Popular singer Richa Sharma was in Dubai recently to be a judge on the musical reality show Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Middle East-Pakistan Challenge 2008.
Richa Sharma is one of the most talented and successful playback singers in Bollywood, belting out one hit after another in her full-throated classy voice.
Sharma is a classic example of a rags-to-riches story, having started her career by singing devotional songs in temples until she made her playback debut in Salma Pe Dil Aagaya.
She hit the big time with Taal and since then she has never looked back, crooning popular numbers in films such as Zubeida, Saathiya, Baghaban, Kaante, Kaal, Musafir, Kal Ho Na Ho, Saawariya, Om Shanti Om and Aaja Nachle. She is best remembered for the Mahi Ve track from Kaante.
This gifted singer was in Dubai to judge the aspiring singers in the musical realty show Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Middle East-Pakistan Challenge 2008. tabloid! caught up with Sharma for an exclusive interview.
What made you take up the offer to be a judge in Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa?
Whatever I do, the basis for it has to be music. It is important to expand your knowledge and horizons. I always knew that it was going to be a good experience flying to Dubai and judging the aspiring and talented singers of this region. Moreover, whenever I come to Dubai I feel at home.
How did you find the singers from this region?
All the singers were talented and it was heartening to find them rehearsing and practising very hard on their vocal abilities. There is an abundance of talent in this region.
How do you look back on your career, which now spans more than a decade?
I consider myself lucky. God has been kind to me for the amount of success I have seen in my life so far. It has been a satisfying journey starting from an unknown singer in a small town (Faridabad) to a position where I am respected for my vocal skills. I have nothing to regret and I just look forward to the future positively.
Which genre of music do you think your voice is best suited for?
Well, I don't stick to any genre as I enjoy singing all types of songs, but people around me feel that I am best suited to the Sufi style of music. Wherever I go, people ask me to sing Mahi Ve from Kaante and Zindagi Mein Koi from Musafir and these songs are in the Sufi style. I have sung all types of songs, from item-number Billo Rani from Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal and dance track Tauba Tauba from Kaal to the emotional title track of Baghban and Kal Ho Na Ho. My top priority is good music and the genre doesn't matter to me.
What was it like to sing the duet O Dharti with legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan in Baghban?
Actually, we did not record this number together. I recorded this number first and then later Amitabh Bachchan's vocals were added to this track. I don't regret not having sung along with him as I feel I am privileged enough to at least sing for his film.
You have teamed up with A.R. Rahman on many projects. Rahman has a different style of working which includes working late nights. How easy was it to work with him?
A.R. Rahman is simply brilliant and his understanding of music is impeccable. When I worked on Taal with him, I started recording at midnight and we completed the recording at 6am. I sang for six hours with only few breaks. But eventually Rahman extracted the best from me and, I must admit, I have had very good experience with him.
What was it like to work on Mira Nair's international project, Vanity Fair?
Oh, it was a memorable experience. I got a call from Shankar-Ehsan-Loy, who were composing music for this film and asked me if I was interested in doing this project. I grabbed this offer with both hands and when I landed to shoot, Mira Nair and Javed Akhtar were there at the recording studio. It was an honour to work with these talented and respectable personalities.
What are your forthcoming projects?
I just finished Jannat in which I sang three songs under Pritam's musical score. Lambhi Judai is my favourite track from this film. I have sung for Shyam Benegal's forthcoming project and also sung for Monty Sharma's (music director of Saawariya) latest musical score. In addition, I intend to cut my own album by teaming up with an international artiste. So 2008 should be a busy year for me.
Last edited by sur on 07 May 2008 18:19; edited 1 time in total
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10619
Location: Virginia
Re: 'A Satisfying Journey' Richa Sharma
Richa Sharma Not A Regular Singer
RichaSharma ‘ Songs offered to me are specially tailored to suit my voice'
Sharma has come a long way since the time when her singing was confined to devotional songs. Although she used to sing as a child, her career as a playback took off only in 2002 with the club song Mahi ve from the film ‘Kaante'.
