Mumbai: Humming Bird's singers prove life after work has a soulful rhythm

The hills or should that be the hall was alive with the sound of music this past weekend The Mysore Association Hall in Matunga was the venue of the second lsquoHumming Birds Showrsquo on Sunday which saw old romantic songs from the 1940s to the 1980s sung by a group of 28 amateur singers With a mix of solos and duets the 300 seater hall had everyone grooving to the melodies The Humming Birds Show was a nonticketed event it was for friends and family of the group of 28 which sings just for funDeepak Shah l and Neeta Upadhaya r from Humming Birds sing a duet as the live orchestra plays PicsSameer MarkandeFor 10 years this singing group comprising a majority of people over 60 with the oldest member being 77yearold Yusuf Muchala High Court advocate has been meeting together and singing as a group because it is a huge stress buster These are not professional singers but a motley group of entrepreneurs legal eagles a former general manager of Mazgaon Docks and a couple of individuals who work in Non Governmental Organisations NGOsThe Humming Birds group is made up of 28 members most of who are senior citizensKishore Parulekar entrepreneur and Humming Bird member said ldquoWe started meeting in Khalsa College Matunga about 10 years ago as part of a group called Swaranjali Then some of us decided to break away from Swaranjali to form a smaller group We started Humming Birds two years agordquoTheir singing is accompanied by an orchestra comprising a harmonium keyboard tabla players and a flautist They pay out of their pocket for the orchestra and hire it every Sunday for their practice gigs at the Amulakh Amichand School in Kingrsquos Circle Matunga next to Arora theater They pay R 9500 for every practice session for the orchestraPravin Shringarpure former General Manager GM of Mazgaon Docks said ldquoI was a singer in college but once I started working there was no time to sing Post retirement I have started singing and learning musicrdquoldquoIt is the passion for music that brings us together every Sunday If I donrsquot come for one week I feel I have missed a day in my life I am now possessed by song I always sing in my mindrdquo said Hema Gandhi Corporate Social Responsibility CSR Public Relations PR and Communications head of an NGO called The Paraplegic FoundationA L Sharada director of NGO Laadli which works for womenrsquos empowerment Humming Birds said ldquoWhen I first came to Mumbai from Jaipur I had no friends I decided to join a hobby class I met this wonderful group and found friends for life I am not a great singer but this nonjudgmental group has made me keep humming and stay stressfreerdquoThe oldest member of the group is 77yearold High Court advocate Yusuf Muchhala He said ldquoThe courtroom is a world of turmoil There is a lot of competition to win cases Music helps me let my hair down and express myself in a much peaceful and fulfilling wayrdquoSion resident and social worker Neeta Upadhaya says music and this group have saved her life ldquoMusic is therapy which soothes the soul I now teach singing to cancer afflicted children at Tata Hospital I did not know to sing and now I teach singing my life has changed because of Humming Birdsrdquo she saidParth Saarthi an educationist who is also part of the group said ldquoWe look forward to Sundays and practice our songs through the weekrdquoNow this group will have a subgroup soon some singers will be rom Humming Birds others will be fresh inductees which will meet on weekdays and sing songs in MarathildquoMusic is soothing and keeps you young Many of us have our music classes but we come here to get rejuvenatedrdquo ends Sushila Maheshwari Chembur resident putting a final flourish on the singing signature