AFVOA Newletters of Year 2009

Page 9 of 37 Ganesh Kumar graduated in Engineering from the Government Engineering College, Trivandrum. Being very much interested in music, he underwent special training in classical carnatic music from the well known Guru Chethala Gopalan Nair. He worked for the Kerala Government for a short while before being commissioned into the EME. While in service he continued his musical moments. His wife is an accomplished veena artist, while his daughter is a well known play back singer and his son is a Sapper presently doing his degree course in CME. The next item was an extremely popular Hindi song from an old picture ‘Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai’. The song was none other than “Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye, Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam” sung by Smt Prasanna Raju, daughter of Col SR Raju. And Prasanna did a wonderful job when one realises that the original was rendered by the redoubtable Lata Mangeshkar. One almost felt that Lataji herself was present, Prasanna is the daughter of Col PR Raju. Prasanna, like all children of service parents, studied in KVs at various stations. Discovering her interest in music while at Jabalpur, Col Raju shifted her to learn classical Hindustani music at the Sharada Sangeetha Maha Vishva Vidyalaya which was affiliated to the Allahabad University. After her graduation she was selected by Air India as a Customer Service Executive. She moved over to Chennai, and continues her hobby of music and entertaining people with her melodious voice. As we are in Tamil Nadu, it was only but natural, that there should be a song in Tamil. And one in praise of Raja Raja Cholan who was a great empire builder. He had even invaded Sri Lanka and started a century-long Chola occupation of the island. “Raja Raja Cholan”, an llayraja number rendered in the mellifluous voice of Sqn Ldr Unni, the architect of the evening’s programme. Unni graduated from Loyola College, Chennai. He thereafter obtained a Masters in Social Work from the prestigious Madras School of Social Work. Armed with two degrees he joined the Air Force and was with the Air traffic Control for the better part of fourteen years, before he decided to return to the Civvy Street and immersed himself with Corporate Training. Right from childhood he had a burning ambition and passion for music. Throughout his student days both in school and college there was no occasion when he did not take part in a musical event. While in service he kept up his interest in this art form and regaled services crowds on numerous functions. And wanting to improve his knowledge and techniques he has since enrolled himself as a student and is presently under the tutelage of Guru Padmanabhan, in Adyar. From Tamil we once again moved over to English. This time Ravi enthralled the audience with an old number titled the “Rhinestone Cowboy”. "Rhinestone Cowboy" is a song written by Larry Weiss in 1974. In late 1974, Glenn Campbell a country pop singer heard the song and had it rerecorded in USA where it enjoyed immense popularity. Ravi strumming the guitar sang it absolutely like the rhinestone cowboy! We then moved on to high voltage foot tapping number sung by Smt Lalitha Mohandas - the Air Force Usha Uthup. Ramba Ho Ramba Ho was a hit song of the 1980s sung by Usha Uthup with the music direction by Bappi Lahiri. As soon as the song started, people moved into the open spaces and livened up the place by joining in impromptu dance. This was an apt response to the wordings of the song which went as – "… Ho Ramba ho ho ho ho, Mein nachu, tum nacho, Jitni tum pyar se jee loge utni hi zindagi."