Thane singer helps amateur singers to showcase their talent

Lakshmi Sirur's Swarmala caters to people above the age of 40. Pic/Sameer Markande

For 60 years, Vanaja Hariharan who worked for a pharmaceutical company in Mumbai, was content crooning within the four walls of her Thane home. Her humming was for her ears only. Until she was introduced to event organiser and vocalist Laxmi Sirur at a cultural event. Sirur runs Swarmala, an organisation that gives amateur singers a stage to showcase their talent. The organisation has a clear-cut agenda: amateurs only. "I look for raw talent and hone it. In that, I want people who are above the age of 40. I believe youngsters have it easier due to talent shows and their ease with social media," says Sirur. For Hariharan, it was a chance to finally do what she dreamt of. "I have always enjoyed singing but because of career and family obligations, I could never pursue it," she says.

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Like Hariharan, Sirur has welcomed several bathroom singers and crooners into her fold, who have gone on to deliver public performances at city auditoriums. Her students come from diverse backgrounds and age groups, but are united in their zeal to learn. Her oldest student is a 75-year-old man from Thane. Practice sessions are usually held at Sirur's Ghodbunder Road home, where they congregate twice a week. "Practice sessions get intense before a performance. I want them to be 100 per cent confident when they are on stage," says Sirur. Born in Belgaum, the 60-year-old began her career in music with no professional backing. Her lessons were derived by listening to the transistor whenever time permitted. Along with her brother, Ajit Benegal, who played the accordion and harmonium, the Sirurs soon became the toast of town for their public performances in the neighbourhood.

"After our performance, we would have people from the audience who would come and tell us that they want to sing. I wanted to give such people a chance," she says. It was in Mumbai after her kids had grown up that she decided to put thought to action by launching Swarmala in 2009. Till now, the organisation's growth has been fairly organic powered by word of mouth and social media. "I try to pick students wisely. I first gauge the person before judging their singing skills. If I am investing my time and energy, that person needs to be as driven." But there has been no dearth of enthusiasm. Take 64-year-old presenter Renu Sharma, who has been a part of Swarmala since its inception. "I've worked as a show anchor, so it wasn't stage fright that I was worried about. It's the semi-classical songs and the more complex pieces that scare me," she says. For Hariharan, on the other hand, it was about not missing the beats. "I was faring well in terms of sur and technique, but would invariably miss the beat. It took several rehearsals for me to be on point," she says.

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Sirur, who does the song selection for shows, ensures that the students practise along with a live orchestra a day prior to the show. The performances, all duets, are usually held inside local municipal halls in and around Mumbai, where the ticket doesn't cost more than R100. She has also held performances in Karnataka. "I make it a point to be in the wings or sit in the front row. There was a time, when a student was so nervous about performing that she asked me to be on stage with her. She held my hand all through." Recently, she teamed up with show organiser Sunil Gupta, who manages celebrity artistes. The next step is to get a celebrity artiste and an amateur to perform together, which Sirur believes is a good way to build confidence of a rookie. "When my students acquire a certain level of exposure, they go on to do shows independently. All I tell them is not to forget their roots."

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