Not many in Singapore have heard of him. But those who appreciate good music saw Pradeep Kumar’s (left) originality and creativity when he performed at the Star Theatre on Wednesday.
The Tiruchirappalli-bred singer belted out Tamil songs which mainly had folk and melodic strains. Most of them were his own compositions and those of his close collaborators Santhosh Narayanan and Sean Roldan.
“I first performed at Kalaa Utsavam in Singapore 12 years ago,” Pradeep told tabla!. “But that was as part of the band I was performing with. This time I have come with my own repertoire of songs and a band I regularly perform with.”
The 38-year-old was introduced by music maestro A.R. Rahman to the Tamil cinema singing industry in 2010.
From then on, almost all of Pradeep’s songs have made it to the chartbuster list. His voice has magic for sure, but he often does not appear as the face of a song because he prefers a low profile.
On Wednesday, he sang numbers such as Nee Kavithaigala (from the film Maragatha Nanayam), Aagayam Theepiditha (Madras), Kannamma (Kaala) and Poda Poda (Iruthi Sutru).
All had a splendid personal touch and it felt like he was talking to you, telling a story. “For every artiste, his art should represent him,” said Pradeep. “So I have to use my voice in the right way. I don’t spend time giving interviews and I don’t talk much because I want to perfect my voice and sing more.”
Pradeep was deft on the guitar and had a superb band to back him. When he did peppy numbers, they were excellent. Pradeep’s wife Kalyani Nair, a trained singer, also joined him for a few duets.
“Pradeep’s voice comes across as genuine and relatable,” said NUS student Aruna Kandasamy, 23. “The concert was a magical experience, with his singing and the band’s sublime performance. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Pradeep will release his first independent album soon. “It is recorded completely on analogue and will be exciting,” he said.
V.K. Santosh Kumar
