NEW DELHI: Renowned singer Sonu Nigam enthralled his fans with a rare collection of medleys at a concert in the capital earlier this week.

Nigam was here as the guest of honour at the annual singing competition of Sangam Kala Group for new singers.

The singer performed a few songs to the accompaniment of Ramesh Mishra's Orchestra, receiving thunderous applause song after song, line after line.

A special guest at the event organized by Group President V S K Sood was veteran art promoter Amarjit Singh Kohli, who had first given Nigam an opportunity at a programme 29 years earlier when Nigam had sung the song Chal Urdh Jaa Ray Panchhi before a packed audience of 2,500 at the 5th All India Annual Rafi Memorial Singing Competition organised by Yaadgar-e- Rafi Society to commemorate the versatile legend Mohammed Rafi. Nigam was then just 15 years old.

Sonu Nigam was declared joint winner along with Amarjeet Singh Bijli by judges comprising legendary music director Anil Biswas and actor-singer Sachin. Kohli is the founder Chairman of the Society, while Sushil Massey was the President and Prem Bhatia the General Secretary.

Kohli recalled to Radioandmusic that the then slim and young Nigam was wearing a black shirt. “Today Sonu Nigam is the darling of music lovers all over world, not only due to his excellent singing but also due to his pleasing manners, natural sincerity and earthly humility. The moment he saw me, he hugged me closely and made me stand and sit next to him. It was a grand feeling. However, I missed Nigam's father Agam Nigam who could not come due to a pending operation. In fact Agam Nigam had started singing in my programmes in1974 when Sonu was only one year old. Agam was the undisputed king of Delhi for Rafi songs of his times and had also won the same Rafi Competition two years in the presence of his son Sonu in the same auditorium for his song Gham Uthhane Ke Liye Main To Jiye Jaonga.”