Legendary Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle is coming to the
Birmingham venue to which she gave her name.
Listed by CNN among the top twenty music icons of the past 50
years, joining the likes of the Beatles, Michael Jackson and the
Rolling Stones, she will also be playing Symphony Hall.
Ms Bhosle is huge on the Indian sub-continent and with Indians
round the world.
Also a devotee of cooking, she is the Asha of Asha's restaurant
fame.
Now the Newhall Street arm of the international chain is
offering two tickets for her March 18 concert in which she teams up
with sitar virtuoso and vocalist Shujaat Khan to perform works from
their new album Naina Lagai Ke (I Rue Having Locked Eyes With You),
as well as some special Bollywood hits from yesteryears.
The competition is open to those who dine at Asha's between
March 1 and 15, and it is hoped that Ms Bhosle, who will be in
Birmingham from the 17th to the 19th, will be available to make the
presentation herself to the lucky winners.
One of the best-known and highly regarded Hindi playback
singers, her career started in 1943 and has spanned seven
decades.
She has been musically involved in more than 1,000 Bollywood
movies, has recorded many albums and has participated in numerous
concerts in India and abroad.
Ms Bhosle has sung more than 13,000 songs in more than 14
languages, and been named by the international World Records
Academy as the "Most Recorded Artist" in the world.
She has collaborated with or seen her songs picked up by various
Western entertainers including Boy George, Code Red, Nelly Furtado,
Sarah Brightman and The Black Eyed Peas.
Jaimon George, general manager, of Asha's Indian Bar &
Restaurant, said: "It is wonderful that she is coming to Birmingham
and it is a get thrill that she is to grace our venue.
"She is revered as a cookery expert almost as much as for her
singing, and it will be a great honour to welcome her."
The Birmingham arm of Asha's was launched in 2007 after old
friends, financier Paul Bassi and Pawan Kenth, managing director of
Corporatewear UK, acquired the UK franchise rights. Since then it
has won numerous awards.
There are sister restaurants in Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Abu
Dhabi, and Kuwait.
For more details or to book a table, call 0121 200 2767.