Usha Iyer,
later Usha Uthup, born in 1947 in
Mumbai in a Tamil Brahmin Family. His father was a Policeman who rose to become
Deputy Commissioner Of Police, Mumbai. Her moher was well educated housewife. Her older sisters, Indira
and Uma, were the famous singing Sami sisters. Her father-in-law Brigadier C.C.
Uthup, of the Sikh Regiment, received the prestigious A.V.S.M. Award from the
President V.V. Giri in 1973. She studied at St. Agnes High School (Clare Road,
Byculla). In school life she thrown out of music class because she did not fit
in with a voice like others. But her music teacher recognised that she had some
music in her. Even though she was not formally trained in music, she grew up in
an musical atmosphere. Her parents used to listen to a wide range of Western
Classical, Hindusthani and Carnatic Classical, she used to join them.
Her
neighbour was S.M.A. Pathan, the then Deputy Commissioner Of Police. His
daughter, Jamila, influenced her to
learn Hindi and take up Indian Classical Music. This Fusion approach helped her
to pioneer her unique brand of Indian Pop in the 1970s.
At the age of nine her first public singing occurred. Her sisters who were already exploring music career, took her to the most popular radio anchor Ameen Sayani, who gave her an opportunity to sing on the Ovaltine Music Hour in Radio Ceylon. She sang a number called “Mockinbird Hill”. After that several appearances followed through her teenage years.
Usha Uthup
started singing in a small night club in Chennai called Nine Gems, wearing a saree and leg callipers, when she was 20. Her
performance was so well that the owner of that night club asked her to stay for
a week. After that she began singing in
Kolkata at night club such as “Trincas”.
In the same time she also sang at “Talk
of the Town”, now known as “Not Just
Jazz by the Bay” in Mumbai. After Trincas, she atarted singing at the Oberoi Hotel, Delhi. One day, a film
crew belonging to Navketan unit,
including Shashi Kapoor, visited the
night club and they offered hera chance to sung in film. As a result, she
started her Bollywood career with HARE RAMA HARE KRISHNA. She was supposed
to sing Dum Maro Dum along with Asha Bhosle, but for for internal
politicking, she lost that chance but ended up singing an English version.
In 1968,
she recorded covers of two pop songs in English, “Jambalaya” and The Kingston Trio’s “ Greenback Dollar”. She
also spend time some time in London where she frequently visited to Vernon Corea’s BBC office and was
interviewed on London Sounds Eastern
on BBC Radio London. Then she
visited Nairobi as part of an Indian
festival. She was so popular that she was invited to stay on. Her natianalistic
songs in Swahili made her extremely popular and the then President Jomo Kenyatta made her an Honorary Citizen of Keniya.
Usha Uthup
sang several songs in the 1970s & 1980s for music directors R.D. Burman and Bappi Lahiri. She also reprised some of R.D. Burman’s songs that were sung by others such as Mehbooba Mehbooba and Dum Maro Dum and popularised them to a distinct
end. She also sang in Chris Perry’s Konkani album Chris Perry Presents Usha : “Meu
Amor”. She also sang for a two-volume collection of Children Rhymes “Karadi
Rhymes”, which are “Indian Rhymes for Indian Kids”, brought out by Karadi
Tales. With each rhyme set to an Indian Raga and sung in her characteristic
voice with a feisty tempo, Usha Uthup creats the atmosphere for children, and
surprisingly, even adults to sing along and dance to the toe-tapping beats. She
appeared as a Judge on a singing reality show Bharat Ki Shaan : Singing Star – Season 2 (2012) on DD National Channel along with Ismail Darbar, she was the Judge in the
Season 3 of the show as well. She appeared in disguise on Indian Idol 1 & 2, She was one of the co-judges of the 2007
& 2008 and Idea star Singer
Season 5 (2010), the most rated South IndianMusical Reality Show in Malayalam.
Usha Uthup
is also an actress. She made a cameo appearance in the film Bombay To Goa in 1972. In 2006 she acted
in the Malayalam film Pothan Vava. She
appeared in Bow Barracks Forever
derected by Anjun Dutta in 2007. In
that year she again appeared in Hattrick
music video as herself. She also acted in Vishal
Bhardwaj’s film 7 Khoon Maaf in
2011, she also sang a song in this film. In 2012 she also starred in Kannada
film Parie.
She married
to Jani Chacko Uthup and was
formerly married to Late Ramu Iyer.
They have a daughter Anjali and a
son Sunny.
She
currently lives in Kolkata with her husband. She is considered as an Icon of
modern Kolkata and is an active in social presence in the city life in the City
Of Joy.
From 1966
she continuing her Magic throughout the World as she sung in the film in
Revolver Rani in this year (2014) too.
It has been
scheduled that Usha Uthup will perform in the “Dooars Utsav” In Alipurduar,
West Bengal, India, on 4th February, 2015. Thus she continuing her
Musical Journey to entertain all of us.
AWARDS
Padma Shri : Fourth
highest civilian award presented by the Government of India.
Filmfare Awards :
v Nominated for “One Two
Cha Cha Cha” from Shalimar (1978)
v Nominated for “Hari Om
Hari” from Pyara Dushman (1980)
v Nominated for “Rambha
Ho” from Armaan (1981)
v Best Female Playback Singer for “Darling” from 7 Khoon Maaf
Kalakar Awards :
v 7th Kalakar Award for Best Album (Bengali) “Door Dipo Basini”
v 10th Kalakar Award for Best Album (Bengali) “Chai Shilpir Samman”
v 12th Kalakar Award for Best Playback Singer for
the film “Joggers Park”
v 21st Kalakar Award for Best Playback Singer for
the film “Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi”
For her latest updates and more
information please go to her Official website :