Kailash Kher: Nostalgic to sing for 'homeground'

Kailash Kher

Indian music icon Kailash Kher has said it would be nostalgic and emotional for him to sing for his people on his "homeground" of Delhi's Mayur Vihar, which he calls the land of his elders, on Sunday.

Kher, who has delivered contemporary Sufi hits like Teri Deewani and Allah Ke Bande, will be performing on the last day of a 3-day Mayur Ustav organised by Sahitya Kala Parishad, the cultural wing of Delhi government.

Hailed as East Delhi's own cultural festival it will happen in the phases 1, 2 and 3 of Mayur Vihar here, which the renowned singer calls his "parental land". He attributes all his "good and super good memories" as originating from this place. "I belong to this land; My parental home is in Mayur Vihar. All my good and super good memories are from here.

"I have seen the formation of today's Mayur Vihar Phase 2, and Mayur Vihar has seen the formation of Kailash Kher. It was my strongest wish to sing one day for Mayur Vihar," 2017 Padma Shri recipient Kher told IANS in an email. The 45-year-old vocalist-composer, who came to Mumbai in 2002, said it was "difficult then to convince record companies and producers to support the style of music and lyrics" he brought, but is happy that the music his band Kailasa creates, has become a trendsetter for the country's talent.

Kher also maintained that artistes are part of nature and thus glued to "its soil and soul".

"Even if we touch the sky, we cannot uproot ourselves. Koi kitna bhi bada ho, apne bado se bada nahi hota. Ye mere bado ki dharti hai. (No matter how much one achieves, s/he is not bigger than her/his elders. This is the land of my elders). It's nostalgic and emotional to sing for my people on my homeground."

Kher will be performing at Mayur Utsav in Mayur Vihar's East Vinod Nagar Sports Complex.

Other performers include the Indian Ocean band (music), Puran Bhatt (puppet show), Shyam Arts, Suresh Vyas dance group (folk dance) Shyam Rangeela (comedy) and Delhi Panchavadya Trust (folk performance). The festival is open to all.

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