Popular playback singer RichaSharma, known for her folk-flavored, lively and soulful singing, claims that her voice and style of singing are exclusive.
"I am not a regular singer," she remarked.
"The songs that are offered to me in the industry today are specially tailored to suit my voice. And I feel blessed.
"In fact, just like Sukhwinder Singh, Shubha Mudgal and Usha Uthup, I have a unique standing in the music industry," said Sharma who is taking part in NDTV Imagine's musical reality show ‘Idea Dhoom Macha De' and was here to promote it.
"This show is the right platform to judge the best live performer and I am just glad to be part of it," she said.
Apparently, Sharma is considered one of the strongest contenders.
Others include talents like Jaspinder Narula, Baba Sehgal, Sapna Mukherjee and Mona Singh of ‘Jassi' fame.
In one of the episodes, she made a bleak remark. She stated "Ab wahi hoga jo Richa chahegi" (Now whatever Richa wants, only that will happen).
She explained, "I am a bindaas (carefree) person. I only speak what comes to my mind, often without thinking.
"At that point of time I was feeling a bit restricted due to everyone's demands. I wanted to perform the way I like to and I will continue doing so," she told IANS.
She also outright denied having any resentment for the judges panel, including singercomposer Shankar Mahadevan, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore and lyricist Prasoon Joshi.
Sharma has come a long way since the time when her singing was confined to devotional songs.
Although she used to sing as a child, her career as a playback took off only in 2002 with the club song Mahi ve from the film ‘Kaante'.
"No matter how popular I become in the playback industry, singing devotional songs will always remain my first love," she told IANS.
Sharma however feels that due to her association with the film industry, people refrain from inviting her to sing for religious functions.
"I am forever ready to sing devotional songs at any place," she stated.
The exuberant singer has a host of songs lined up for this year.
Some of the films in which she will render vocals include ‘Jannat', ‘Sadiyaan', ‘Mahadev'and ‘Chamku' among many others and she is excited for the same.
The singer currently claims to have sung almost 80 songs in the course of her career as a singer.
By Radhika Bhirani
NEW DELHI
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10619
Location: Virginia
Re: 'A Satisfying Journey' Richa Sharma
Richa Sharma
Born 29 August in Faridabad, Haryana, is an Indian film singer. She started her music career as an 8 year old. Her father Late Sh. Pandit Dayal Shankar Upadheyay was her first guru.
Richa Sharma is the youngest of seven children of a temple priest in Faridabad (Haryana). Her father Pandit Daya Shankar Upadhyaya and mother Manorma Devi taught young Richa the art of singing bhajans, particularly Mata Ke Jagran, which slowly and steadily became Richa’s destiny in the initial years of her life. When she was eight years old, she was invited to sing before religious congregations in and around Delhi. She got herself enrolled in the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.
Under the tutelage of Pandit Aaskaran Sharma, Richa went on to get proper training in Indian classical and light music. Richa added ghazals; film songs, Punjabi and Rajasthani folk songs to her repertoire, thus making her voice reach out to more and more people in a variety of sounds.
While music was at its peak in Richa’s life, academic education had to be sacrificed and without any backing with a dream to make it big in the music world, Richa landed in Mumbai in 1994. She sang cover versions and bhajans in order to ensure she had her bread and butter and simultaneously continued her struggle in Bollywood. She made her debut in Bollywood with Sawan Kumar’s SALMA PE DIL AA GAYA in 1996 and followed it up by a number of films until the big hit came by in the form of TAAL where she sang for AR Rahman.
Thereafter a spate of hits followed: ZUBEDIA, SAATHIYA (with AR Rahman); HERA PHERI (Lalit Sen); KHAKHEE (Ram Sampath); TARKEEB (the song Duppatte Ka Palu), BAGHBAN (Title Song for Aadesh Shrivastava); SOCH (the song Nikal Chali Be for Jatin-Lalit); RUDRAKSH, KAL HO NA HO (Sad version of the title track for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy); GANGAJAL (Sandesh Shandilya); POPCORN KHAO MAST HO JAO (for Vishal-Shekhar) and the most popular song for KAANTE (Mahi Ve for Anand Raaj Anand).
