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 Did you hear that deep-throated voice in sync
with Kajol's melodramatic song `Tujhe yaad na
meri aayi...''? No, this isn't about Alka
Yagnik but Manpreet Akhtar -- the second voice
in this song sequence, and a Sufiana singer --
who is an ardent fan of Baba Bulley Shah, a
famous Sufi saint-poet.
It was a treat for all those who love Sufi
music when Manpreet performed Sufiana and folk
music this past week at India Habitat Centre
in New Delhi. Bringing her enthralling voice
to the Capital was ``Impressario Asia'' which
is committed to preserving the rich heritage
of folk music in India and which had earlier
brought artistes like Wadali Brothers and
Pushpa Hans to the notice of many.
Influenced by veteran melody queens like
Noorjahan, Reshma, and Runa Laila, Manpreet
started singing at an early age by hearing
them over the radio and imitating their
voices. ``These melodies were not only
registered in my ears, but deep down in my
heart, I needed to listen to a song but once,
and the song remained in my mind since then,''
she says.
For her, the "swar'' came as a gift from God.
She does not have to struggle much to train
her voice. Besides doing a masters degree in
music, she was trained under her guru Pandit
Krishna Kant Sharma who hails from the Patiala
Gharana and who always wanted Manpreet to sing
like Parveen Sultana.
This "shishya" has now certainly made her
``guru'' proud, presently she is a music
lecturer in Sangroor, has sung for Punjabi
films and won the mega-finals in "Meri Aawaz
Suno'', a popular music show on DD. In fact it
was here that Jatin-Lalit decided to sign her
for ``Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''.
Ask her why she chose Sufi singing and she
answers promptly : ``Not only because it is
hereditary, since my father and brother were
Sufi singers, but through such songs I can
have a direct union with the Almighty. Sufiana
Qalaam is pure, it brings out my eternal
search for God, and I feel passionate when I
sing in His praise''. In fact, she insists
that her husband Sanjeev also prompted her a
lot in the Sufi choice of music.
Manpreet isn't rigid about
just Sufi music. She is ready to mould herself
with time and doesn't mind trying out pop,
light classical and ghazals too. Her ultimate
desire is to be remembered as a name among the
names. |
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Sound & Lights |
4 cordless, 12 Mike, Mixer, Dat, CD, Lights as per Setup
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