High Commission of India

Gaborone, Botswana

As a dedication to Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, a few amateur musicians from Botswana have made an effort to compile and recreate a patriotic medley of 75 songs in different Indian languages like Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Oriya, and Assamese (14 languages). This has been sung by 11 singers who are not necessarily conversant with the languages. The medley has short pieces of songs encompassing numerous genres of Indian music and spans through an era of many decades together.

Vocalists who have participated in this initiative are:

1. Sreevidya Jayaram – A trained musician with a mellifluous voice whose mesmerizing voice and expressive singing has enthralled audiences of Botswana for over 25 years. She is a member of Sargam, a musical band of Botswana which has donated a substantial amount of money for worthy causes. She has also been a radio artist at Cochin FM Radio. Vidya relies mostly on her incredible talent to adapt to different challenges for rendering songs of different genres.

2. Jayaram Karumathil – A Chartered Accountant by profession, Jayaram is an avid music enthusiast who enjoys conducting and coordinating various musical events in Botswana. He directs and produces musical shows in Botswana and has also been involved in organising multiple musical events of professional artistes in the country. Jayaram is a member of the Indian musical band Sargam directing its musical shows in addition to being a keyboard player and a vocalist of the band.

3. Shyam Chettoor – A vocalist par excellence, Shyam is a Management Consultant who is passionate about music. Having been in Botswana for about 18 years, Shyam has been a part of many musical shows in the country and is also a part of the musical band, Sargam. His captivating voice mesmerizes the audiences during his performances. He is also a good percussionist in addition to being a leading vocalist and he has performed on multiple occasions in front of the audiences of Botswana.

4. Gaurang Mooney - is the Executive Director of Overseas Development Enterprises of Botswana. Also a founder member of musical band Sargam, Gaurang is an ardent lover of music and has enthralled the audiences of Botswana with his versatility and voice range.

5. Nidhi Bhatnagar – Nidhi works as an IB Programme Coordinator at a school in Gaborone, Botswana. She holds a Bachelor's Degree (Prabhakar) in Indian Classical Music and Thumri Ghazal. She has given performances from both Lucknow TV and Radio Stations and has also recorded jingles for local companies. A member of the musical band Sargam, Nidhi is an integral part who has captivated audiences for over 25 years.

6. Sanath Kumar Mathur Mana – A self trained singer in light music and Carnatic Music, Sanath has been a reality show participant in Kerala in 1998. He has also sung in multiple stage shows in Botswana. His delivery of classical music and light romantic songs has left the audiences in awe multiple times. Sanath works as a Property Consultant in a private firm in Gaborone, Botswana.

7. Sakshi Shukla - Sakshi hails from a family of performing artists and with her parents' encouragement, she took to the stage at the age of 8. She has been part of 2 commercial albums by Botswana artists, and has sung in over 8 languages adopting distinct voice styles. Together with her sister, Sakshi has earned a name in the performing arts world of Botswana as 'Bollywood Girls'. She is also a part of the musical band Sargam.

8. Sankara Gopalakrishnan – An accountant by profession, Sankara enjoys playing the harmonium. He is a vocalist who has stamped his presence in the singing circles of Botswana predominantly as a bhajan singer. He has also been part of many programs conducted by various Indian cultural societies in Botswana for over 10 years.

9. Jisha Jofy - Jisha is an active member of the church choir and singing has always been her passion. She is a self taught musician who uses every opportunity that comes her way to better her craft. She has also performed at Indian cultural programs in Botswana.

10. Elnny Kumar - A business woman by profession, Elnny has a great passion for music. Elnny is a Motswana who married into an Indian family and with that grew her love for Indian music as well. She has rendered songs in Indian languages at cultural events. She is a performing artist with many commercial albums to her credit, some of which are featured in her social media channels.

11. Anusha Rao – A trained western classical singer, Anusha finds music as the fuel for life. She has performed many times at the Indian High Commission’s events and other cultural events for various Indian communities. She has written and composed a song to raise funds for the Covid-19 Relief Fund in Botswana. She also posts her musical endeavours in her social media channels.