The legendary singer makes the Washington, DC, area audience laugh, dance and cry.
By Surekha Vijh
VIENNA, VA: It was an evening to remember: A legendary singer in her farewell tour mesmerizing the audience with a concert filled with nostalgia — an evening that music lovers who were fortunate to be present will remember for rest of their lives.
Asha Bhosle, the most versatile playback singer from Bollywood, performed her grand farewell concert at the popular Wolf Trap National Center for the Performing Arts’ Filene Center in Vienna, Virginia, on June 29. While bidding goodbye, she made people laugh, dance and cry.
This was the only US concert on Bhosle’s final farewell world tour.
“What an evening?”said Balraj Palli, a resident of Great Falls, Virginia. His wife, Kanta Palli, nodded in agreement. “It was not a concert but powerful moments of nostalgia,” he added.
Many came from more than 100 miles to hear the septuagenarian singer.
Over a career spanning seven decades, Bhosle has recorded more than 13,000 songs for Hindi and a number of Indian regional language films, musical albums and, CDs, besides many live shows around the globe.
At Worlf Trap on Wednesday, time stood still and generations melted away in her evergreen songs, as Bhosle sang from her repertoire of songs from the early fifties to the present day. The audience was enthralled by her great voice and charm.
At age 82, Bhosle is still at her best, whether it is altering her cadence, with minimal accompaniment, or with a full orchestra over strings and disco beats, psychedelic South Asian guitar grooves, and slow-tempo traditional acoustic arrangements. She was backed by the Wolf Trap Orchestra that worked hard to convey her broad musical spectrum while she once again showcased her gift, perhaps for the last time on the US soil.
The full house chanted, “We love you Ashaji!” Bhosle paid a tribute to her sister, the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, by singing Aa lag ja gale ke phir mulakat ho na ho, (“Come embrace me, in this life we might not meet again”), one of her sister’s greatest hits, which brought tears to the audience.
Paying tribute to her father, Dinanath Mangeshkar, Bhosle said that she owes her musical life to her father, her first teacher, who trained her from early childhood along with her siblings.
There was a surprise for the audience, when Bhosle introduced her granddaughter, Zania Bhosle, first as a fresh Indian classical dancer and then as an upcoming singer.
A large screen at the backdrop showed some of the popular films soundtracks that Bhosle sang as a playback singer. From Madhubala to Helen to Asha Parekh to Zeenat Aman to Poonam Dhillon, they all lip-synched Bhosle songs.
Warming up for the singer was Falu’s Bollywood Orchestra. Although they flawlessly played a variety of songs, people were restless and anxious for Bhosle to come on stage. When the star of the evening arrived and showcased her versatility singing Eastern and Western styles of music including ghazals, folk, Indian classical, rock and roll and a peppy cabaret number with amazing levels of energy and style.
Bhosle, one of the most decorated Indian singers, is acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Recordsvas the most recorded artist in music history. She is also the winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2000) and the Padma Vibhushan (2008), both bestowed by the Government of India. She has won Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards seven times.
On Wednesday, Bhosle’s voice was as captivating and stage presence as mesmerizing as ever. She once again proved that she is one of a kind, with a performance for the ages.