Will I be the next Super singer ?

The queue was long and everyone seemed to be in a world of their own. A lad wearing headphones was humming a tune from the eighties, a middle-aged woman was singing ‘Jai Ho' at the top of her voice and, a man was singing an old Tamil classic into his mobile phone. You could almost hear their thoughts aloud – “Will I make it? Will I be the next Super singer?”

Airtel Super Singer, Star Vijay's hunt for the best singing talent, promises the winner a chance to sing for a Tamil film. Into its third season now, the Super Singer team was here on July 18 for its first round of auditions in the city. Scores of SPB and Chithra wannabes lined up in front of Hindustan College of Arts and Science hours before the auditions began. A music fanatic had even camped before the gates from two in the morning!

“We've been waiting here since 5.30 am,” said Bala Murugan, who perfectly rendered an Ilaiyaraaja number in his dulcet voice. Subbulakshmi's voice , though old with age, was as soothing as a hug. Her humming of an evergreen Jikki number moved me to tears. All of 61, she was accompanied by her 19-year-old granddaughter. 64 year old T.A.Vasudhevan, who had come all the way from Chennai, said nonchalantly: “I've been standing in line since 5 a.m. There's no age for music. I've been blessed with a good voice and I intend to make something of it; it's never too late.” He sung a few lines from his handbook TMS Padalgal.

Star Vijay's Head of Programming, Pradeep Milroy Peter said that over a 1000 had auditioned on Sunday. “Today contestants will be evaluated by preliminary judges Ajeesh, Nikhil Mathew, J.K.V.Roshni, Krishna Iyer and Ragini. Those shortlisted will be auditioned by the main judges tomorrow,” he explained. Usually about thirty people are selected from the Coimbatore zone, but this time they might increase the number to fifty, due to the large turnout, he added. The team also has plans of conducting auditions in Canada, a first time for the show.

‘Lotus' Logan and his wife Vijayakumari, both visually-impaired music teachers, were jubilant after they cleared the first round. “We're very happy,” they said. Ajeesh, title winner of Airtel Super Singer 2008, adviced aspiring singers. “Coimbatore has a lot of good singers” – This is the collective opinion of all the five preliminary judges. Sing tension free, sing like it's the only thing you live for.”

Clouds took over the sky by noon and the place found new energy. Waiting rooms echoed with Tamil songs old and new. A group of young men, all strangers minutes back, were immersed in chorus - Aval appadi ondrum azhagillai. Truly, music is a life giver.