Mangalore: Anitha Samson Recreates Yesteryear Charm with Lata Hits
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (FR)
Mangalore, Sep 27: "Lata Ki Sunehri Yaadein" the musical show of well-known multi-lingual Mangalorean Anitha Samson organized at the Town Hall, lived up to the hype and expectations it had raised and proved to be an entertainer. For three and half hours Anitha sang 20 Lata songs, solo and duets and wrapped up the show with a medley of 10 songs with. Beginning with the 1978 shocker “Sathyam Shivam Sundaram’s” solo ‘Eshwar hee Sathya hai... it ended with another Raj Kapoor starring number Ramaiah Vastavaiah sung in chorus from the movie “Shri 420”.
It goes to the credit of Anitha that she could keep the music lovers glued to their till 10 pm when the show that had began at 6.30 pm finally ended. It was the perfect tribute one could pay to Lata who celebrates her 83rd birthday on September 28, 2011. Singers Srikanth Kamath, Ranjandas and Mohd Haneef gave her support as the male singers for the duet songs and well known Konkani singer Melvyn Peris also rendered his voice for one of the songs with her.
Despite the marathon 3 ½ hour show Anitha singing every song of the evening, showed no signs of weariness and entertained music lovers who had gathered at the Town Hall in large numbers. It was indeed a laudable effort on the part of Anitha and the entire team of singers and musicians of the show to present such wonderful performance despite power failure, a few times in between, which proved to be the spoilsport. But even that could not take away the enthusiasm and moxie with which the entire team carried on with the show to its logical conclusion without exhibiting their frustration or morbid anger.
We know comparisons are odious and it would be a sacrilege to compare Anitha with a legend like Lata Mangeshkar whom Javed Akthar has said – just like there is only one sun and only one moon there is only one Lata in our country. Anitha rendered every number with an easy flourish with her mellifluous voice and did full justice for the songs originally sung by Lata. Utmost attention has been paid by the team in selecting the songs sung by Lata in her singing career spanning 70 years.
Anitha showed her versatility as a singer by singing the patriotic song immortalized by Lata and the one which had succeeded in bringing tears in his eyes of Nehru then – Aye mere Vathan ke Logon sung during the Indo-China war days. There was a heady mix of some good old numbers of yesteryears namely Karvatein Badalte which she sang with Srikanth or the fast number Vada Karlen Sajanaa with Mohd Haneef crooning with her. She sang some popular duets like Gaata Rahen Mera Dil from the movie “Guide” or the foot tapping fast number “Yunhi Tum Mujse Baat Karten ho" with Mohd Haneef doing full justice to the voice of late Mohammed Rafi who originally sang the song. In the famous Silsila number “Dekha ek Kwab mein” Anitha along with Ranjandas could bring the same intensity of the original song exhibited by Latha. Anitha dedicated the popular number “Dil Diwana Bin Sajna ke” to her mother Mary Crasta from the Salman Khan-Bhagyashree debut movie “Maine Pyar Kiya”.
Anitha and team had done their homework in picking up some of the best and popular duets of Lata like “Tumhari Nazar kyon” from the movie Do Kanya or the romantic duet composed by R D Burman “Kithna pyara Vadaa” from Caravan, “Rukjha Rat tahar Ja re Chanda” from Dil Ek Mandir, “Acha To Hum Chaltein Hai, the peppy romantic number “Sau Saal Pahale” from Dev Anand Asha Pareikh starrer “Jab Pyar Kissi Se Hota Hai” or the slow romantic “Dil Thadap thadp ke kah Raha hai” from the movie Madhumathi and assembled connoisseurs of Hindi film music savored everything that was offered to them. The presentation of 10 medley songs like “Aja oh mere Dil” from Noorie, “Tere Bina” from Aandhi, “Chup Gaye Sare Log” from Do Raste or “Hum tum ek Kamre mein” from the 1973 blockbuster Bobby or the Dil bhum bhum Karem - had audience asking for more. Anitha did not miss on the only one Kannada song “Bellane Belagaytu” sung by Lata for the Kannada movie Sangolli Rayanna.
Anitha shared a perfect chemistry with Srikant in sining soft romantic numbers with the talented Srikanth tuning his voice to suit the original singer of the song be it Manna De, Kishore, Rafi, Mukesh or Kumar Sanu. Mohammed Haneef (Known as Junior Rafi) filled the stage with him booming voice recreating the magic of Rafi. Ranjandas (known as junior Kishore) easily fits into the shoes of any singer except that in some numbers his diction went a bit heavy.
What is more, Anitha kept her contact with the music team constantly to strike the right chord and the musicians obliged. Noted music director Pappan directed the music for the show. Musicians Gerome, Chandru, Joy, Rajesh, Joy, Suresh, Roshan and Naushad formed the other members of the music group. Lighting was provided by Shads. The stage programme was compered by Prem who carried out the entire programme in Hindi to go with the theme of Hindi songs, much to the delight of the assembled crowd.
The programme began with the lighting of the traditional lamp by the guests. Guests Hemacharya, Editor-in-Chief of daijiworld weekly, Konkani singer Melwyn Peris, Dilip Kumar, Abdul Rauf Puttige inaugurated the musical show by lighting the lamp. Speaking on the occasion Hemacharya said that the presence of all people irrespective of caste, creed, race and religion at the musical show is a perfect example of unity in diversity. He wished the organizers well and concluded by singing the initial stanza of the Gayantri Mantra ‘Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha ….Bhargo Devasya Dimahee Dheemahi Dhiyo Yonaha Prachodayath’, seeking blessings and good wishes for the programme. Abdul Rauf who spoke in chaste Tulu eulogized the greatness of Lata as a singer par excellence and congratulated the organizers for their herculean efforts to present a show of this caliber.
At the end of 3 ½ hour show the audience did get an opportunity to listen to some of their favorite songs. However, it must be said that the evening belonged to the queen bee Anitha Samson who regaled the audience and won over their hearts with her beautiful rendering of the Hindi songs immortalized by Lata. With her talent and versatility she is sure to go to places in the days to come. Anitha certainly lived up to the titles “Tulunada Gaana Kogile and “Gadinada Gana Kogile” conferred on her recently.
Watch Video