Revisiting ’90s with Kumar Sanu

Kumar Sanu, Bollywood melody king and playback singer, in a recent concert at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) captivated a big gathering, mainly Indian expatriates, with his melodious voice and a gripping conversation. Kedarnath Bhattacharya, better known as Kumar Sanu entertained the audience with his evergreen soundtracks of the 1990s. During his performance, people of all ages kept dancing on the euphonious lyrics of their choice. The concert started at 7:30pm and continued till 11:00pm with a break of 15 minutes in between.The concert was attended by Indian ambassador P Kumaran and prominent community figures. Sanu had a strong stage presence. Well, strong enough to keep the audience dancing and waving their hands in the air for constant three hours. He not only sang the most cherished songs for the audience but also grabbed their attention with witty comments. Sanu took the stage for a number of our favourites, including Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha, Sochenge Tumhe Payar, Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Pagal Hey, and Dheere Dheere Se Meri.“This is my second time in Doha and I love to be in Qatar. I have performed in UAE but I find the audience in Doha much more loving and appreciative towards my music and soundtracks. I have sung about 20, 000 songs. If you will ask me, I will certainly sing all for you here,” the singer said as people kept shouting ‘once more!’ after every performance.“Wherever I go, I see people loving romantic songs from the ’90s era and after all these years it makes me believe that only worthy music can last this long and forever. I am happy to see the younger generation also enjoying the melody and poetry of the songs and can relate to it, even today.”The ambassador presented a bouquet to the 61-year-old singer. Kumaran said, “We all are privileged to have Sanu amongst us in Doha today. We all have grown up listening to his songs during 1980s’, ’90s and beyond. It is wonderful to listen to him live today. I want to thank the organisers for their efforts in making this possible. We need a brilliant start to India-Qatar Year of Culture 2019. We look forward to many more wonderful performances in the coming months. We have been trying to finalise the list of activities with Qatar Museum and Katara for 2019 and I request to all of you to be patient and wait until we release the final list of the upcoming events.”Talking to Community, Subramanya Hebbagelu, former Vice President of Karnataka Sangha Qatar (KSQ), a community organisation affiliated with the Indian Cultural Centre, said, “It was a wonderful musical night for the Indian expatriates. There were families and children, all dancing and enjoying to the most. Though the songs are from ’90s era, the community enjoyed listening to the evergreen soundtracks live by the singer himself. I am very happy to have had revisited the ’90s with this concert. I believe many people had a kind of nostalgia while listening to Sanu again. The auditorium was fantastic. The seats were really comfortable and the ambience was amazing.”Sanu has won numerous film awards and other recognition for his illustrious career as a singer. He was awarded the Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award for five consecutive years. In 2009, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his achievements. Sanu notably holds the Guinness World Record for most songs recorded by a singer in 24 hours with 28 songs.The concert was a part of the ongoing Shop Qatar Festival’s third edition. Organised by Qatar National Tourism Council, the festival’s other activities offer special offers for the bargain-hunter, the style-savvy and the fashion-forward. Shop Qatar, the country’s only nation-wide shopping festival, brings a host of new features for the residents and the visitors to enjoy until January 20.Besides offering discounts and promotions, the festival’s 14 retail partners will also host exclusive entertainment and roaming mall shows for families and children.