Making Melody

When he was 14 years old,those who knew Atul Ahuja told him that he was immensely talented. As it turned out,they were right. With an inherent inclination towards music,Ahuja lost his heart to the stage during his first ever performance at a school competition. He became a star overnight and even garnered a fan following among classmates after his commendable performance of Something by Beatles. After a string of performances for competitions and small-time gigs at social gatherings,Ahuja became a semi-professional by the time he turned 18. “All I knew was that I was enjoying my music and it was the best vocation for me. I sang jingles for TV commercials and radio,” says the 45-year-old,who is inspired by romantic melody and lyrics. He adds that his music is about love and he’s influenced by a range of musicians and singers such as Sinatra,Nat King Cole,Ray Charles,Elvis,Beatles,Rolling Stones,Sting,Queen and Adele. In the city to perform at Vivanta by Taj Blue Diamond on Friday,7.30 pm onwards,Ahuja will dish out all-time-favourite covers and get the crowd to sing along with him. “I will be performing a fun,foot-tapping set on Friday,which will get the folks on the dance floor. It will be largely covers familiar to the attending audience,so that they can walk away humming what could well be some of their favourites,” says Ahuja,who has performed at venues across India and in Canada and the US.

Classical Confluence

Two noted artistes from the music world,Jaytheerth Mevindi and Ashok Patki,have become a part of Aajacha Divas Majha,a Marathi film by Chandrakant Kulkarni — by creating a melodious song. The song,recorded in just two hours,is proving to be one of the highlights of the film. The film is set to release on March 29 and stars Sachin Khedkar,Mahesh Manjrekar and Ashwini Bhave in lead roles.