By Our Spl Correspondent
Shillong: Those who have been avidly following the Shillong Chamber Choir (SCC) would not have missed their performance at the grand finale of India’s Got Talent –Season 3 broadcast on Saturday evening by Colors channel.
The Choir, dressed immaculately as always- girls in their white Mukhli and a red stole and boys in their black suits and bow ties, touched millions of hearts. People tweeted from Delhi, Mumbai and every corner of India. One tweet from manojananda says “Really Shillong Chamber Choir is the best.. there is no parallel to them..was brilliant even today on IGT”
Sonali Bendre one of the judges of IGT said, “Shillong Chamber Choir you are awesome… I really wish you touch the skies .. you really are stars. Kirron Kher, another judge who showed open admiration for the Choir from day one appeared mesmerised. “Shillong Chamber Choir you have taken this show (IGT) to a different level.”
In Shillong avid SCC fans said, “They outshine themselves with every performance..” On Saturday, the Choir sang Yaadon ki baraat nikli hai aaj… in their inimitable style blending Bollywood with western classical.
Another song they have really mastered is … Di hai chota sa…. from the film Roja. It sounded so cool says one tweet.. much much better than the original says another.
And what does Neil Nongkynrih have to say about revisiting IGT after a year of hectic tours in the country and abroad?
Speaking to The Shillong Times from Mumbai, Neil said, “We have made many friends in Bollywood and the corporate world. I was at Dev Anand’s birthday party. He said he was so awed by our kind of singing and even asked us to pray for him.”
The 86-year-old Dev Anand invited the Choir for the premiere of his latest film, Chargesheet but they were bogged down by the timings for the IGT shoot and could not attend.
Shankar, Ehsan and Loy the famous trio in Bollywood’s music scene also met up with the Choir. They expressed their amazement at Neil’s music arrangement and said they just love the transformation that a song undergoes thereafter.
The Choir also met up with one of the singing greats of her time – the woman who could croon western songs with an Indian touch – Usha Uthup. They sang Amazing Grace with her.
In all it was a hectic revisit to the place that first gave them stardom as Sonali Bendre says. The Choir was touched by the genuine love and affection they have received from Dharmendra and Kirron Kher amongst many others.
Peter Mawlong, who is currently with ET TV, Mumbai, said, “Shillong Chamber Choir are really big here in Mumbai. When they won last year all of us from Shillong had to distribute sweets to people.”