Pneumonia left Shivani blind, but it didn't blur her mother's vision

Shivani said that her mother tells her that after pneumonia left her blind, songs on the radio used to pacify her when she was crying and it was discovered at a young age that she liked music.

Krishna Nagar (West Bengal): Shivani Ghosh from the Krishna Nagar area of West Bengal was only three months old when she lost her eyesight due to pneumonia. However, the tragedy did not blur the vision of her parents, especially her mother Sujatha, who saw a budding singer in Shivani. Living up to her mother's dream, young Shivani has proven herself by emerging as a professional singer with a soft voice and recognition gained over the years.

She has won many awards for her talent. Shivanis' father Asim is a headmaster and her mother Sujatha is an accountant. She is the only child of her parents. Shivani said that her mother tells her that after pneumonia left her blind, songs on the radio used to pacify her when she was crying. “It was discovered at a young age that I like music."

"My mother decided to teach me music, but everyone discouraged my mom that I am a girl and I have no sight, so it was better to drop the idea. They also advised sending me to an orphanage,” Shivani said. Shivani, however, credited her mother, who stood behind her and taught her music. She said when she was having trouble with the children at school, her mother took her to the park every day and taught her to play with the other children.

Shivani's mother even learnt Braille at a school for the blind to help and support her daughter, the latter said. Shivani said that her mother encouraged her to learn music and sent her to training classes and practised with her. The hard work of the mother-daughter duo finally paid off as Shivani released her maiden CD album 'Tagore Vision'.

“Releasing my debut album through Kolkata Akashavani and All India Radio is still a dream,” Shivani recalls. She also received the Bengal government's 'Role Model' and Colors Bangla channel's 'Talentino' awards for the best singer. Shivani is also a State-level champion in the Rabindra Sangeet competition. Besides singing in concerts, Shivani also performed on channels like Rupasi Bangla, ETV, Channel One, and High News and worked as a playback singer for many film music directors.

Shivani, who is doing a BA in Vocal Music from Rabindra Bharti University, said her goal is to do a master's and become a film singer. “If we have a defect, we should not be discouraged. Each one of us has a speciality. Recognise it and practice it to become a winner. I hope some people will be inspired by me,'' Shivani said.