Richa Sharma took a step into people’s hearts when she hosted the ever-popular ANTAKSHRI with Anu Kapoor on Zee TV. Richa’s exuberance and earthy style of hosting the show attracted a lot of attention. She hosted the show for almost a year before ending a successful run on television.
The versatile playback singer has also done quite a few albums to showcase her talent. Albums like NI MAIN YAAR NU SAJDA KARDI, PIYA and WINDS OF RAJASTHAN (for Times Music released early 2004) have brought out the classiness and grace in Richa’s voice and her variety as a singer.
At present, Richa is gathering reviews on her work in MUSAFIR. She has been super-excited about her songs in the film and hopes that with this one a lot more work falls in her laps. Besides these Richa is looking forward to the release of Mira Nair’s VANITY FAIR, A R Rahman’s THE RISING & ADA, Anand Raaj Anand’s KAANCH, Salim Suleiman’s KAAL, Himesh Reshmmaiya’s untitled venture for David Dhawan, Sen Brothers’ SHEESHA and many more.
A small town girl who began singing at God’s home is today one of Bollywood’s biggest success stories. With no backing, this girl has proved that talent and enthusiasm cannot be curtailed no matter where you live and where you land up. A girl full of energy and spirit - that’s Richa Sharma for you.
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10619
Location: Virginia
Re: 'A Satisfying Journey' Richa Sharma
Bollywood Movie Award - Best Playback Singer Female
2003
Richa Sharma
Kaante
Maahi Ve
.
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10619
Location: Virginia
Re: 'A Satisfying Journey' Richa Sharma
I Am An Exclusive Singer: Richa Sharma
Wednesday 12th of March 2008
Popular playback singer Richa Sharma, known for her folk-flavoured, lively and soulful singing, claims that her voice and style of singing are exclusive.
'I am not a regular singer,' she remarked. 'The songs that are offered to me in the industry today are especially tailored to suit my voice. And I feel blessed.
'In fact, just like Sukhwinder Singh, Shubha Mudgal and Usha Uthup, I have a unique standing in the music industry,' said Richa who is taking part in NDTV Imagine's musical reality show 'Idea Dhoom Macha De' and was here to promote it.
'This show is the right platform to judge the best live performer and I am just glad to be part of it,' she said.
Apparently, Richa is considered one of the strongest contenders. Others include talents like Jaspinder Narula, Baba Sehgal, Sapna Mukherjee and Mona Singh of 'Jassi' fame.
In one of the episodes, Richa made a bleak remark. She stated 'Ab wahi hoga jo Richa chahegi' (Now whatever Richa wants, only that will happen).
Richa explained: 'I am a bindaas (carefree) person. I only speak what comes to my mind, often without thinking
.
'At that point of time I was feeling a bit restricted due to everyone's demands. I wanted to perform the way I like to and I will continue doing so,' she told IANS.
She also outright denied having any resentment for the judges panel, including singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore and lyricist Prasoon Joshi.
Richa has come a long way since the time when her singing was confined to devotional songs. Although she used to sing as a child, her career as a playback took off only in 2002 with the club song 'Mahi ve' from the film 'Kaante'.
'No matter how popular I become in the playback industry, singing devotional songs will always remain my first love,' she told IANS.
Richa however feels that due to her association with the film industry, people refrain from inviting her to sing for religious functions. 'I am forever ready to sing devotional songs at any place,' she stated.
The exuberant singer has a host of songs lined up for this year. Some of the films in which she will render vocals include 'Jannat', 'Sadiyaan', 'Mahadev' and 'Chamku' among many others and she is excited for the same. The singer currently claims to have sung almost 80 songs in the course of her career as a singer.
