There was no time to do a sound check, and it was
during the first segment which introduced a US based singer Gunjan,
that the sound check was being conducted while she was singing.
Gunjan set the ball rolling with two hit numbers Crazy Kiya Re
from Dhoom 2 and Beedi from Omkara and did a good job with both
numbers.
Then Kunal Ganjawala took over the stage.
I have not seen any young artist in any event so far, who would
come on stage in a show of this level and completely dominate the
stage and bowl over the audience, but Ganjawala just rocked! He
has seen meteoric rise in the past 3-4 years from the days he says
he was not even a bathroom singer and discovered his talent for
singing at a college ragging session by seniors. Today Ganjawala
has a lot of blockbuster songs to his name and has also become a
hit singer of Kannada songs. He set the pace with Is Taal Taal Mein
hum tum Karen Dhamaal, and went on to belt out Tere Bin, Janabe
Ali, Dil Na Diya, Salaam Namaste, the lovely Channa Ve before he
went on to his swan song Bheegey Hont Tere. The sound system was
still a bit messed up but Kunal was totally as cool as he worked
with the sound guys and worked the crowd with warmth, and patience
until the system was where it should have been. He actually did
the sound check in essence for all the singers, and then came down
to mingle with the crowd, sang and danced his way to entertain the
sold out audience that was even more sold on him when he left.

The crowd was still roaring, and it set the stage for Kailash Kher
to take over from where Kunal had left. For Kher whose voice has
made A.R Rahman say-Kailash Kher’s voice has the fragrance
of the soil of India and Amir Khan exult that Kailash’s voice
is the only one that is complete music for the ears, it was a bygone
conclusion that this man was going to rock the stage. And he didn’t
disappoint. A voice that soared beyond the malfunctioning microphones,
the magic of Kailash Kher began with a number that has so many people
still crazy over it-Teri Diwani, to Tauba Tauba, Allah Ke Bande,
Chak de phatte, and the soulful Tere Bin nai Lagda Dil mera Dholna,
and he had people dancing to O sikander, and Ya Rabba, Piya Re and
the title track from Mangal Pandey. He also sang from his new album
Kailasa Jhoomo Re-the purity, range, and earthiness of Kailash Kher’s
voice is as dazzling as his warmth and a 1000 watt smile.
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