teke.

The programme will commence at 630 pm.

Passion spurs proficiency

Originally from Pune, Maharashtra, Vidya’s passion for Hindustani classical music and singing began in her formative years.

She initially trained under the guidance of her father Ashok, and later under the aegis of Bhakti Page Gokhale from the ‘Gwalior Gharana,’ and Neha Deshpande in Pune.

Blessed with a melodious voice, coupled by passion for excellence on stage, Vidya participated in a number of singing competitions in India such as “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.”

After migration to New Zealand in 2007 with her family, Vidya won in ‘Kaun Banega Superstar,’ a singing contest in Auckland which proved to be a turning point in her musical career.

Important Concerts

Her résumé includes conducting and performing at various stage shows and live-in-concerts in India, New Zealand and Fiji. Some of them have involved popular singers from the Hindi film industry such as Annu Kapoor, Amit Kumar and Bankim Pathak.

Recently, Vidya was a female lead singer at the ‘Mohammed Aziz Live-in-Concert’.

A versatile singer adept not only in Hindustani Classical, but also Semi-Classical and Light Music, Vidya has lent her voice in other languages besides Hindi and her native Marathi. These include Bengali, English, Gujarati, Kannada and Malayalam.

Vidya’s ability to entertain audiences led to her attracting students in 2010 when she opened her institution ‘Aarohi Academy of Indian Music,’ of which she is the sole Director and Principal.

Lessons for all

“As our Academy’s motto is to spread Indian culture and musical traditions amongst New Zealanders, we are proud to have students who come from different age groups and backgrounds, such as children, youngsters, housewives and senior citizens,” Vidya says.

Besides teaching the four types of Indian music (Classical, Semi-Classical, Light and Film), Vidya is committed to giving exposure to her students and providing platforms to display their vocal talent, either by karaoke or accompanied by a live orchestra.

“My dream is to impart quality education in singing and to carry forward Indian music culture here in New Zealand. Potential students keen to learn are welcome to start their training at our Academy any time,” says Vidya.

Aarohi Academy of Music is affiliated with Gandharv Mahavidyalaya in Pune, one of the foremost music institutes in India.

The Concert

‘Khamoshiyaan Gun Gunane Lagi’ will feature Vidya and other well-known Auckland singers, and students from her Academy. They will be supported by a live orchestra with Hemant Thaker (Keyboard), Joscel Alexander (Acoustic Drums), Joseph Alexander (Octopad), Monitosh Thaker (Guitar), Navneel Prasad (Tabla), Rezwan Ashraf (Guitar) and Shivam Padayachi (Bass Guitar).