Page 7 - Seniorstoday September-2023 Issue
P. 7
Her shows were in suits and gowns and my son had
instructed that I should speak in English.
So I went up and said, “I do not know
English, but I will try my best.” After
that I think they understood what I said
in English,” she laughs an d adds. “If the
French wanted to hear a song again they
would clap in a 2+ 3 tone which meant
I had to do an encore. If they clapped
normally it meant that the song was over
With Sudesh Bhosle and the thak thak – thakk thakk thakk
Asha however takes pride in speaking happened many times and Anand kept
about Sudesh Bhosle who has often helped indicating I had to sing again and again!
her out in extreme circumstances. Once They perhaps didn’t understand a word
we were performing a show in a village I sang, but they understood my sur,” she
near Kolkata and the male singers fell ill. I reminisces.
called Sudesh Bhosle and his wife picked What she remembers the most is her
the phone and I told her to tell him to come show in San Francisco. “I have come
immediately to the village as the show across many Indians who have sung my
was slated to happen that night. He flew in songs along with me at my shows, but
without asking a single question on why out there in San Francisco, there was a
I was calling him and what he would get. huge contingent of Maharashtrians. My
Similarly once I was down with swine flu daughter Varsha had sent a message to
and I just could not sing on stage during her friends about my show and there were
a Pune concert. He came next to me on loads of Maharashtrians who came in and
stage and sang all my songs including Dil started whistling. They only stopped when
Cheez kya hai. He could hold people with I tried to whistle back. I heard that a lot of
his style. I remember him telling people in these Marathi kids who are into computers
the balconies –“ooparwaalon, taali bajao”. went to San Jose to work and they were all
I told my son Nandu (Anand) that she there,” she chuckles.
should call him for all our shows and he
has been a part of every show I have done,” Sibling revelry
she says.
Asha says that Indians across the globe
have been her strength. “I was a bit
nervous once when I was performing with
the Krnos Quartet in London. I was not
sure how the Britishers would react to my
singing, but then I heard voices that asked
me to speak in Hindi and Marathi as well
and that was such a welcome relief,” she
says. The conversation veers to the so-called
Then came a trip to Paris. “Oh, all of them rivalry and competition between the two
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #51 | SEPTEMBER 2023 7
