BY DEVIKA C.MEHTA
LOS ANGELES, CA - Stupendous and simply amazing are words that best describe the versatile Bollywood singer Shreya Ghoshal, her symphony from India and the energetic audience that came together to have a gala time at the Microsoft theatre here on August 27. The theater, which is one of the premier entertainment venues in...
LOS ANGELES, CA - Stupendous and simply amazing are words that best describe the versatile Bollywood singer Shreya Ghoshal, her symphony from India and the energetic audience that came together to have a gala time at the Microsoft theatre here on August 27. The theater, which is one of the premier entertainment venues in...
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Los Angeles and has one of the largest indoor stages in the country, was nearly sold out with thousands in attendance. In fact, Ghoshal’s concert was among the biggest awareness reaching events this year in LA. It was managed by Sankara Eye Foundation , a philanthropic organization headquartered in Silicon Valley and was a pad to launch the Jhunjhunwala Mumbai hospital project.
The event kicked off with emcee of the evening Gurdeep Brar introducing the background musical symphony from India and classically trained Kinjal Chatterjee who sang some popular songs like ‘Channa Mere ya’ and ‘Kabira Tu Jaane Na’. Then, in an off-white golden petals gown, ‘India’s Nightingale’ Ghoshal made a grand entry and humored the audience in her sweet, delicate and honeysuckle voice. Soon, the musical night turned into a confluence of beautiful melodies of her songs which she called – ‘From My Heart’. Ghoshal even sang soulful renditions from her movies and songs of other famous singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle that filled the fans with enthusiasm. She stole the show with her favorite’s from the 50s and 60s like ‘Lag Ja Gale’, ‘Aa Jane Ja’ and ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aa Ja’ and even showcased songs of different languages. Fans could be seen waving their arms with lighted mobiles to honor her music and voice.
It was surely an evening to cherish and reminisce both the golden and new era of Bollywood in the form of songs that touched hearts and drove the crowd out of their seats. Then came the energetic ‘Radha teri Chunari’, ‘Deewani Mastani’ and ‘Pinga’ from ‘Bajirao Mastani’ that saw people dancing and whistling to the beats of song.
Ghoshal later even promoted her new solo album ‘Dhadkane Azad Hain’ at the venue and thanked guru, mentor, family and fans for their support. Also being grateful for the immense support and fan following, she sang triplets like ‘Issh’, ‘Bairi Piya’ and ‘Dola Re Dola’ from Devdas, which interestingly was her first Bollywood movie, and clocked 15 years of her journey in the film industry this year.
As the concert came to an end, fans left the theatre hesitatingly, wanting the melodious night to continue on forever and ever.
Prior to the event, India Journal caught up with Sankara’s Founder and Executive Chairman Murali Krishnamurthy who spoke at length about his organization, the grand event and his social cause. He said, “Our popular tag line is - Close your eyes and donate and we will open more eyes.” “The Foundation is a credible organization and has three major takeaways- First, big, bold, audacious vision of eradicating curable blindness. Second, 80:20 model and self-sufficiency in five to eight years. Third, top four star rating from Charity Navigator for commitment to accountability, transparency, governance and for keeping the overheads low.”
“Funds raised through this event will be utilized towards construction of state of the art hospitals across various states in India, to conduct free eye camps in rural areas for the less fortunate. The ninth hospital is set for inauguration in December 2017 in Jaipur. Three more hospitals are coming up in Hyderabad, Indore, and Mumbai.,” he informed. Chief Guest for the evening, Nandita Bakhshi, who is the President and CEO of Bank of the West (BNP Paribas) on being asked why her bank is supporting Sankara’s cause, said, “ The bank believes in taking care of its people and their communities. Indians are one of our most important account holders and we want this relationship to build, so here we are.” For more info. on hospitals and fundraisers, visit: www.giftofvision.org
The event kicked off with emcee of the evening Gurdeep Brar introducing the background musical symphony from India and classically trained Kinjal Chatterjee who sang some popular songs like ‘Channa Mere ya’ and ‘Kabira Tu Jaane Na’. Then, in an off-white golden petals gown, ‘India’s Nightingale’ Ghoshal made a grand entry and humored the audience in her sweet, delicate and honeysuckle voice. Soon, the musical night turned into a confluence of beautiful melodies of her songs which she called – ‘From My Heart’. Ghoshal even sang soulful renditions from her movies and songs of other famous singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle that filled the fans with enthusiasm. She stole the show with her favorite’s from the 50s and 60s like ‘Lag Ja Gale’, ‘Aa Jane Ja’ and ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aa Ja’ and even showcased songs of different languages. Fans could be seen waving their arms with lighted mobiles to honor her music and voice.
It was surely an evening to cherish and reminisce both the golden and new era of Bollywood in the form of songs that touched hearts and drove the crowd out of their seats. Then came the energetic ‘Radha teri Chunari’, ‘Deewani Mastani’ and ‘Pinga’ from ‘Bajirao Mastani’ that saw people dancing and whistling to the beats of song.
Ghoshal later even promoted her new solo album ‘Dhadkane Azad Hain’ at the venue and thanked guru, mentor, family and fans for their support. Also being grateful for the immense support and fan following, she sang triplets like ‘Issh’, ‘Bairi Piya’ and ‘Dola Re Dola’ from Devdas, which interestingly was her first Bollywood movie, and clocked 15 years of her journey in the film industry this year.
As the concert came to an end, fans left the theatre hesitatingly, wanting the melodious night to continue on forever and ever.
Prior to the event, India Journal caught up with Sankara’s Founder and Executive Chairman Murali Krishnamurthy who spoke at length about his organization, the grand event and his social cause. He said, “Our popular tag line is - Close your eyes and donate and we will open more eyes.” “The Foundation is a credible organization and has three major takeaways- First, big, bold, audacious vision of eradicating curable blindness. Second, 80:20 model and self-sufficiency in five to eight years. Third, top four star rating from Charity Navigator for commitment to accountability, transparency, governance and for keeping the overheads low.”
“Funds raised through this event will be utilized towards construction of state of the art hospitals across various states in India, to conduct free eye camps in rural areas for the less fortunate. The ninth hospital is set for inauguration in December 2017 in Jaipur. Three more hospitals are coming up in Hyderabad, Indore, and Mumbai.,” he informed. Chief Guest for the evening, Nandita Bakhshi, who is the President and CEO of Bank of the West (BNP Paribas) on being asked why her bank is supporting Sankara’s cause, said, “ The bank believes in taking care of its people and their communities. Indians are one of our most important account holders and we want this relationship to build, so here we are.” For more info. on hospitals and fundraisers, visit: www.giftofvision.org
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