Click to play videoMumbai: What happens when a Belgian opera singer starts singing odes to Krishna and Viththala in chaste Marathi?
Singer Judy Rust seems to be belting out an Italian aria, but if one listens closely, the lyrics strangely enough are in Marathi.
The beats of the Pakhawaj and the strings of the Tanpura - all confirm that this is an Indian music concert, an Abhangavani or devotional song performance.
Judy from Belgium has come all the way to Mumbai to perform.
So what is an American born Belgian opera singer doing - singing Marathi devotional songs in Mumbai.
Judy says, "I'm very fortunate to be able to sing these beautiful classical devotional songs."
Judy's first brush with Indian music took place way back in 1979 at Swami Muktananda's spiritual meet in Michigan.
"The gathering ended with chants of Viththala-Viththala. I was a spiritual experience I never thought I could encounter in my life," Judy adds.
And she was hooked. She soon started training in it, after a chance meeting with Dhrupad specialists Saifuddin and Wasifuddin Daghar.
She has been learning to sing Marathi devotional songs from Uddhav Appegaonkar for the last seven years.
Appegaonkar says, “She doesn't just parrot the lyrics. She has a lot of emotion in her voice. I make sure she understands what she is singing."
This is Judy's fourth concert in India. She will soon perform at Nanded, Latur and Pune too.
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