RENOWNED Indian playback singer Sonu Nigam performed for the first time in Guyana Saturday evening at the National Stadium at Providence, entertaining among others President Donald Ramotar and hundreds of enthusiastic fans. The mega concert was organised by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha which will be using the proceeds from the concert to fund the construction of a children’s shelter in Berbice.
The Bollywood superstar welcomed President Ramotar on stage to make a short address to the waiting crowd.
The Head of State commended the noble purpose behind the entertainer’s visit, that of charity to the less fortunate which he said the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha has taken upon itself to do. He said it is aligned with the programme for children, especially in education and the other social services.
On stage, the Head of State commended the singer for his ability to perform tirelessly. He further stated, “I think this is one of the best performances and it goes to say that your entertainment comes a very long time”. The singer was encouraged by the Head of State to return to Guyana and sing other beautiful songs and more specifically Sohanee Raat Dhal Chuki. Immediately after listening to this, Sonu anxiously collected the microphone and sang the opening verse of the song holding the microphone for President Donald Ramotar to join him in singing. The cheering crowd sang along with the combination of melodious singing.
The live concert featured three hours of Nigam’s greatest hits, and coincided with the 174th anniversary of the arrival of East Indian immigrants to Guyana.
Nigam began his singing career at the age of three, successfully participated in music competitions as a teenager and began his Bollywood singing career at 19. His first big break came when he started hosting the Sa Re Ga Ma show in 1995. He has since created a unique style and has become a role model for emerging vocal talent in India.
Over the years, Nigam has become a major force in the Indian music industry, providing playback singing for a large number of Hindi movies and winning many awards. He is recognized for his singing of romantic, rock, sad, and patriotic songs. Nigam has sung in many languages besides Hindi, including Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil, English, Urdu and Nepali.(GINA)