ASIA SCENE: A date with African queen of Hindi tunes

Culture bridges continents and brings together members of the primeval family of man. Music, dance and drama create a serene atmosphere for better understanding between people of different countries and also among various communities of a cosmopolitan society.

A pleasant surprise yet most welcome cultural tiding received last weekend was that the uncrowned queen of Indian melodies Olga Ngugi has decided to stage a comeback on our musical scene after a considerable absence from limelight.

Olga a dignified African woman perfectly at home with not only Hindi language but also with Indian classical, traditional and Bollywood music and with a voice that is capable of launching a thousand hearts, has announced that she is working on an album of Hindi songs.

Soft spoken and rather shy Olga, a retired civil servant and grandmother, was a well-known and admired personality among listeners of Hindustani programmes of the Voice of Kenya in the mid-eighties and nineties.

She presented musical shows with remarkable perfection. Her mastery of Hindi language was envied by Asian listeners of the time. A great fan of the evergreen nightingale of Bollywood Lata Mangeshkar, Olga is also still passionate about singing.

Kenya’s own Ngugi fell in love with the Hindi language and music while still a young girl. Being very much aware of the potential of her voice, she took Indian music as a subject during her university days. Later she obtained a degree in vocal classical music from Prayag University.

While in Kenya, Ngugi appeared in a number of stage shows. She is proud to be part of a family of talented musicians. Her father Leroy Jackson encouraged her to be a singer.

Her brother Leo was an actor and singer while her sister Cosey Jackson was a well-known and admired Kenyan Hindustani actress. Olga’s husband the late Jeffery Nganga Ngugi, was a gospel singer.

For pictures, visit the arts and culture section on www.nation.co.ke

Email: qureshi@simbatech