Excited yet tense for my concert: KS Chithra

Her smile makes everyone happy and her songs make everyone swoon, and many call her the ‘Nightingale of Kerala’ and ‘Nightingale of South India.’ KS Chithra is melody personified and definitely a queen in the Indian music industry. Her Telugu songs Edo Oka Raagam, Thelusa Manasa, Nuvvasthanante and more are heartwarming. She is an inspiration and an exemplar of dedication, passion, and pure talent. As she visits Hyderabad for her Chithramrutham programme to celebrate 45 years of her journey in the music industry, the singer opens up to CE about her life, upcoming concert, and more.

Speaking about her concert in Hyderabad on December 22, the Nightingale says, “I am doing this concert maybe after a few years. I am really excited and also tensed because it is my responsibility to do well.”

Elaborating on what she will be entertaining her audience with, Chithra says, “Maybe I will sing all my hit songs that everyone is familiar with. I also welcome the choices of the audience. If I know the song, I will at least sing the pallavi for them.”

About Hyderabad and what she likes about the city she says, “I love coming to Hyderabad as it is always vibrant. The only thing I am not happy about is the kaaram (chilli). I cannot have spicy food. I am vegetarian and not a big fan of biryani. I like idli, dosa and basically south Indian food.”

Performing live and then singing songs for hit films is indeed very overwhelming and challenging. Chithra shares her two cents here, saying, “I drink a lot of hot water and take a lot of precautions but sometimes, there might be some kind of difficulty. I’m conscious about certain things.”

Speaking about her journey so far and how she managed all the ups and downs in these 45 years, she informs, “To be honest I did not realise that it has been 45 years. I cannot believe it. Time was just flying; I was so busy. Basically, I am a little workaholic and never take holidays. I’ve been working continuously since morning. It is keeping me busy.”

Indeed, the singer has inspired many but shares that she has her inspirations too. “I listen to my seniors such as Janaki amma, Susheela amma, and Vani amma. They are like dictionaries for every song. For every mood, there is a song sung by all of them. In Bollywood, I like the songs by Lataji, Ashaji, and Shreya Ghoshal,” says Chithra.

She has a message for all the fans who love her and her work, “They have been encouraging me for all these years. I still need their blessings and prayers.”

As the evening turned melodious in the Nightingale’s presence at Chithramrutham programme, she also sang a small bit from the movie Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana. This made all of us fall in love with her voice even more deeply than before.

(Written by by Shreya Veronica)