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Richa Sharma sings Bollywood's longest track By Subhash K. Jha,
December 5, 2006
In Ravi Chopra's Baabul she has crooned the Bidaai song in an unending flow of heart-breaking emotions, for a full fifteen minutes� and that too in an improvised outpouring unsupported by any orchestral embellishments. "In fact my composer Aadesh Shrivastavaji had put one traditional instrument. I had to request him to take it out. It was hampering my flow of musical thoughts," laughs Richa Sharma whose voice soars across the crooning kingdom in meteoric maneuvers.
Listen to her do the Bidaai song in Baabul�Or the Bitiya song in Umrao Jaan�Or go back to Baghban's title song and of course the Kahin aag lage song in Taal�.Richa Sharma's voice rips a hole in your soul.
"It's funny you say that, because I've been singing since the age of 8. That's when I did my first Jagran songs. I still continue to do Jagran songs. They're my heart-beat. But now of course I'm doing a lot of film songs. I never thought I'd be singing in films. I just didn't have the heroine's voice! I thought I'd continue to sing that stray Bhajan or the Bhikhari song that needed a philosophical rendering in a rangy throat. That's me! Fortunately A.R Rahman's Kahin aag lage in Taal was picturized on Aishwarya Rai."
Nonetheless Richa's ravishing range remains restricted to rangy theme songs. Heroine's voices have so far been associated with one kind of singing. And that's the Lata Mangeshkar role model. Singers who have emulated that style have always reaped the maximum benefits in the recording room. Those like Alisha Chinai, Jaspinder Nirula and Richa Sharma who have gone against the grain have been put in the fringes.
To Richa's relief and joy things are slowly changing. "And I've one amazing singer Sunidhi Chauhan to thank for this. How I adore that girl's voice! Her deviant voice makes me hopeful about the future for another kind of voice."
What both excites and intrigues Richa is the fact that composers seem to give her a lot of elbow room to improvise. "It's rather gratifying but also scary. Aadesh Shrivastavji who's no buzurg but calls me 'Richa Beta', always gives me room to innovate tremendously. For the Baabul bidaai song I was given only one brief by Aadeshji. He gave me the words Babul mora naihar chutal jaye. And he just asked me to sing. I sang for 15-16 minutes without any musical accompaniment. Of these only 2-3 minutes have been retained in the soundtrack for lack of space, I guess."
One can hear Richa's looming regret at her luminous labours being edited so drastically. "I've also sung the other number Kehta hai baabul which Jagjit Singhji and Amitabhji have rendered in Baabul. My version has been kept out of the album."
But Richa isn't complaining. "I won't say I'm satisfied with my career in film singing. But I'm happy. Whenever I go to a music director there's a certain look of respect in his eyes. I cherish that above anything else. One of the high points in my career in films as a singer was when I was called by Sanjay Leela Bhansali after he heard me sing Mere maula (one of my own favourite tracks) from the film Khakee. Sanjayji made my day when he said he was looking for me for a long time. I've sung a beautiful Thumri for Monty Singh in Sanjayji's Saawariya. What a pleasure it is to sing for a filmmaker who knows what music is all about."
Richa has an interesting story to tell from her past. At the age of 3 months when she did her baby burp it came out as a musical note. "That's when my father Pandit Daya Shankarji who was a trained classical singer and who sang at pujas, prophesied that one day his daughter will do him proud. I don't know how far I've lived up to my father's prophecy. But I'm trying my best."
Richa admits Bollywood hasn't really decided what to do with her unusually textured voice and stormy range. "But I've a place, though that place is restricted by the fact that I'm not the heroine's voice. Nowadays when I look at the kind of voices that are voted in the televised music contests I wonder what we respect� talent or just the ability to ask for votes in a charming way."
____________ Music forms a part of me again It gives Shape to my faceless Expressions...To my Thoughts. {Alochana}
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10619
Location: Virginia
Re: 'A Satisfying Journey' Richa Sharma
Richa Sharma's birthday bash!
by Tellywatch News Desk
Sep 02, 2008, Mumbai
It`s the time to party...says Richa Sharma`s friends on her birthday which was held in BJN Banquets. Though, we hear that there was a little tiff of sorts between Aadesh and Adnan (bound to happen - when two creative geniuses strike a cord), but otherwise, the party went off as a blast.
