I hope my first performance in Hyderabad post pandemic will be a memorable one: Bombay Jayashri

After a gap of three years, Oscar-nominated Carnatic singer Bombay Jayashri is all set to perform in Hyderabad today.
Expressing her excitement ahead of the show, she says, “It feels like a new beginning to be back here after so long. I am looking forward to it because the Hyderabad audience is truly magical. I really missed performing here. Not to mention, I have such wonderful artistes collaborating with me this time.”
Lotus Feet, organised by The Times of India at Shilpakala Vedika, will see the acclaimed artiste perform along with dancer-actress Shobana, singer Abhishek Raghuram, percussionist Anantha Krishnan, flautist Vivek Krishna and keyboardist Praveen Rao.
While Shobana and Jayashri have performed together before, this is the first time they’ll share a stage in our city. “It’s such an enjoyable experience to work with her. I’ve always admired her, and seeing her perform is such a delight,” she says, adding, “We have a careful repertoire of songs we’ve chosen for the show. It’s going to be a mix of classical songs and that are more popular. There’s definitely going to be an element of wow because while we’re all good artistes individually, what we can do after coming together is something else.”

When quizzed about how she dealt with the pandemic, Jayashri says, “We all grew up hearing about epidemics and pandemics, but I never thought we’d deal with something like this in my lifetime. For the first time, I felt like I understood the meaning of life. Due to that, I’ve also realised that nothing can be taken for granted, including art. I was worried that things would never be the same while performing live after something as painful as COVID. However, people are resilient, and the energy I get from the audience now feels like a fresh restart,” explains the singer.
With the year almost coming to an end, Jayashri has exciting songs lined up for fans in multiple languages. “I have a lot to be grateful for. All I want is music and more music in the coming years,” she rounds off with a smile.