1.45 PM Thursday, 28 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:57 06:11 12:27 15:53 18:37 19:51
28 March 2024

Kerala legend KS Chithra to perform Dubai tribute to daughter who drowned in Emirates Hills

KS Chithra

Published
By VM Sathish

Indian playback singer KS Chitra is returning to the UAE to enthrall music lovers in the New Year. This is the singer’s first visit to the country after she lost her only child in a swimming pool accident at Emirates Hill villa in Dubai in April 2011.

The show to be held on January 24, 2012 at the Al Nasir Leisureland, Dubai, will be directed by ace music director Jayachandran.

The celebrity singer will be here representing her charitable trust – Snehanandana, a body she set up in her daughter’s memory to help distressed artists and the poor.

It may be recalled that the tragedy had pushed Chitra almost into depression, and she shun media and public performances for a long time.

Nandana, an autistic child, was born to the singer after 15 years of marriage.

At the time of the tragedy, there were many questions asked. The most poignant one being how the organisers of the AR Rehman concert went ahead with the programme, when their lead singer had suffered such irreparable loss.

There was much public anger, too. However, singers paid tribute to the deceased little girl with a dedicated prayer session.

This time around, Abdul Khalam, President, Indian Arts Society (IAS), a member of the Indian Community Welfare Committee, said the show is titled

Chitra Raga Sandhya. It will be a 13 piece Live Orchestra and directed by Jayachandran.

The show is being arranged as part of the silver jubilee celebrations of IAS. The ‘Little nightingale of South India’, as Chitra is famously called, will be accompanied by 10 other singers including Vijay Yesudas, Stephen Devassy, Sudeep Kumar, Anwar Sadath, Swetha Mohan, Suchithra K Kumar and Najim Arshad. It will be hosted by Ranjani Haridas – Idea Star Singer fame.

“This is her first performance in Dubai after the tragedy,” said Khalam. “We will give tickets to workers returning to India on amnesty,” he added.

Meanwhile, talking of her charitable trust, Chitra was quoted by Indian media as saying, “There are lots of ailing and aged musicians who find it difficult to make ends meet. Some of them are also bed-ridden. This trust is to find and help such people. The project will be extended to more people in course of time.”

The trust was set up in collaboration with a TV channel in Kerala – ACV. Ajith Kumar, Programme Convener, IAS, part of United Malayali Association (UMA) an umbrella organisation of several Kerala community associations, said, “Music has healing powers.”

KS Chitra sings Indian classical, devotional and popular film songs and she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali and Punjabi films.

She has received six Indian national film awards - the most by any female singer - five Filmfare Awards and more than 30 state film awards.