The Performance

23.02.2012

Hi Friends,

I would like to share last week’s one incidence with all of you.

We were attending Keep alive’s program which was dedicated to late, our Chocolate Hero Dev Anand on 18th February. After about one hour, Mr. Manohar Iyer (Compere of the program) announced that next two songs will be delivered by new singer. We all were wondering who will be the new singer. Mr. Iyer had informed that she is not from India. Hence we were wondering how will be her voice and is she going to sing some non-Hindi songs which Dev Anand was associated with (I was not aware of any non-Hindi songs which are associated with Dev Anand but we always get new information from Mr Iyer) and hence not only me but entire audience was looking forward to hear next two songs.

The new singer was Adina from Romania. She sang Hindi song and that to from golden era. Her voice was superb and pronunciation of Hindi was very clear ( No English accent ! ) She had rehearsed both songs as any way she could not have kept any papers in front of her. I forgot to mention that she was blind.

What a touching experience it was!! The first song was fast number from the movie Taxi Driver and she was singing with the same enthusiasm as of heroine of Taxi Driver. Even after wearing saree, she was almost dancing. If anyone would have closed their eyes and listened to the song, they would have never realised that the song is being performed by the Romanian girl.

God forgot to give her eyes like us, but God has given Adina wide vision. I started thinking how difficult it would have been for her to learn these songs.

Mr. Iyer mentioned that her father is rock Band Singer in Romania and Adina started liking Hindi songs right in the early age. As she was from communist country, radio channel - broadcasting Hindi songs was not easily accessible. Hence with the help of homemade antennas, she could listen to All India radio and her interest for Hindi songs was further developed.

How could she remember so much Hindi words ? How can she sing a song in a same tone which was sung almost fifty years back. How music would have helped her to forget what she does not have and spread joy with what she has. Everything was amazing. When she finished her first song, audience stood up and gave her big clap of applause. Really, that time my eyes were full of tears.

She came to India for three programmes of Keep Alive and on the same day after her performance Adina left for her mother country.

Priyanka Navare

P.S.-- If you wish to listen to this Adina, you go to www.youtube.com and search for Adina from Romania