July 26, 2019
With 10 music releases, three National awards and two Limca Book of
Awards to her credit, Benzy Kumar’s singing talent have won her
appreciation from many quarters, including music legends.
When she was just a one month old baby, doctors said Benzy Kumar would be
“little more than a vegetable”. Cruel, insensitive words still used to
dismiss many people with disabilities. Benzy’s parents, however, refused to
accept this and looked for ways to connect with their child.
An attack of meningitis a few days after birth left Benzy with partial
paralysis. She was also diagnosed with autism.
Benzy would not respond to her parents’ voices or toys. The turning point
came when she was seven months old, and mother Kavita Kumar
found Benzy’s eyeballs moving to the sounds of a musical toy.
The discovery thrilled Kavita and she started linking her daughter’s daily
routine to music.
In autism there is the quality of repetition in children and the more you
listen to music and the more you sing, the same results. I realized that
major improvements in my daughter’s life would be due to music. I began
linking music to Benzy’s daily routine, whether she was being fed or
bathed or put to sleep. I did a lot of research on basic raagas and
used this as therapy in Benzy. Gradually, she improved. – Kavita
Kumar, Benzy’s mother
The Kumars saw that Indian classical ragaas had a therapeutic effect.
“For four years we used to recite the Mahamritynjay mantra and
Gayatri mantra before Benzy went to sleep and when she would wake
up”. There was a distinct change seen on days when they would not play the
mantra. “When we would wake her up without chanting the mantras, she would
be hyper and disturbed all day”.
Kavita, a trained classical singer, started giving Benzy lessons. This led to
her voice becoming stronger and melodious. She recorded her first audio
cassette Basic Raagas when she was just nine years old.
“Though she cannot converse, she can express herself through music”, says
Kavita.
Today Benzy has 10 audio releases to her credit. One of them,
Koshish was presented by Hrithik Roshan. She
also won her First National Award in 2004 when she was 10.
This was followed by two more national awards in 2006 and 2014.
That’s not all. The All India Radio has graded her as
their permanent artist and she has given over a thousand performances in
India and abroad, including London and Singapore.
The highlight for Benzy was when her recent album Aashayen was
presented by legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. One of her
songs has also featured in an international album called Songs of the
Disabled Underground Vol. 3. Benzy is the only artist from India
selected for this album.
Although she does not realise it, Benzy is imparting her musical gifts to
other children with disabilities. She is a full-time teacher at a music
school her mother has opened for disabled children.
In Benzy’s story, says Kavita, lies a larger message for parents with
children on the autism spectrum. “Do not think of your children as a waste.
Instead give them the best quality of life and give them love. Find the one
thing that makes your child happy and help her grow”.
