World Music presents India’s ASHA BHOSLE performing 75 Years of Asha with special guest Amit Kumar on Sunday, April 13, 8pm at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. Tickets are $125 (golden circle), $65, $50 and $35. For tickets and information call World Music (617) 876-4275 or buy online at www.WorldMusic.org.

One of the greatest singers in Bollywood history, Asha Bhosle is one of the most recorded artist in the world with more than 120,000 songs to her credit. A recording artist for more than six decades, she has sung on over 950 Bollywood soundtracks in 14 different languages.  Bhosle has an incredible ability to sing in a variety of styles, such as love songs, lusty cabaret, soulful ghazals and funky pop. On any scale of artistry or popularity, Ashaji (as she is respectfully and affectionately known) is among India’s most adulated and feted singers. Celebrating her 75th birthday, Asha Bhosle is touring with a six-member band including special guest Amit Kumar.

Born on September 8, 1933, Asha Bhosle and her famed sister, Lata Mangeshkar, were trained by their father, Dinanath Mangeshkar. Bhosle made her debut with the film Chunaria (1948), but it took many years before she reached stardom. Between 1948 and 1957, Bhosle sang more songs than any other playback singer, but the majority of these films were small and indistinct. Due to an ill-advised marriage that alienated her from her family, she had no choice but to take all available assignments to provide for her children.

Bhosle got her big break in 1957 with composer O.P. Nayyar in the films Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957) and Naya Daur (1957). Then, in 1958, she had huge hit songs in three films: Lajwanti (1958), Howrah Bridge (1958) and Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958). Thereafter, she became Nayyar's premier singer until the early 1970s, most notably in the films Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Mere Sanam (1965), Humsaya (1968), and Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1974).  

The 1970s saw her start a new relationship (which eventually became her second marriage) with composer Rahul Dev Burman. A master of 1970s pop and disco music, Burman gave Bhosle a hip, modern sound, and the two of them made their greatest hits in Hare Raama Hare Krishna (1971), Jawani Diwani (1972), Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) and Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin (1977).

In 1981, the composer Khayyam revealed another, more lyrical quality to Bhosle’s voice. Their collaboration in the Urdu film Umrao Jaan (1981), where the songs were mostly poetry, revealed some of her finest work and Ijaazat (1987), another such film, earned her the National Award. Today, she remains active in playback singing and still makes actresses sizzle in songs, most notably in the films Rangeela (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and Taal (1999). She has also released several hugely successful Indi-pop music albums.

In addition to her contributions to Indi-pop and the Bollywood industry, Asha Bhosle has worked with a wide spectrum of Western musicians including Boy George, Michael Stipe and the Kronos Quartet. Her music has been sampled in recent years by many artists including Black Eyed Peas (“Don’t Phunk With My Heart”) and Nellie Furtardo (“I’m Like A Bird Nellie Vs Asha remix”). In 2006, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album for her collaboration with The Kronos Quartet in You’ve Stolen My Heart- Songs From RD Burman’s Bollywood.

On January 26, 2008 Asha Bhosle was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, which is India’s second highest civilian award, an honor seldom given to musicians. Over the years, she has won numerous awards including seven Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.

Bhosle's most recent release is a two-disc Hindi language CD, titled Asha Bhosle: Love Supreme. It features her interpretations of newly-recorded ghazals, romantic renditions created from Urdu and Persian poetry, and also includes some of Bhosle's favorite duets from Bollywood movies of yore.  

For this year special concert, Asha Bhosle will be performing selections from her entire repertoire with a six-member band including special guest Amit Kumar. Amit Kumar, male vocalist and son of her long-time collaborator Kishore Kumar, has had several hit songs over the years after the death of his father. He is currently seen weekly in North America on Sony TV as a judge for the reality based program called K FOR KISHORE (an Indian version of American Idol). Asha is planning to appear as a judge alongside him during the finals of the competition which will be filmed in March and be shown in time for their tour of North America. She will also be releasing a new album to coincide with the tour.  

To download high resolution digital photos go to www.CRASHarts.org and click “PRESS CENTER”.

World Music is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency which also receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.   

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