Sing for the Moment

Kharka,who is from Pune,says the idea came around five months ago. “Under the foundation,we work with NGOs in Pune,Lonavala,Mumbai and the areas around. We conduct activities for children and identify those who are good at studies. While working for a dance programme in January,we decided on doing an album for which a few children,whom we had heard,could sing. We conducted auditions for 50 children and selected 10. Eight of these children sung for the album,while the other two were in the chorus,” she says. Founder and MD of IHF,Kharka says the foundation concentrates on the holistic development of the children.

The selected children come from NGOs such as Maher,Asha,Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra (BSSK),Anadan and Samparc. In February,they underwent training sessions with music composer Uday Ramdas. “We knew they were good,but they were also raw and had to be inducted into the studio mould of how songs had to be sung,voice modulation and control. So the sessions were important. The songs were recorded with Shankar Mahadevan and the rest,who came on board without any second thought. Even for the children,it was an enjoyable experience. What stood out about them was they they were disciplined yet fun,” she says,adding that the proceeds from the launch of the album will go to helping these children.

Kharka also shared that Ramdas has decided to take three of the children under his tutelage to teach them professional singing. “That is what we want from the album — they get noticed. We want to ensure that through endeavours like this,we help make them self-sufficient,” she adds.