If her songs have soul, her larger- than-life personality has gusto. Singer Usha Uthup goes into flashback mode

Growing up, my six siblings and I were always surrounded by music. My father, Vaidyanath Someswar Sami, or Deputy Commissioner V Swami as he was popularly known as, had a fantastic voice. There was a whole cross-section of music — my parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts listened to anything from Beethoven to Bhimsen Joshi; from Subbalaxmi to Bill Haley and from Kumar Gandharva and Begum Akhtar to Frank Sinatra. But if I remember correctly, Radio Ceylon was my greatest inspiration.

Sibling Songs
I come from a very middle-class Tamil background but was born and bought up in Mumbai, where I schooled at the Convent of Jesus and Mary and graduated from the JJ School of Architecture and Arts.

I have two older sisters Indira, the original ‘Sami sister’, Uma, a doctor, and one younger sister named Maya who is into advertising. My two brothers sing wonderfully well too. One plays the guitar and the other is an expert on the flute.

I had a wonderful rapport with my brothers and we were perpetually into giving and receiving gifts — things like a bottle of ink that would be reciprocated with a kite. It used to be so simple in those days! Even today, when I meet people for the first time, I make it a point to give them something, however small or inexpensive. It helps build a bond.

One Starry Night
I was singing for the first time at Trincas in Kolkata in 1969, when in the audience sat a gentleman called Jaani Chacko Uthup. After I finished singing, this man of few words, complimented me on my singing abilities and before I knew it, we were courting and were eventually married too!

Our kids have always been very constructive in their criticism of my singing. I know what my husband appreciates and what he finds jarring. It helps me to improvise.

But I’ve always had a problem promoting myself socially. Jaani is in the tea trade and I am in show biz — no connection at all. Our worlds became even more disjointed as I entered the public eye.

With due respect, to both Lata ji and Asha ji , they were there but not as public figures, but playback singers. I was on stage, they were not. Most of my close friends — Reena Banerjee, Doel Sen and Promie — are of my husband’s network, people I met at his office parties. We became friends because of my singing at Trincas, but some have a tea background too — like Anita Suraiya and Roshan Irani.

But there was never an occasion when Jaani came to an advertising party or for a premiere show of my films. People had never seen my husband — the enigmatic Jaani. In a way, that was good, or he would have had a tag on him — that of a hanger-on. Consequently, I remained aloof from all the socialising.

Many friends would tell me to go for a film or exhibition alone, but I never did. I have no regrets, except that I would have liked to show my husband off. He has a fantastic personality and he is a very good-looking man.

On Being A Wife