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Richa Sharma sings Bollywood's longest track By Subhash K. Jha, December 5, 2006
In Ravi Chopra's Baabul she has crooned the Bidaai song in an unending flow of heart-breaking emotions, for a full fifteen minutes� and that too in an improvised outpouring unsupported by any orchestral embellishments. "In fact my composer Aadesh Shrivastavaji had put one traditional instrument. I had to request him to take it out. It was hampering my flow of musical thoughts," laughs Richa Sharma whose voice soars across the crooning kingdom in meteoric maneuvers.
Listen to her do the Bidaai song in Baabul�Or the Bitiya song in Umrao Jaan�Or go back to Baghban's title song and of course the Kahin aag lage song in Taal�.Richa Sharma's voice rips a hole in your soul.
"It's funny you say that, because I've been singing since the age of 8. That's when I did my first Jagran songs. I still continue to do Jagran songs. They're my heart-beat. But now of course I'm doing a lot of film songs. I never thought I'd be singing in films. I just didn't have the heroine's voice! I thought I'd continue to sing that stray Bhajan or the Bhikhari song that needed a philosophical rendering in a rangy throat. That's me! Fortunately A.R Rahman's Kahin aag lage in Taal was picturized on Aishwarya Rai."
Nonetheless Richa's ravishing range remains restricted to rangy theme songs. Heroine's voices have so far been associated with one kind of singing. And that's the Lata Mangeshkar role model. Singers who have emulated that style have always reaped the maximum benefits in the recording room. Those like Alisha Chinai, Jaspinder Nirula and Richa Sharma who have gone against the grain have been put in the fringes.
To Richa's relief and joy things are slowly changing. "And I've one amazing singer Sunidhi Chauhan to thank for this. How I adore that girl's voice! Her deviant voice makes me hopeful about the future for another kind of voice."
What both excites and intrigues Richa is the fact that composers seem to give her a lot of elbow room to improvise. "It's rather gratifying but also scary. Aadesh Shrivastavji who's no buzurg but calls me 'Richa Beta', always gives me room to innovate tremendously. For the Baabul bidaai song I was given only one brief by Aadeshji. He gave me the words Babul mora naihar chutal jaye. And he just asked me to sing. I sang for 15-16 minutes without any musical accompaniment. Of these only 2-3 minutes have been retained in the soundtrack for lack of space, I guess."
One can hear Richa's looming regret at her luminous labours being edited so drastically. "I've also sung the other number Kehta hai baabul which Jagjit Singhji and Amitabhji have rendered in Baabul. My version has been kept out of the album."
But Richa isn't complaining. "I won't say I'm satisfied with my career in film singing. But I'm happy. Whenever I go to a music director there's a certain look of respect in his eyes. I cherish that above anything else. One of the high points in my career in films as a singer was when I was called by Sanjay Leela Bhansali after he heard me sing Mere maula (one of my own favourite tracks) from the film Khakee. Sanjayji made my day when he said he was looking for me for a long time. I've sung a beautiful Thumri for Monty Singh in Sanjayji's Saawariya. What a pleasure it is to sing for a filmmaker who knows what music is all about."
Richa has an interesting story to tell from her past. At the age of 3 months when she did her baby burp it came out as a musical note. "That's when my father Pandit Daya Shankarji who was a trained classical singer and who sang at pujas, prophesied that one day his daughter will do him proud. I don't know how far I've lived up to my father's prophecy. But I'm trying my best."
Richa admits Bollywood hasn't really decided what to do with her unusually textured voice and stormy range. "But I've a place, though that place is restricted by the fact that I'm not the heroine's voice. Nowadays when I look at the kind of voices that are voted in the televised music contests I wonder what we respect� talent or just the ability to ask for votes in a charming way."
