July 8, 04: Shrinking the World with Usha Uthup
The incredible Usha Uthup rocking, foot tapping, and singing along the pops in many Indian and other languages including French, Italian, Spanish, ... on how music shrinks the world.
Usha Uthup or Didi as she is fondly referred to, was born in
independent India of parents who came from the traditionally rich
states of Madras and Kerala and was raised in the bustling
metropolis of Mumbai. Although Usha had never learnt music
formally, her passion for music was present right from the moment
she uttered her first words!
Persistence and conviction drove Usha to pursue a professional
singing career in 1969. This move later went on to prove vital
in removing the stigma attached to singing in night clubs in
India.
With her gifted, velvet, smooth voice she was the only artist to
have recorded six albums in English with HMV/EMI. Today she sings
in more than thirteen Indian and eight foreign languages. This
is an achievement by itself.
If there is a legend bridging the East and the West, it is Usha.
With her music and charm, she has transcended the barriers of
caste, creed, language and nationality. Accolades have come from
all over the world and she has sung for Prime Ministers and
Presidents alike. Indira Gandhi, Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Arap Moi
and more recently Nelson Mandela have all been her ardent
admirers. Her endearing charm and powerful vocal chords have
given Usha fans of all ages, fromall over the country.
With her trademark passion and a speed of delivery that would
wear out wannabes a third her age, Usha has just completed a
brand new studio album and is all set to release it during the
course of the year. A gift her fans eagerly await. The original
Diva of Indian pop music celebrates threedecades in the
entertainment business, and while her contemporaries might be
thinking of gentle retirement, Usha will be back in the thick of
what she does best - singing
