KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — Even after singing for nearly half a century, Indian singer K.S. Chithra prepares for every live performance with the meticulousness of a debutant.

Before each concert, the six-time National Award winner re-learns every song, carefully notating each piece and rehearsing it repeatedly. This allows her to perform on stage with the same authenticity as when she first recorded it in the studio.

At 62, she continues her daily vocal exercises — a ritual she rarely misses, except during long-distance travel.

Chithra has sung over 18,000 songs in multiple languages including Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi, in a career spanning 47 years.

Last Saturday, she made history by performing her first-ever concert with the prestigious Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) to a near-capacity audience at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP).

The three-hour concert, curated by Mojo Projects in collaboration with MPO, was also the first Indian live performance ever held at DFP.

“I have heard about MPO but have never seen them perform live. So, for me to perform with such a prestigious orchestra, it is a huge responsibility,” Chithra told Malay Mail in an exclusive interview.

“They have reworked the song arrangements and really made it grand. The additional layers they incorporated into some of the pieces were brilliant,” she added.

Led by MPO’s resident conductor Gerard Salonga, the musical evening began with “The Nightingale of South India” rendering Kuzhaloodhum Kannanukku.

MPO’s fresh musical layers to Chithra’s iconic Kannalane and evergreen classics such as Naan Oru Sindhu and Padariyen Padippariyen created a magical symphony that left hundreds of fans in tears.

Chithra also shared the stage with younger singers including Madhu Balakrishnan, Sathyaprakash and Anamika, graciously allowing them to perform their own iconic hits alongside hers.

When the evening came to a close, the seasoned songstress received a standing ovation and resounding applause for the historic concert.

Destiny at play

Chithra first sang a devotional hymn for Lord Krishna on All India Radio at the age of five. The opportunity came through her Carnatic music teacher K. Omanakutty’s elder brother, prominent music director M.G. Radhakrishnan.

She debuted as a playback singer at 15 — also through Radhakrishnan — with a duet alongside K.J. Yesudas for the Malayalam movie Attahasam in 1979.

“I had no godfather in the cinema industry to guide me. My parents were both teachers. Yesudas started a recording studio in Trivandrum (the capital of Kerala), and I sang many songs for his Tharangini music cassettes. After I sang my first song with him, I started getting offers to sing at many concerts, paving my entry into the industry. It was purely destiny,” she said.

Chithra has worked with nearly every Indian music maestro, from the late M.S. Viswanathan to Ilaiyaraaja and Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman. Each collaboration was a bold musical experiment that honed her into one of India’s most versatile singers.

“I’m a rather shy and reserved person, but Ilaiyaraaja really pushed me outside my comfort zone with seductive numbers like Marugo Marugo (from Vetri Vizha). Similarly, Rahman has composed many challenging songs for me, like Anjali Anjali (for Duet) and Veera Raja Veera (for Ponniyin Selvan 2),” she recalled.

Having performed in Malaysia many times, Chithra is familiar with the country and its flavours. The fully vegetarian singer enjoys rambutans and occasionally, the humble roti canai.

“Malaysia always feels familiar to my homeland Kerala because you can see greenery and coconut trees almost everywhere,” the Trivandrum-born singer said.

While some of her peers juggle multiple roles in the cinema industry, Chithra seems content with her singer’s hat. When asked if she would ever become a music director, she replied simply:

“That requires a special talent. I’m happy to just continue singing for any talented music director who offers me a brilliant composition.”