Usha Uthup delivers top-notch show in Abu Dhabi

The pop, jazz and playback treasure drew on her golden career for her debut performance in the capital.

Usha Uthup in concert. Delores Johnson / The National

Members packed the Abu Dhabi City Golf Club on Friday night to see Usha Uthup make her debut performance in the capital.

The Indian pop, jazz and playback singer entered the stage riding a silver chariot through the crowd behind a crew of dancers.

But the tongue-in-cheek display was more an example of Uthup's old-school charm than Bollywood hyperbole.

In fact, Uthup's performance owes a large part to Las Vegas's golden era as she played up to the crowd; mixing her set of solo classic hits with a healthy smattering of jazz and pop standards.

Backed by a band she labels her "army of five", Uthup launched into hearty renditions of Mac Davis's I Believe in Music and Ben E King's Stand By Me.

Just as the show was veering off towards light cabaret territory, however, Uthup reminded us of her pedigree with the vibrant Dum Maro Dum; the first of many classic hits and crowd singalongs.

Uthup, who made her name in Chennai's nightclub circuit, also showcased her jazz chops, scatted her way to songs and peppered her set with witty anecdotes. Since the song selection was specifically chosen by Country Club members, it leaned heavily on the 64-year-old's heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, when her husky voice was a big feature of the Bollywood landscape.

Hare Rama Hare Krishna, from the 1971 Indian film of the same name, dealing with Western hippie culture, was delivered with swagger and apt 1970s style funk keyboards.

The song Ramba Ho's call-and-response chorus triggered the biggest reaction from the crowd. The dancers also used the track to make their mark, with their costumes and pom-poms complimenting Uthup's gold and black sari.

Performing her latest hit Darling, nominated for this year's International Indian Film Academy Awards, Uthup also underscored her continued relevance in today's Bollywood scene.

Like Uthup herself, the show was fun, freewheeling and delivered with the charm of a seasoned pro.