Age is just a number! Veteran singer Asha Puthli is the perfect example of this phrase. The singer who is rocking the stage even at the age of 79 is having a blast in India. In August, the US-based Indian singer ceased her first-ever world tour, kicking off across the US, Australia and the UK, also adding a main stage slot at the Glastonbury Festival.
Apart from her constant tour at the end of this month also marked her collaboration with acclaimed British-Bahraini dance music duo Dar Disku’s self-titled debut album on the Hindi disco-pop song ‘Baar Baar’. Not only this, she is all set to go to London to play the prestigious 100 Club. Let’s look into the incredible journey of this singer.
The journey of Asha Puthli
Born and raised in Mumbai, Puthli later shifted to the US in the 1970s. She has been in Matunga’s R.P. Masani Road her entire childhood where buildings of notable Hindi film celebrities including Prithviraj Kapoor’s family, brothers Amrish Puri and Madan Puri, and K.L. Saigal are located. Later on, as her family shifted to Bandra’s Perry Cross Road, famous filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee and music composer Salil Chowdhury also became her neighbors. Moreover, Mukherjee even wanted to cast her for a film. However he backed off from the offer due to working as an air hostess and ambition of moving abroad for her singing career.
After struggling for a while she first gained attention on avant-garde jazz composer Ornette Coleman’s album Science Fiction as the guest vocalist. It was after these exceptional contributions she claimed the top spot in the best female singer category of the 1972 critics poll of ‘talent deserving of wide recognition’ in the DownBeat magazine.
Following the success she went on to gain recognition with her 1976 groundbreaking single ‘Space Talk.’
This single is said to be inspired by the Munich sound of disco which producer Giorgio Moroder and singer Donna Summer made. After this critically hailed piece there Puthli unfortunately didn’t enjoy the same level of success as some of the prominent labels were either reluctant to sign while others didn’t know how to market her. Despite several downfalls, she never hesitates to follow her passion.
Cut to 2024, performing in Glastonbury has indeed become a circle moment as after this event she first rose to fame in the US. After achieving fame from this concert she also signed her first recording contract which later led to the creation of her 1973 debut self-titled album.
With ups and downs Asha Puthli’s career indeed gives inspiration to new singers to never give up on their dreams.
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