Usha Uthup will take you to Africa, with the Afro beats and stunning visuals of her new single composed by Shiladitya Chaudhury and Som Chakraborty that dropped on December 22. Ketan Sengupta’s concept and simple lyrics easily add an impressive punch making the song hummable. The song Africa Africa birthed from restaurateur and communication consultant Shiladitya and passionate wildlife photographer Ketan’s extensive travel to the wild terrains of the continent. During a chat with the legendary pop icon of the city, the doyen of retro music tells us about the song, working harder post pandemic and what keeps her hooked to OTT. Excerpts:
Your last international trip was Johannesburg and coincidentally the name of this song is Africa. How does it feel being back on the stage after the pandemic and feeling the pulse of the audience?
It’s been really fantastic. Things are opening and shows are happening but it is not at its original pace yet. However, being an optimist, I strongly believe that we will get back to normal very soon because people are still cautious. I have already done quite a few shows post the lockdowns and there’s nothing like performing live. So, I am excited.
Yes, coincidentally the name of the song is also Africa but it has nothing to do with my trip to Johannesburg which I enjoyed thoroughly. I went there after 25 years and it felt great to see that people have not forgotten me or my music. We all had a great time there. Talking about the coincidence part, I don’t believe much in them. I think everything happens for a reason and a plan.
Tell us more about the song — Africa Africa.
Shiladitya Chaudhury and Som Chakraborty did the tune and they felt that I could be a part of it. I loved the concept and the idea behind it put together by Shiladitya, Som and Ketan. The song talks about wildlife conservation and it’s not a local call but a global one; for global harmony we need to protect wildlife and Africa is doing a great job.
The music is fantastic with African beats adding authenticity to the composition. I recorded the song in my studio and added a bit of Swahili and it enriched the track further. The experience of making a track with an intent was really satisfying and that’s what excites me more. I just hope people will like the song, understand the message behind it and make it a hit.
A normal sight in Africa
Shifting focus, let’s talk about your music. Your last Tollywood song was Kacher Manush and your last Bollywood project was Drishyam 2. The year seems to be good with even independent songs coming out of your stable…
I am looking forward to much more work and I am sure it will come because during Covid I worked really hard. I did more than 150 shows or more and it’s been fantastic. I recorded so many songs during this period that it makes me feel good about it. We learnt how to deal with the situation even if we couldn’t go out. In fact, I did not go out and did so many projects. So, you know, what’s interesting is that out of necessity we invent so many things. And that’s incredible and that’s the beauty of us humans.
You have been in the industry for so long. What is it that keeps you going?
It’s the people and their love; it’s the love of the stage and the positive vibe that I get from the audiences. When people comment on my particular song saying that they loved this or that, like I got so many positive responses for Drishyam 2; I think it’s this that keeps me inspired, keeps me going strong.
What are your expectations from 2023?
I am looking forward to more songs, live performances and everything that I love doing. Like I said I am an optimist so I expect all good things from 2023, the pandemic will soon become a memory.
Among the young singers who are your favourite?
I have so many favourites among the younger generation. Starting from Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal to Arijit Singh and Armaan Malik, they are all fabulous singers. Hariharan and Shankar Mahadevan have also been my favourites. I think the younger gen are fantastic; they are all trained singers and are doing really well.
You are a singer, but whom do you listen to?
I listen to a nice selection of Western music. Also, I listen to retro music a lot.
Apart from listening to music, are you watching anything on TV that impressed you recently?
This whole month has been consumed by football and yes, I watched it too. But talking about watching things in general, I think we have been hooked to the small screens during the pandemic, thankfully we had this medium. I reconnected with many old films that I had lost touch with. Also, among the OTT series that impressed me the most were The Crown and Downtown Abbey.
Shiladitya Chaudhury, restaurateur and communication consultant
Being an avid wildlife photographer and having travelled to Masai Mara for more than five times, we always felt that this needs to be conveyed to the younger generation and they should know about the wide wilderness of the reserve.
Ketan Sengupta, wildlife photographer
The song Africa Africa is basically an initiative to promote the wilderness of Africa and this is the first song on the rich region from Kolkata. And when we conceptualised it, we were like who other than Usha Uthup who is an international icon.
