Shanti Niwas Charitable Trust Inc has an impressive record of working with socially isolated senior citizens of Indian and South Asian origin living in Auckland.
Its Mission is to make visible signs of hope, empower those neglected by the society and celebrate change and diversity.
I was privileged to be a part of a musical evening (November 8) filled with music and moves. As I looked at the tapping feet, nodding heads and humming voices from the audiences, I realised that age is a superficial notion and feelings are universal.
Shriram Iyer, now a Melbourne resident, Vibha Trivedi and Sunil Das stole the hearts of the audience, recalling the Golden Age of singers like Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, S P Balasubrahmanyam and others.
‘Mitwa’ (from ‘Lagan’), a signature song of Shriram, was a testimony to his ability to connect with the audience instantly. His voice was so inviting that some of the senior citizens added flavour with graceful moves and rhythmic dancing.
It was a scene that will be etched in our memories for a long time. The connection between the songs, singers and the audience was effortless.
Tracking legends
At some point, as we get old, we need a little help in dealing with inevitable problems. This is especially true of older people of Indian origin. Music is one of the best medicines for aged people that help them forget their problems.
Some of the songs that made the audience nostalgic were ‘Pukarta Chala Hoon Main’ (Mere Sanam), ‘Aye Gulbadan’ (Professor), ‘Pyar Ka Raag Suno Re’ (Tere Ghar Ke Samne), ‘Chura Liya Hai Tum Ne Jo Dil Ko’ (Yaadon Ki Baraat), ‘Pehla Pehla Pyar Hai’ (Hum Aap Ki Hai Kaun), ‘Aaj Ki Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai’ (Guide), ‘Main Jat Yamala Pagla Deewana’ (Pratiggya) and ‘Dekhana Haire Sochana’ (Bombay to Goa).
Shriram also rendered ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’ (Kala Bazaar), followed by a track from his latest album ‘Aaja Phirse,’ which received a thundering applause.
Shanti Niwas Charitable Trust Inc Project Manager Nilima Venkat had organised the event in aid of charity.
Shanti Ravi is PeopleSoft Application Business Analyst, Information Management Services, and (Organisational Development) Unitec Institute of Technology based in Auckland.
