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issue 2 january-february 2005
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Headlines : India News
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Magiktuch concert for visually impaired people a grand success.

Eyeway News Service

On November 24, Delhi was witness to the magic of 16 visually impaired singers and musicians who took the stage at the Triveni Kala Sangam. The singers enthralled the audience with their exceptional renditions of ghazals, songs from Hindi films and light classical music.

The event was the culmination of a country-wide talent hunt conducted by Magiktuch Talent Management Private Limited, a company committed to spotting and promoting talented singers with visual impairments. George Abraham and Navroze D. Dhondy, promoters of Magiktuch, spoke of the extensive auditions that were conducted in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi in October. “Talent is hidden in every corner of India,” said George Abraham. “Our aim is to create Alka Yagniks and Sonu Nigams of these immensely gifted blind singers,” he said.

Raja Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy, the famous Kuchipudi dancing duo, blessed the singers. Raja Reddy reminisced about teaching dance to blind students at the Blind Relief Association in New Delhi. He said that he was amazed at their sense of rhythm.

The singers were backed by an orchestra consisting of blind musicians. The exceptional musical ability of the orchestra was on display in the fusion piece titled ‘Journey of Life’ that had been conceived and perfected only that afternoon, since the musicians were from different parts of the country. While many of the singers had formal training in music, there were some, like 10-year-old Balbir Singh who had honed his talent by singing along with the radio.

The grand finale, a chorus rendition of ‘Hum Honge Kamyaab’ brought the audience to its feet.

Magiktuch aims to identify, groom and promote artists with visual impairments. The next step is to find opportunities with music labels and to arrange concerts for the singers.

Other India News stories in this issue:
Extending the benefits of education to disabled children
Reliance launches new application for visually impaired users
Intelligent cane to guide blind users
New computer centre opened in Bangalore
Shwaas: A must watch film
Blind students open people’s eyes to horrors of dowry

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