Says singer Usha Uthup who would be in town this Friday to celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi through a live performance

It has been a long journey foru00a0 Usha Uthup. Known for her unique deep voice, Uthup has stolen many hearts with songs like Hare Ram Hare Krishna and Shan Se among others and this weekend you can catch her live at The 49th Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava. Theu00a0 Padmashreeu00a0 winning performer, who can sing in 18 Indian languages and eight foreign ones, tells The Guide what makes her come back to Bangalore again and again.

How did your musical journey begin?
I was born in a middle-class family and my father used to be in Mumbai police. I was the fifth of the six children. They say number five is lucky and thank god it worked for me. At school I used to be thrown out of the music class because my teacher thought my voice was flat and I would be given clappers or triangles to play. But soon she realised that I was musically inclined. My sisters Indira and Uma were professional singers. Those days radio was the king and I grew up listening to Vividh Bharati and BBC. I did not have any formal training.