Each song that she intones is a masterpiece in and of itself, her voice possesses an irrefutable ability to enrapture and move even the most jaded of hearts. Shreya Ghoshal’s symphony of tonalities has reverberated across the globe, transcending language barriers and cultural nuances. Be it Bairi Piya or Agar Tum Miljao, her classic ballads seamlessly transition between a range of octaves and scales. She keeps coming back here while recollecting her foray into Telugu cinema with Ninu Choodaka Nenundalenu, in 2002 when Ilaiyaraaja recorded her for the film. The stage again is illuminated with resplendent lighting with the sublime vision of the celebrated musician. As her musical odyssey unfolds, she effortlessly transitions between the eloquent Telugu and the evocative Hindi songs, each word and syllable perfectly enunciated and exuberant with raw emotion. Ahead of her impending concert in the city, which is a celebration of her 21st year in music, we catch up with Shreya, the singing sensation.
How strong is your connection with Hyderabad?
I love the city! Hyderabad has been one of those cities where I’ve come very often. There is a connection because of music. I think one of my first songs in the South was a Telugu song sung for Raja sir (Ilaiyaraaja). And thereafter, I came to Hyderabad many a time to record for Mani Sharma and among many, have had the opportunity to sing for DSP (Devi Sri Prasad) and Thaman (S Thaman). I have a very beautiful relationship with Hyderabad audiences, the culture, and the food! When I was much younger, my dad used to come to Hyderabad for work and every time he would pack the famous Paradise biryani for us and we would relish it during the night. We would eagerly wait for this.
What do you feel about the Telugu indie music space?
Telugu music has been one of the richest and most versatile. I’ve had great opportunities to work with the best in the industry; a lot of accomplished composers and newcomers. I think, slowly, the indie space is also getting a lot of limelight. Particularly, with the success of RRR, and many other movies, Telugu music has now come onto a much larger pedestal which was long due. They have the most amazing music and for that matter, the most foot-tapping yet soulful and entertaining ones.
How would you account for the obvious evolution of your vocals over time?
My voice has evolved. I came into the industry when I was 16 years old. Back then, my voice was much different. I gained a lot of experience singing with stalwarts of our industry. Like, my first duet (in Devdas) was with Kavita Krishna Murthy ji, the best in the industry. In the whole process and the amazing experiences that I gathered singing for great composers, I learned a lot. And, eventually, my style evolved.
Do talk a bit about your impending concert in the city. What is your setlist like?
I am eagerly waiting for this concert because it’s been a long wait since I last performed in Hyderabad. My concert setlist would comprise many Telugu hits like PunnamiPuvvai. It will be a nice mixture of two languages — Hindi and Telugu, all the hits that people are eagerly waiting for. I'm getting a lot of messages from fans, and editing my setlist accordingly. This is the 21st year of my musical career. It is going to be a celebration of all the songs from the start to now. From my first film Devdas to the milestones of my life including romantic hits like Deewani Mastani, and Sun Raha Hai Na. It’s going to be a long concert and we’ll have a blast for sure.
How has the music industry changed ever since you’ve begun your career?
The music industry has changed a lot. I’m a singer from the 2000s, and at that time, the music was larger than life with one composer for the whole film; one female artiste representing the heroine’s voice. Today, it’s a mix and match, wherein I think there is a dearth of consistency in many cases because it’s just a mixture of too many composers, artistes and musicians. One has to be okay with the trends, though, because the audience wants them. And listeners do contribute to a song’s success.
Tell us about your days before Sa Re Ga Ma.
I had to work hard as a kid even before I entered the competitions. And it was all very early in my life, so I remember only days and hours of riyaz and learning music. My parents and I have always been connected to our roots, and with nature. We would go on picnics and have community Durga Puja. It would involve a lot of participation from the other families of our township, where everyone would do something to create the pandal. I think that is a big miss when one lives in the city. I got the best of childhood. At the same time, there was a lot of hard work trying to learn music and getting to where I am today.
How do you emotionally connect with regional languages? How comfortable are you with languages apart from Bengali and Hindi?
In my opinion, music has no language. When a composer pens a song with the right scene or the narrative of that situation in mind, they have done half the job. It is up to the singer to convey the same emotion that the composer has composed. And when I don’t understand the lyrics, I make sure that I take some notes from my lyricist or the director, whoever has come to the studio to help me out, to give me some idea of what the song is meaning. It helps a little bit to enunciate the emotions correctly in the right places. Indian music, particularly the ragas have a lot of emotion attached to the notes in itself.
Performing at Gachibowli Stadium on April 30.
Time: 6 pm; ₹1,499 upwards (Inclusive of GST).
E-mail: chokita@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @PaulChokita