Her earliest memories are of sleeping at back stages when her parents were out there, singing. Saritha Rahman could remember bits from those years her dad formed the Rahman Music Club in Chavakkad, Thrissur, before the family moved to Tirur, Malappuram. Chavakkad Rahman and his wife Aabida were singers, he sang Hindustani, and she, Carnatic.
There was always music in the house, and Saritha grew up listening to ghazals. Little wonder then that she could sing as early as she could remember. One childish episode of singing on the stage with her dad led to her becoming a serious singer. And today, she is coming to Thiruvananthapuram with songs of Lata Mangeshkar, a tribute she's been taking to every part of Kerala since September 28, 2015 when the legendary singer turned 86.
“I will conclude it on September 28 this year, singing songs between the years 1945 and 1981. It is a celebration of her songs and of my 20th year singing ghazals,” says Saritha. She has so far sung in seven districts, and not the same set everywhere. “Some popular songs like Aja Re Pardesi and Kabhi Kabhi would be repeated. But then there are so many rare songs of hers like Jab Se Balam from Awaara and Leja meri duayen from Deedar.”
Saritha felt that there has been little or no stages dedicated exclusively to singing songs of ‘Lataji’. “Then there are her ghazals too like Oonchi Oonchi from Nagin.”
When she was in second grade, she asked her dad for fun if she could sing. He let her. “I sang a ‘maapilapaatu’ Rahmane Bhayabhakthi niranjulla and it got me such a big applause.” That’s when she realised she could sing and became a singer with her dad’s troupe. Later she began singing ghazals as a ninth grader and went from stage to stage, choosing to study music in college.
Saritha has not yet sung for films but recently released an album Oru Vaaku Pinneyum Baaki, composing the songs herself. “My husband Nowshad Mehfil wrote the lyrics.” It is also her husband who encouraged her to write and release a book of short stories Paattuvandiyile Kathasancharangal.
“I used to write as a schoolgirl but never showed anyone. Once my Malayalam teacher got me to send a story to a competition and I won second prize.” The couple also have two children — Naseem Ahmed Mirza and Noora Misriya.
Her concert in Thiruvananthapuram begins at 6.30 pm at the Co-Bank Auditorium.
