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Mesmerising melody queen

Continuous practice is behind the undying charm in Chitra's voice, writes S.Aishwarya

PHOTO:R.M. RAJARATHNAM.

HIGH-PITCH Willing to learn all the time

Success seems to be too obvious for her. Be it a film or an album, Chithra's presence turns on the lucky stars. She has many credits to her name, including six national awards, a lifetime achievement award and as the first Indian singer to perform in the House of Commons. "But I still have a long way to go," says the melody queen from Kerala.

Family of musicians

Born in a family of musicians, Chithra's early guide was her father, a veteran musician, Krishnan Nair. She owes all her success to her guru K. Omanukutty, who taught her under the National Talent Search Scholarship. "The scholarship was a boon to me. It was that seven-year course which identified the singer in me."

She is a perfectionist when it comes to voice modulation. She feels modulation is the life of a song without which it is a mere compilation of verses. "Understanding the language in which we sing is important. It is mandatory for singers to comprehend the lyric to make listeners get the feel of the song," she says.

First National award

From R. D. Burman to A. R. Rahman, she has worked with a series of music directors over the decades.

"I was fortunate to work with all of them. Though their working techniques were different, it was a great learning experience." Her first National Award was for Ilayaraja's composition in `Sindhu Bhairavi.' He was instrumental in helping her become a noted playback singer across the south, she says.

With over 16,000 songs to her credit, she feels there are miles to go. "I still have lots to learn and I am in the process." Adding to her credits, she has also become the second female singer, after Lata Mangeshkar, to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London. "It was a life-time experience. The hall was so vast that I couldn't have a glimpse of the audience at the end of it," she reminisces.

She fondly recollects her experience with senior singers, including Janaki, P. Susheela and K. J. Yesudas. "But for them, I wouldn't have reached this height. It is a pity that the new generation singers don't even have an opportunity to acquaint with their co-singers," she says.

Her venture into albums is yet another success story. She scored a number of devotional albums in Tamil initially and now offers have started to come from the North.

Her immediate project is Ghulam Ali's album with Asha Bhonsle, in which she has scored three songs. "Though Tamil albums have started doing well, they are still far behind Hindi ones, in terms of sales," she says.

High-pitched notes are easy for her but she has toiled hard for the song, "Kolavizhi amma."

But her other `not-so-intricate' songs, including `Paadariyen Padipariyen' and `Yedhodho Ennam Valarthen,' have given her the `melody queen' identity. But she dedicates her achievements to her seniors. "Whenever I hear their songs, I have something new to learn." She considers the opportunity to sing with K. J. Yesudas in concerts as a turning point in her life.

Having lent her voice for many heroines, are there any preferences? "Not at all," pat comes the reply. "A good singer's voice must suit every actor but I happen to sing more numbers for Kushboo, Revathi and Sneha."

Her international concerts have gained Chitra a whopping count of NRI fans across the European countries and the Gulf. "I have considerably restricted the foreign concerts of late because of my daughter." Her three-year-old daughter, Nandana, is gearing up for a rigorous practice from her mom. She considers training in classical music, be it Carnatic or Hindustani, as important for any aspiring singer, as it gives a strong foundation to build on.

Ultimately, what is behind her undying charm in her voice? "Practice," she replies promptly. "As Yesu anna (playback singer K. J. Yesudas) would say, music is like a brass vessel. The amount of shine depends on how often we use it."

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