'I have an unfulfilled dream'

Voice apart

Multi-faceted singer

Usha Uthup was highly thrilled after her performance in the City as she got a fantastic response from the crowd during her concert.

Flaunting her massive trademark bindi, flowers in her hair and her silk sari, Usha Uthup spoke to Metrolife on her experiences so far and her future plans.

Usha, who loves Bangalore for its pleasant weather and motivating audience, says
that whenever she has to sing before an audience comprising Kannadigas, she makes sure she includes two songs.

“Wherever they might be, Kannadigas love Rajkumar and his song Huttidare Kannadanadalli has given me a new life. Even today, when I sing this song at my concerts, the whole auditorium reverberates with cheers and I get a huge round of applause. Yaare Koogadali, yet another song by Raj, is also one of my favourites and I sing it often,” she says.

The singer remembers the composers and music teachers, who have been behind her success. “When I was in school, I was thrown out of my music classes as my teacher found my voice unfit for singing. But one of my music teachers recognised my interest in music and helped me a lot.

I must also acknowledge the support of musicians like R D Burman and Bappi Lahiri, who always encouraged me by giving an opportunity,” she reveals.

Usha can effortlessly sing in more than 18 Indian languages and has also sung in eight foreign languages.  “I still have an unfulfilled dream. I want to integrate musicians across the world and bring them on the same stage. My dream is to share a platform with hundreds of such musicians,” says Usha even as she refuses to label herself as an ambitious person.

“I have a lot of ambitions. But I am not so ambitious that I fail to enjoy the small joys of life. I don’t want to miss out on any fun.” Usha has some advice for the newcomers who enter music industry with a dream to make it big.

 “It is not just about how they can deliver or present a song. What is more
important is how original they can be. Any trained singer can imitate songs but  only a few can infuse their style into the song,” she sums up.