Page 40 - Seniorstoday May 2022 Issue
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A highlight of Uthup’s performances was Uthup was to get a few good breaks in the
her ability to sing in different languages. She 1980s, when music director Bappi Lahiri
says, “Growing up in Mumbai, I could speak came on the scene with his exciting urban
Hindi and Marathi, besides English and my disco music. To quote her biography The
mother tongue Tamil. At school, I learnt Queen Of Indian Pop, “Usha’s voice suited
French, and in Kolkata, I picked up Bengali. Bappi’s compositions. All the songs sung
When I started my singing career, I realised by Usha for the films Pyara Dushman,
that one can communicate with people if you Vardaat and Disco Dancer were super hits.
sing in their language. So if the crowd is up The track ‘Koi Yahan Nache Nache’ from
to it, I will include an Assamese or Telugu the film Disco Dancer; ‘Hari Om Hari’ from
song in my list.” Pyara Dushman; ‘Rambha Ho’ from the film
Uthup points out that while she, on the Armaan; and two songs of Vardaat, ‘Main
one hand, believes that music is a universal Hoon Tera, Naa Tu Hai Meri’ and ‘Tu Mujhe
language, she also feels each language has Jaan Se Bhi Pyara Hai’ were all hits because
her own musicality. “Each language has its of their happy colours and celebratory
own nuances and accents, and when sings in fervour. Two songs of Vardaat were duets
other languages, one tends to pick up these sung by Usha and Bappi. It seemed like
minute details,” she explains. Bappi’s thin voice was getting lost in Usha’s
Early in her career, Uthup also got a chance heavier voice. So despite these songs being
to sing in Hindi films. In fact, Dev Anand hits, Usha decided that she will never sing
wanted her to sing ‘Dum Maro Dum’ in in a duet because it is difficult for the other
Hare Rama Hare Krishna, but the song voice to sustain with hers.”
went to Asha Bhosle. The music director,
R.D. Burman, however gave her an English
medley in the 1972 film Bombay To Goa,
where she even appeared on screen as Usha
Iyer, with Amitabh Bachchan in the house.
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