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10619
Location: Virginia
Re: 'A Satisfying Journey' Richa Sharma
Date:22/03/2008
Not just a Billo!
Singer Richa Sharma speaks about her makeover and motto
Photo: Anu Pushkarna High note Singer Richa Sharma strikes a pose
In the ongoing trend of playback singers leaving no opportunity to be seen, Richa Sharma is one of those whose makeover is remarkable. The Faridabad girl, who started her career singing Mata ke bhajan with a guy called Sonu Nigam, is catching eyeballs with her performance in NDTV Imagine’s Dhoom Macha De. She has an analogy for the answer. “The food remains the same. Earlier it was served in pattal. Today it is a silver thali.”
She explains, “Singing requires a bit of acting. And when you are performing, the audience get to see this side of a playback singer. For instance, when I had to sing Billo Rani for the show, it was imperative the costume should match the song. It also requires some dance movements to keep the live audience engrossed.”
Richa says she is picking up these engaging skills from the so-called entertainers on the show, Baba Sehgal and Kamal Khan.
Over the years Richa has shown a wide range, from Mahi Ve to the thumri Daras Bina Nahin Chain in Saawariya.
“Usually, what happens is, the industry remembers you with your last hit. So if Billo Rani or Show Me Your Jalwa is the latest craze, music composers will offer me similar numbers.
Shows like Dhoom…help me in reminding the industry of my repertoire.
Thankfully, this is happening. I am working with four different music composers — A.R. Rahman, Pritam, Adnan Sami and Monty Sharma — and singing in different genres.”
Going back in time, this daughter of the late Pandit Shankar Upadhyay remembers how sitting in the aisles of the pandal, Sonu and she used to discuss their future.
“The good thing is we both remained rooted to our values. My father spotted the singer in me when I was just three months old with the way I used to respond to his riyaaz. As I grew older, he used to tell me ‘Kaam aisa kar chalo, tum hanso, jag roye’. That remains my motto.”
Trained
Trained in semi-classical music, Richa says her favourite raga is Yaman. “I am so besotted with this raga that when my nephew was expected, I was praying he should be a boy so that I could name him Yaman.”
But what has she reserved for her son? “I am almost equally in love with Des!”
ANUJ KUMAR
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10619
Location: Virginia
Re: 'A Satisfying Journey' Richa Sharma
Richa Sharma (singer)
From Wikipedia
Richa Sharma
Birth name
Richa Sharma
Born
July 29, 1972(1972-07-29) Faridabad, Haryana, India
Genre(s)
Playback singing
Occupation(s)
Singer
Instrument(s)
Vocalist
Years active
1990 – present
Richa Sharma (born 29 August, 1972) is an Indian film playback singer.
Early life and background
Richa Sharma was born in Faridabad, Haryana, the youngest of seven children of a temple priest.[2] Her father Pandit Daya Shankar Upadhyaya and mother Manorma Devi taught young Richa the art of singing bhajans, particularly Mata Ke Jagran, which slowly and steadily became her destiny in the initial years of her life.
Career
Richa Sharma was eight years old, she was invited to sing before religious congregations in and around Delhi. She got herself enrolled in the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.
Under the tutelage of Pandit Aaskaran Sharma, Richa went on to get proper training in Indian classical and light music. Richa added ghazals; film songs, Punjabi and Rajasthani folk songs to her repertoire, thus making her voice reach out to more and more people in a variety of sounds.
While music was at its peak in Richa’s life, academic education had to be sacrificed and without any backing with a dream to make it big in the music world, Richa landed in Mumbai in 1994. She sang cover versions and bhajans in order to ensure she had her bread and butter and simultaneously continued her struggle in Bollywood. She made her debut in Bollywood with Sawan Kumar’s SALMA PE DIL AA GAYA in 1996 and followed it up by a number of films until the big hit came by in the form of TAAL where she sang for AR Rahman.
