Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan serenade thousands

May 07, 2013 News

Indian musical geniuses Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan paired up to put on a magical performance for thousands at the National Stadium Sunday evening.

Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan perform Sunday evening.

Both Alka and Udit were catapulted to fame in India’s prolific music industry in the late 1980s, and Sunday evening, song after song, they reminded the audience of why their first hits kept them in the industry year after year, decade after decade.
Alka began the show, performing a straight hour of her hit songs. Her soulful voice, as in when she belted out the title track from Taal, was of such splendour that you were transported to her world, wanting to join the crusade of emotional liberation she sought in the powerful lyrics.
Of course, she flavoured her performance with the peppy numbers, such as Ek Do Teen from the movie Tezaab, which also catapulted another artiste, Madhuri, to instant stardom.
If only we would get on our feet and dance! Something must be done to make the Guyanese audience realize that those white plastic chairs are not really meant for you to sit as if you’re sophisticated guests at a performance of the London Symphony Steel Orchestra. If the music bites, get with it!
When it was Udit’s turn to grace the stage, he did so with Papa Kehte Hai from the movie Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. His voice was as fresh as 1989 when we fell in love with Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla.
Later, the two joined in singing a range of songs, including from Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Lagaan and others too numerous to mention.
Udit’s wit, even if cocky with his bad English, as he teased Alka, brought a refreshing charm to the duo performance.
The only problem Sunday evening proved to be the extensive repertoire of songs, but we certainly didn’t mind them shuffling through the sheets to bring the numbers that we loved.
Of course, there was much more that the audience wanted, and when a piece of paper with a request was sent on stage, Alka was honest enough to admit she could remember the words, but egged on by Udit, she belted out a line or two.
Alka and Udit have haunted our senses. We hope they return to Guyana.
The show was put on by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, which previously hosted mega playback singers Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal.

A section of the audience.

The concert was held in celebration of the 175th anniversary of the arrival of Indians to Guyana.
All proceeds of the concert will be used towards the construction of the Sabha’s Children’s Shelter “Bal Nivas” in Ankerville, Berbice.
Construction began in February of this year and is expected to be completed by year end.