Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
I first met my idol in her studio where I had gone to record. Knowing how big a moment this would be for me, my music director stopped the recording to tell me Lataji had arrived. I instantly left everything and ran down the stairs to see the lady herself sitting in a pristine white saree, glittering in diamonds, with a shy smile on her face, slightly bowed with age yet her eyes shining bright from within. Her aura was humbling and I was left speechless. Although she recognised me and gave me her blessings, I could not say anything sensible for I was awestruck. I have learnt most of what I know of music listening to her innumerable songs. Her honey-dipped vocal timbre, tone, nuances, expressions, emotions, power, delicacy, finesse, it’s all perfection. Yet it’s impossible to explain why sometimes when I listen to her songs like ‘Mai ri main kase kahun’, ‘Rasme ulfat’ or so many others, I am so moved that I have tears in my eyes. It’s that undefined dimension that one can only feel but cannot see or point out. An artisan intricately sculpts an idol of a God but only when there is the presence of ‘prana’ after elaborate prayers and rituals do we worship that idol. Lataji puts that ‘prana’ in every song she has sung.
– Shreya Ghoshal is a multiple National Award-winning playback singer
