LeadReturn of the retro queenThe original diva of Bollywood’s retro era, Usha Uthup, got the audience grooving at Sacred Amritsar FestivalShe never changed her identity to fit trends, even when her journey as a singer began in the night clubs in Chennai, belting out peppy Western-style songs in the early 60s.Now, at 82, Usha Uthup, the icon that she is, still remains the same retro queen that forever has been, a symbol of individuality and art, happy to share her music with the world.She had absolutely no hard feelings for the Dhurandhar makers when they remixed her popular hit, Rambha Ho.“Once I make a song, or music, it belongs to the world. I am glad that the new generation audience or Gen Z as they say, got to enjoy it,” she said as she took the stage at the Sacred Amritsar festival.Performing to a packed house inside the very expansive Qila Gobindgarh, Usha rocked the audience to her now iconic retro hits. Darrrling, Yeh Hai Maya, and in between crooning Stevie Wonder’s iconic love ballad I Just Called To Say I Love You, she had the audience swaying to nostalgia.“Today’s music will tomorrow’s retro and so, I always say that whatever music one makes, it will re-emerge once the generation changes. I used to sing so many songs in 1969 or 1970 that later turned out to be international hits,” she said.Her personal favourite for the night though were some Punjabi classics by Asa Singh Mastana, Gurdas Maan and Sarabjit Kaur.“I absolutely love Gurdas Maan. But it Asa Singh Mastana’s Kaali Teri Gutt that made me curious about Punjabi music. The passion with which Punjabi singers perform, the tempo and the beat, are unmatched,” she heaped praises. She did perform Kaali Teri Gutt at a concert in Bengal, “And the audience, without knowing Punjabi said ‘ahoo’ with me.”Her current favourite Punjabi artiste is Satinder Sartaj. “He is amazing,” she said.Before Amritsar, she had performed in Ludhiana last year. “I love the Punjabi audience. They reciprocate the energy and love one feels for one’s music,” said Usha, with a promise to keep coming back to the place with undying spirit and love for arts.The divine vibesKailash Kher Singer perfom concluding day of the Sacred Amritsar Festival at Gobindgarh fort at last Night in Amritsar photo Vishal KumarAt 14, he became a runway, only for the world to discover an artiste, who would go on to become one among India’s most bankable artistes globally. He is a non-conformist, as a musician. And so, when Padma Shri awardee Kailash Kher takes to stage, he doesn’t just share his music with the audience, but his life story. Whether him running away from home, calling himself a ‘rebel’ or sharing how he connects with god through music, Kailash Kher is a storyteller, a spiritual-folk revivalist.Just like his public interactions, his music is raw, spiritual, and intense and has strong Indian classical and folk influence, making him one of the most distinctive voices in modern Indian music. So, when he took to stage with his band Kailasa, at the Sacred Amritsar festival’s grand finale act at historic Qila Gobindgarh, the energy was palpable.“Performing in Amritsar is like a pilgrimage. This is a city that stands out for its spiritual energy, for awareness like no other place. I felt that the audience was just a ‘reflection of god’,” he said post his performance.It has been 20 years since Kher started Kailasa. An entire generation has grown up listening to the band’s popular tracks like Teri Deewani, Tauba Tauba, and Saiyyan.His performance was interactive, full of humourous stories and personal reflections. At one point, he even asked the women in the audience to take to stage and ‘no for selfies’, but to dance along as he sang Gaura Maiya Chali Kailash.“Kailasa has now performed in over 100-120 countries and we have always received overwhelming response in India, wherever we perform. Even though the music scene today is dominated by electronic sounds and other new genres, emotional and spiritual music like Kailasa would continue to find an audience,” he said.Celebrated as a cultural icon in Sufi and folk music, Kailash is widely recognised and celebrated for bringing folk and devotional music into mainstream popularity. His art is deeply spiritual, but he is not preachy. “You have to feel the audience’s energy and here, I loved it when they sang and danced and just freed themselvesof all inhibitions,” he said.