Chef stirs up Holi songs for South African Indians

Chef Krish Reedoy, a former Mauritian settled in South Africa for the past decade, singing has become more than a habit. Reedoy, a chef in Sun City, has just launched a set of three CDs - one on Holi songs - here to give South Africans a taste of different music styles.

"The first is a collection of Chauthas, something new to South Africa, especially for the radio stations, which I hope will be featuring them," Reedoy explained before performing some of the items from his CDs at a launch show at Carnival City resort.

"It is a collection of Holi songs, released in time for the various Holi functions taking place across the country around this time of the year."

Of the second CD, Reedoy said: "I went to many weddings and people kept asking me 'When are you going to make a wedding CD?', so I decided to do this one, which is from the bride's side. It is a sad one, from the 'tilak' (first of the ceremonies at a traditional Hindu wedding) to the 'bidaai' (when the bride leaves the parental home).

"The third one is the one for which I have had the most requests, and that is an album of Chutney songs, (known as Bhojpuri in Mauritius and other countries)."

Reedoy first made headlines last year when he released a CD of his own compilations in Hindi to commemorate the 10th anniversary of South Africa's democracy at his own cost.

He not only thinks up the tunes but also the words for the songs he sings while stirring up recipes.