Happy Birthday Wishes to Usha Uthup ji

Born on 7th Nov 1947 Usha Uthup, or “Didi”, as she is fondly called, has spread a message of love and unity, peace and harmony, tolerance and integrity, and happiness - through music.

She started her journey at Trincas in Calcutta. After Trincas, her next engagement took her to Delhi where she sang at the Oberoi hotels. A film crew belonging to Navketan unit including Shashi Kapoor visited the nightclub and they offered her a chance to sing movie playback. As a result, she started her Bollywood career with Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Originally, she was supposed to sing Dum Maro Dum along with Asha Bhosle. However, as a result of internal politicking on the part of other singers, she lost that chance but ended up singing an English verse.

In 1968, she recorded covers of two pop songs in English, "Jambalaya" and The Kingston Trio's "Greenback Dollar", on an EP, Love Story, and "Scotch and Soda", another Kingston Trio song, which sold very well in the Indian market. She also spent some time in London during this early period. She was a frequent visitor to Vernon Corea's BBCoffice at the Langham in London and was interviewed on London Sounds Eastern on BBC Radio London. Usha visited Nairobi as part of an Indian festival. She was so popular that she was invited to stay on. Singing and quite often nationalistic songs in Swahili made her extremely popular and the then President Jomo Kenyatta made her an Honorary Citizen of Kenya. She sang the famous song "Malaika" (angel) with Fadhili Williams who was the original singer. She produced a record "live in Nairobi" with a local band Fellini Five.

Uthup sang several songs in the 1970s and 1980s for music directors R D Burman and Bappi Lahiri. She also reprised some of R.D. Burman songs that were sung by others such as Mehbooba Mehbooba and Dum Maro Dum and popularised them to a distinct end.

Uthup sang in Chris Perry's Konkani album Chris Perry Presents Usha – 'Meu Amor’.

Uthup also sang for a two-volume collection of children's rhymes "Karadi Rhymes", which are "Indian Rhymes for Indian Kids", brought out by Karadi Tales.

She has sung and performed in more than sixteen lndian languages and everywhere she has had audiences participate in singing along and the spirit of her music has not been restricted by lingual or geographical boundaries

She has recorded more than a hundred albums in seventeen lndian languages, sung in several thousand concerts, performed in all major countries and has been on television since its inception in lndia.

 Usha has served as a role model for generations of young lndians and has been an unwavering ambassador for traditional lndian values. 

She has always worn a sari (kanjeevaram), fresh flowers in her hair and her beaming smile has won her many fans.

                

She has represented India in festivals organised by the government of India in Hong Kong, Mauritius, Nairobi, East Africa, Kenya and others.

                

She has represented India through ICCR across Europe, Africa and Asia.

She has worked for the benefit for senior artists.

She has helped to collect funds for various medical causes like acquiring ambulances and other medical equipments.

She Sang “Aage Badho” for women’s empowerment in 15 languages, for the Government of India.

She has received the coveted Padma Shri Award in the year 2011.
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