Following the huge success of her first benefit concert in the U.S. whichraked in nearly $100,000, singer Asha Bhosle is all set to do a repeat.Bhosle's latest concerts, to be held in Chicago on April 8 and another inMiami, Florida, are expected to yield similar results as the March 25 showat the Pasadena Civic Centre.Little surprise then that the American Association of Physicians of IndianOrigin (AAPI), which is organising the shows, is visibly upbeat. "Our goalfor this year is to raise $200,000 as part of our five- year project," SBalasubramaniam, chairman of the AAPI Trauma Centres subcommittee, said,adding that going by the receipts of the first show the target seems morethan possible.
"By the end of this year, we plan to start pre-hospital care for traumapatients in three Indian cities, namely, Mumbai, Pune and Vellore, and plansare on the drawing board for one in Hyderabad," he told theCalifornia-based India-West newspaper. According to Balasubramaniam, theproject is receiving good response and their American colleagues are alsoeager to help in this humanitarian project, not only with money but withtime and commitment, he said. The need for trauma centres is tremendous, asthe largest number of fatalities from motor vehicle accidents occurs inIndia.
The current project is the first of its kind designed to respond to thatneed. The organisers could not have chosen a better singer in terms ofversatility, dynamism and popular appeal. Singing for the last 53 years,Asha Bhosle's voice has adapted and evolved with the times, embracing amyriad styles in many languages, from `bhajans' (devotional songs) to rock,from cabaret to classical.
-- IANS/India-West
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.