Kavita Krishnamurti opens up on working with legendary playback singer Manna Dey

New Delhi [Indial, January 31 : Renowned singer Kavita Krishnamurti who started her musical career by performing with none other than legendary Indian playback singer and music composer Manna Dey.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Kavita Krishnamurti recalled how she met Manna Dey and travelled the world for 18 years with him.
She said, "When I came to Bombay and joined college, I started singing a little professionally, but the main break I got when I was singing, 'Jaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge, Asha ji's (Asha Bhosle) song for my college day function. One day there was a college day function and the chief guest was Hemant Kumar. His daughter, Ranu, was my classmate. So we invited Hemant da to be a chief guest."
Kavita opened up about how she started her stage concert journey with Hemant Kumar.
She said, "After the show, Hemant da said, my daughter doesn't want to sing with me on stage and travel here and there. Would you like to come and do duets with me on stage? And that's how my stage concerts with Hemant da started. And he then introduced me to Manna Dey. And with Manna Da for 18 years, I travelled all over the world."
Kavita shared what it was like working with Manna Dey at that time.

She said, "There was time when Shanmukhananda hall, Brabourne Stadium concert, backstage I went and there was Lata Ji (Lata Mangeshkar) on one side and this side this place Manna Da, Mohammed Rafi saab, everybody siitting together, chatting together and waiting for there turns to sing two two songs. And i was the junior singer, who went with Manna Dey to sing, one song. Like, what did I sing? I think I said, 'Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein' that song I sang and then I was going to sing 'Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi' all that duet songs with Manna Da. When they went up on stage, it was like, this is my first concert."
Kavita also revealed how Manna Dey's dedication to music inspired her as an artist.
"Manna Dey is... With him, 18 years, I saw what... what dedication was to music. He was trained classical but his riyaz (practice), he going up on stage , and the sincerity, and you know, sometimes, even if he used to have a lot of voice trouble, cold and coughs, he use to make sure he doesn't miss his note, he would just not worry about he just close his eyes and just do those phrases. He makes sure every note is perfect. That's what i learned, they were so, so conscious about their singing."
She talked about one particular song 'Tum Gagan Ke Chandrama' with Manna Dey and how she was able to learn from him.
"And I remember one particular song I was l learning from him 'Tum Gagan Ke Chandrama'. It was the first time I was going to sing on stage. He says, chalo rehearsal karte hain (let's rehearse). So when I sang one particular line, he said, why are you taking the sahara (support) of that note and singing? I didn't understand. He says, you step on that note and then you go to that higher note. Why can't you go directly? You see, that's an extra note in your singing and it spoils the word. So I was just thinking about how with a microscope they listen, they look at every song with a microscope and they go in front of a mike."
The Padma Shri awardee shared the interesting gift she got from great singers like Lata Mangeshkar.
Kavita recalled, "He (Manna Dey) and Lata ji and all, not one extra note required in what they are singing. They are so precise. That they don't want to do extra embellishments, harkat, murki, which is not required in a song. When Lata ji sings, you feel this is the only way the song can be sung. There's no need to do any extra harkat or murki to pass on the emotion. The simpler the song, the more straightforward you pass on the emotion. The more you simplify the song and standing notes. The standing notes of a song are the most important. When your standing notes are beautiful and every standing note has depth, then that emotion will reach you. The simpler you sing, you listening to that song will say, this is very easy, mai bhi gaa sakati hoon. It's only when you sing, you realize how difficult it is to sing in Sur like that. That's a gift those singers gave me."
Prabodh Chandra Dey known by his stage name Manna Dey, was an internationally acclaimed and renowned playback singer, music director, and musician.
'Poocho na kaise main rayan beetayi', 'Kaun aaya mere man ke dware', 'Tu pyar ka saagar hai', 'Ae mere pyare watan' (Upkar), 'Laga chunri mein daag', 'Jhanak jhanak tore baaje payaliya' and 'Gori teri painjaniya' were among his most celebrated songs.
Talking about Kavita Krishnamurti's career in music industry, her performance as a singer in R.D. Burman's '1942: A Love Story' earned her widespread recognition. Kavita established herself as a top female playback singer, with Alka Yagnik, with a string of songs beginning in 1942: A Love Story, Yaraana, Agni Sakshi, Bhairavi, and Khamoshi.
She later collaborated with Bappi Lahiri, Anand-Milind, A. R. Rahman, Rajesh Roshan, Raamlaxman, Ismail Darbar, Himesh Reshammiya, Aadesh Shrivastava, Nadeem-Shravan, Jatin-Lalit, Viju Shah, and Anu Malik, among others.