Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented President Obama a set of recordings from the tour of American singer Marian Anderson (
1897-1993) to India in 1957 during which she sang Gandhi’s favourite hymn
Lead Kindly Light at Gandhi Smriti – the site of his assassination in the capital in 1948 which is now preserved as a memorial. The recordings comprise an interview Ms Anderson gave to
All India Radio, as also a video from CBS Television programme
See it Now that captured her rendition of the hymn at the Gandhi Smriti. She was the first foreign dignitary ever to have been invited to speak at the Smriti.
Ms Anderson, whose early career symbolized struggle for civil rights and who broke barriers for African American artists in USA, was one of the most celebrated American opera singers of the twentieth century and was, in 1986, honoured by her country with the highest honour for achievement in arts.
New Delhi
January 27, 2015
Presented President @BarackObama a set of recordings from the tour of American singer Marian Anderson in 1957. pic.twitter.com/Ycj0Hg3iHO
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 27, 2015
The recordings consist of Ms. Anderson's interview to AIR & a video capturing her rendition of the hymn 'Lead Kindly Light' at Gandhi Smriti
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 27, 2015
