No one can match Asha Bhosle when it comes to variety. A living legend, Bhosle remains a vital part of music enthusiasts’ collection, and has been a major influence on generations of vocalists.
Since age 14, Bhosle has recorded more than 13,000 songs as a Bollywood playback singer, providing the singing voice for characters in over 1,000 films; and earned the record of “the most recorded voice on Earth.”
Bhosle has never hesitated to take on any character type, from the courtesan in Umrao Jaan to the cabaret dancer in Caravan, she has a vast catalogue as it weaves together every thread of 20th century music and is considered the most versatile of any South Asian singers—her range of songs includes film music, pop, ghazals, bhajans, classical music, folk, qawwali, Rabindra Sangeet, and Nazrul Geetis. She has sung in over 14 languages including Assamese, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, English, Czech, Nepali, Malay, and Malayalam.
Bhosle has said, “Music is like my breathing. The day it stops, my breath will stop, too. There is so much to do and I’m afraid there is very little time left. I hope I can continue singing in my next birth.”
In a world so much in awe of elder sister Lata Mangeshkar, Bhosle had to work that much harder. Mangeshkar says with pride, “Asha’s rebellious nature and never-say-die attitude drives her ever-young and versatile voice to scale new heights even now. She has earned all her achievements with a lot of hard work.”
Time has not touched Bhosle’s voice; she can please pop lovers with rap and remix. At the same time, she has the ability to match the tunes of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
Recently featured in NPR’s “50 Great Voices of the World,” Bhosle continues to rule the world of music with her electrifying performance.
Bhosle’s North American tour, “Rahul & I,” will be a tribute to R.D. Burman and kicks off April 1. She will be performing with Sudesh Bhosle and her band from Mumbai, including several musicians from Burman’s troupe.
Saturday, April 10, 7 p.m. Flint Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, Cupertino. $59, $79, $99. (408) 907-2793.www.AshaBhosleSF2010.com.