Iconic Indian singer Asha Bhosle is coming to New Zealand this month to play a one-off concert at the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival in New Plymouth. The festival, which brings together artists from across the globe, will be held at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands and will deliver 30 hours of entertainment from March 18 to 20.
Accompanied by a full band, Asha Bhosle will perform Sunday, March 20 at 8:45 p.m.
The younger sister of the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, there is no doubt that Asha Bhosle, aged 82, is one of the most recognised female Indian voices all over the world, with a career spanning over six decades. Best known as a female playback singer in Hindi films, her versatility differentiates her from other famous singers. Her repertoire of songs extends much beyond the Hindi film music. She is most popular for ghazals, bhajans, pops, classical, and folk songs—there is no genre of music untouched by Asha Bhosle.
Asha, who has evergreen numbers such as Dum Maro Dum, Mehbooba Mehbooba (Sholay), Piya Tu Ab To Aaja (Caravan) and Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko (Yaadon Ki Baraat) to her credit, entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2011 as the most recorded artist in the music industry, an honour which once belonged to sister Lata.
In the early 50s, Asha started to earn considerable recognition in the industry, when she sang in the film Sangdil. The duet Nanhe Munne Bachche with Mohammad Rafi in Raj Kapoor’s 1954 movie Boot Polish earned her a lot of recognition. With more duets with Rafi and her own songs, she was on her way to becoming a superstar.
At WOMAD, Asha will be accompanied by a 10-piece band led by music director Nitin Ramesh Shankar.
For more information about the festival and tickets check out WOMAD’s website.