Thereafter a spate of hits followed: ZUBEDIA, SAATHIYA (with AR Rahman); HERA PHERI (Lalit Sen); KHAKHEE (Ram Sampath); TARKEEB (the song Duppatte Ka Palu), BAGHBAN (Title Song for Aadesh Shrivastava); SOCH (the song Nikal Chali Be for Jatin-Lalit); RUDRAKSH, KAL HO NA HO (Sad version of the title track for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy); GANGAJAL (Sandesh Shandilya); POPCORN KHAO MAST HO JAO (for Vishal-Shekhar) and the most popular song for KAANTE (Mahi Ve for Anand Raaj Anand).
The versatile playback singer has also done quite a few albums to showcase her talent. Albums like NI MAIN YAAR NU SAJDA KARDI, PIYA and WINDS OF RAJASTHAN (for Times Music released early 2004) have brought out the classiness and grace in Richa’s voice and her variety as a singer.
At present, Richa is gathering reviews on her work in MUSAFIR. She has been super-excited about her songs in the film and hopes that with this one a lot more work falls in her laps. Besides these Richa is looking forward to the release of Mira Nair’s VANITY FAIR, A R Rahman’s THE RISING & ADA, Anand Raaj Anand’s KAANCH, Salim Suleiman’s KAAL, Himesh Reshmmaiya’s untitled venture for David Dhawan, Sen Brothers’ SHEESHA and many more.
A small town girl who began singing at God’s home is today one of Bollywood’s biggest success stories. With no backing, this girl has proved that talent and enthusiasm cannot be curtailed no matter where you live and where you land up. A girl full of energy and spirit - that’s Richa Sharma for you.
Richa Sharma sang a song Duma Dum Mast Kalandar, for which she holds the honor to be the only singer who has sung this song better than the original version.
Concert
(New Jersey/New York) Richa Sharma will be a part of the Summer Beats 2008 Concert presented by Ariz Inc and Mehta Entertainment all around the US. For more information: http://www.arizinc.com. Oakland:June 7, 2008 and she was part of Summer Beats Concert in Vancouver at the Orpheum theatre on June 22, 2008
Awards
Bollywood Movie Award for the Best Singer Female 2003 - MAHI VE(Kaante)
Television
She is a contestant on the NDTV Imagine singing reality show Dhoom Macha De
She hosted the ever-popular Antakshari with Anu Kapoor on Zee TV.Richa’s exuberance and earthy style of hosting the show attracted a lot of attention. She hosted the show for almost a year before ending a successful run on television.
She appeared on the singing reality show Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star as a guest judge.
Filmography
1. Ni Mein Samajh Gayi (Taal, 1999) 2. Jag Soona Soona Lage (Om Shanti Om, 2007) 3. Lambi Judai (Jannat, 2008)
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Mumbai, October 22: When Mira Nair asked Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy to suggest a folksy voice for a Hindi song in Vanity Fair, the musicians couldn’t think beyond Richa Sharma. And now that the 29-year-old Sharma’s song, Gori Re Tu Sukh Pawe, is the only Hindi number in Nair’s flick (which hits Indian theatres in December), the singer’s in seventh heaven.
“Shankar had just told me it was an international film. But I found it was Mira’s, only when I met her at the Bandra studio. Though the film’s in English, is gaane mein mere desh ki khushboo hai (This song has the scent of our country),” she enthuses. She isn’t worried by the film’s lacklustre performance in Europe, either: “Hits and flops are a part of life. I don’t know about the response abroad but I believe my song is beautiful.” Sharma has reasons enough to be elated, after working with the internationally renowned director. Daughter of a kathawachak (spiritual orator), in the backwaters of Haryana, it’s proof that she has made a giant leap.
“Initially, singing professionally was just a big dream of a small town girl. But finally, things are shaping up for me,” smiles the vocalist, who has sung for music directors like A R Rahman (The Rising), Anand Raj Anand (Kaanch) and Himesh Reshmaiya’s forthcoming untitled film.
