Usha Uthup Teams Up With Showcase Events And Genesis BCW To Create A Jingle For Leprosy Awareness
According to data collected by the World Health Organization in 2020, India is still the world’s most affected country when it comes to the dreaded disease of leprosy. Unfortunately, with the onset of COVID-19, concerns for other medical issues are side-lined. Delhi South Rotary Service Foundation took up the mantle of spreading awareness on leprosy, in the hope that knowledge would lead to its prevention or timely treatment. They approached the team at Genesis BCW as their communications partner for the first phase of the project, which focussed on creating awareness. The idea of a radio jingle was floated along with other measures, and the socially aware team of ShowCase Events, led ably by Nanni Singh, was the first choice to facilitate this project. As soon as the requirements were shared, the ShowCase Events team suggested the name of legendary singer Usha Uthup, and that is how the catchy and effective jingle currently doing the rounds of the radio, came into being.
Kriti Makhija, Chief Financial and Compliance Officer at Genesis BCW claims that they turned to ShowCase Events because of their evident commitment to social causes. She says, “when I was looking for an artist, Nanni Singh was my go-to person as I knew beyond doubt that she and her professional team at Showcase will not leave any stone unturned to do their best. I am so delighted to have worked with Showcase for this important humanitarian initiative. Showcase has a very transparent way of working. They do not mask the artist and maintain an open and healthy communication channel, with no cross wires. That is what sets them apart from the rest in this field.”
The important question at hand was to suggest the right voice for a powerful and impactful jingle to be made for the lesser-known yet incredibly important cause of leprosy eradication. It is a subject that needed visibility and careful handling to be executed correctly. The team at ShowCase heard the brief and instantly recommended Usha Uthup as the perfect choice and voice for this campaign. With an experience of 51 years as a singer, she is known to be sensitive towards causes that need support. Other than her vast experience in the advertising industry with jingles, her multilingual ability also helped the jingle achieve a wider reach.
For Nanni Singh, CEO of ShowCase Events, Usha Uthup was the perfect choice. She states with candour, “when we asked her about doing the jingle, she did not hesitate even for a moment. She not only worked closely with the team, advising them of the right process and path for an impactful jingle, but also gave her inputs to make it sound better than it did originally. Her changes made all the difference and today it is on everyone’s lips. That is how the word spreads and results are achieved. She is a fantastic person to work with - humble to the core and a true artist with a pure heart. For her a cause is much greater than the commercials and she has proved that over and over again.”
As a humanitarian and champion of causes that impact change and mobilise action, it was against Usha Uthup’s principles to work on a commercial basis. She charged but a nominal honorarium and was personally invested in giving the jingle her best. With her in-depth knowledge and experience, she realised the first cut of the jingle needed improvement and worked tirelessly to have it changed overnight – a mere 12 hours before it went on air. She even took on the monumental task of convincing the team that the new version will connect with and inspire more people. With Nanni Singh’s support, she was able to carry out this impossible task in a short span of time and once the revised version was ready, everyone appreciated the difference! After its release too, she went beyond her brief and made video appeals to people to support the cause.
Kriti Makhija was most impressed with this dedication and accords her immense respect and gratitude by saying, “I have always loved her as an artist - her individuality, her voice, her personality. In fact, I have grown up listening to and dancing to her songs which still rock every party. But after this experience I admire her even more as a person and a humanitarian. Ushaji is a true example for all to follow.” Makhija’s thoughts are echoed by Nanni Singh who applauds her as a wonderful person to work with.
Calling the experience of working on this jingle on leprosy control, a fantastic one, Usha Uthup is particularly appreciative of the team at ShowCase Events. She sums it up when she says, “I kept at it till I was 100% satisfied that my singing offered what was needed to get the message across. The jingle had to have josh because we did not want the sadness to creep in at all – even though it is a sad subject. We wanted to show the enthusiasm for sharing awareness on this important cause because most people do not know about it or think about it. Nanni and the ShowCase Team believed in my vision and backed me up on it all the way through, and it was wonderful working with people who understood and shared my vision and my passion.”
