It wasn’t a surprise when Usha rose to popularity as a playback singer and ruled for almost a decade with her melody-based renditions. It was, however, a surprise when after marriage, she left it all and moved to the US. “It was never my intention to leave the industry. I was hoping to come back after a few years and continue. But I got busy with my two kids after marriage and ended up living there for 10 years,” laughs Usha who is now set for her second innings in a new avatar with her YouTube channel Voice of Usha and keeping her options open to sing for films.
Usha is set to expand her repertoire | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Twenty-five years after she made her debut in the film Illalu with the song ‘Adollu takkuvani’ under Vandemataram Srinivasarao’s baton, Usha realises that picking up where she left off will not be easy. “It is hard to get back; things have changed now with so many talented singers in the field, but I am okay with that. With YouTube and Instagram providing platforms to showcase talent, the competition is hotting up even there. You’ll never know who’s going to be the next big star,” she says.
Her decision to return to India is as significant as the one when she left. “I wanted my children to be exposed to the best of both worlds. Also, I wanted to get back to singing, which has always been a passion. So whether in a studio or on stage, I always wanted to be in touch with the audience,” she smiles.
Voicing it
On her YouTube channel, Usha plans to come out with her singles, host talk shows and interviews with celebrities and do mashups with her 13-year-old daughter, a singer. “I have done two songs already and have been shooting videos. I plan to do one-minute music videos on my channel,” shares Usha.
Going down memory lane, Usha credits her singing career to ETV’s longest-running music reality show Paduta Teeyaga and its host S P Balasubrahmanyam. “When I participated in the programme, I had no plan for my future, least of all playback singing. Since childhood, I have been participating in many competitions. So Paduta Teeyaga was one such competition for me,” says Usha who credits her good pronunciation to SPB and the show. “Balu garu used to make sure that all participants use correct diction and pronunciation apart from ragam and sruti.”
Classical choice
In the show, Usha impressed the viewers, judges and the host SPB right from the initial rounds. Some of the most viewed episodes of the programme on YouTube are those that featured Usha. ‘Hayi hayiga aamani...’ from Suvarna Sundari (1957) is one of the more complex songs in Telugu films. The P Adi Narayana Rao-composed song in ragamalika — a blend of Hamsanandi, Kaanada, Jaunpuri and Yamuna Kalyani — is often considered a challenge and very few would take it up in music reality shows. Usha who had never trained in classical music rendered this song along with singer Ramachari in the final round and was lauded by guest judges Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna and MS Vishwanathan. “I picked up singing from my mother, who also sings well. and I grasped all the nuances by just hearing the songs. Balu garu used to advise me to get classical training to gain a new perspective,” recalls Usha who trained for a year or two, long after she became a full-fledged playback singer.
Early success
A Commerce graduate from St. Francis College, Usha completed her MCA in Shadan College and would have pursued her Master’s in the US had her singing career not taken off, she says. Beginning from the Ushakiron movies Chitram (2000) with the song ‘Oohala pallakilo’ to the evergreen ‘Tuneega tuneega’ in Manasantha Nuvve (2001) Usha was declared as a successor to KS Chitra as she sang numerous hits in other popular films like Indra, Chiruta, Athidhi, Pourudu, Varsham, Bhadra, Nuvvu Nenu, Nuvvu Leka Nenu Lenu, Jayam, Santhosham, Nee Sneham and more.
Did she ever regret leaving? “No, but when I used to hear some song, I would feel that it would have suited me more or I would have done justice to the song. But I do appreciate all the singers who are singing right now.”
Often participating in live shows in the US, Usha explored all genres and displayed her versatility on stage. In one particular show, her rendition of Mani Sharma’s raunchy ‘Dole Dole…’ from Pokiri took the audience by surprise but proved that Usha’s repertoire is way beyond pure melody.
Usha is confident she will enjoy and have a fulfilling tenure this time around too in the industry.