She initially learnt bhajan-singing from her father, followed by a brief training in classical music, with Delhi’s Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. She also learnt rustic Rajasthani folk songs and even Punjabi pop, before Bollywood beckoned. Moving to Mumbai a decade ago, Sharma began by singing at private concerts, till director Sawan Kumar Tak spotted her. “Sawanji recognised my talent, and my innings began,” she says about her first break in his Salma Pe Dil Aagaya (1996).
She has to her credit Subhash Ghai’s Taal, Shaad Ali’s Saathiya and Shyam Benegal’s Zubeida. “For me, singing is like saadhna (prayer),” claims the singer, who’s inspired by doyens like Abida Parveen, Noor Jehan and Farida Khanum. “I’m emotionally inclined towards Sufi thoughts and music. Whenever I can, I listen to Abidaji. It works like therapy.”
“A decade is a long time in Bollywood, where new singers are forgotten after one hit album,” she exults. After all, from singing at satsangs to international audiences, Sharma has come a long way.
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10619
Location: Virginia
Re: 'A Satisfying Journey' Richa Sharma
Date:20/03/2008
High note
Singer Richa Sharma on her makeover and motto
Tune in Richa Sharma
Playback singers spare no efforts to be seen these days. Richa Sharma too is one of those whose makeover is remarkable. The Faridabad girl, who started her career singing Mata ke bhajan and NCR with Sonu Nigam in Delhi, is grabbing eyeballs with her performance in NDTV Imagine’s Dhoom Macha De. She has an analogy for an answer. “The food remains the same. Earlier it was served in pattal. Today it is on a silver thali.”
She says, “Singing requires a bit of acting. And when you perform, the audience get to see this side of a playback singer. For instance, when I had to sing ‘Billo Rani’ for the show, it was imperative the costume matched the song. It also required some dance movements to keep the audience engrossed.”
Richa says she is picking up these skills from Baba Sehgal and Kamal Khan, who are also part of the show.
Wide range
Over the years, Richa has built up her repertoire from “Mahi Ve” to the recent thumri “Daras Bina Nahin Chain” in Saawariya. “Usually, what happens is, the industry remembers you with your last hit. So if ‘Billo Rani’ or ‘Show Me Your Jalwa’ is the latest craze, music composers will offer me similar numbers. Shows like Dhoom…help me remind the industry of my repertoire. Thankfully, this is happening. I am working with four different music composers — A.R. Rahman, Pritam, Adnan Sami and Monty Sharma — and singing in different genres.”
Going back in time, Richa, who is daughter of the late Pandit Shankar Upadhyay, remembers how sitting in the aisles of the pandal, Sonu Nigam and she would discuss their future. “The good thing is we both remained rooted in our values. My father spotted the singer in me when I was just three months old with the way I used to respond to his riyaaz. As I grew older, he used to tell me ‘Kam aisa kar chalo, tum hanso jag roye’. That remains my motto.”
Trained in semi-classical music, Richa’s favourite raga is Yaman. “I am so besotted with this raga that when my nephew was expected, I was praying he should be a boy so that I could name him Yaman.”
But what has she thought of for her son? “I am equally in love with Des!”
ANUJ KUMAR
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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Radio
In Ravi Chopra's Baabul she has crooned the Bidaai song in an unending flow of heart-breaking emotions, for a full fifteen minutes� and that too in an improvised outpouring unsupported by any orchestral embellishments. "In fact my composer Aadesh Shrivastavaji had put one traditional instrument. I had to request him to take it out. It was hampering my flow of musical thoughts," laughs Richa Sharma whose voice soars across the crooning kingdom in meteoric maneuvers. 
What both excites and intrigues Richa is the fact that composers seem to give her a lot of elbow room to improvise. "It's rather gratifying but also scary. Aadesh Shrivastavji who's no buzurg but calls me 'Richa Beta', always gives me room to innovate tremendously. For the Baabul bidaai song I was given only one brief by Aadeshji. He gave me the words Babul mora naihar chutal jaye. And he just asked me to sing. I sang for 15-16 minutes without any musical accompaniment. Of these only 2-3 minutes have been retained in the soundtrack for lack of space, I guess." 
