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NEW DELHI – With her hair slightly shimmering with the colors of the Indian flag – saffron and green – Lady Gaga greeted the media with the traditional Hindi greeting “Namaste” in New Delhi Friday, kicking off her first India visit.
“I feel so blessed. I never would have imagined years ago that I would be able to come to India and perform and to meet my new amazing fans that are here,” she said in her opening remarks. “The sights in India are beautiful but the most beautiful sights are the people.”
Lady Gaga‘s Indian fashion statement was further enhanced with her colorful flowing dress which she said was designed by New York-based designer of Indian origin Naeem Khan.
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The award-winning pop diva’s Indian connection was seen earlier this year in one of her messages posted on her Twitter account on 28 August, when Lady Gaga quoted a line from the Indian mystic Osho, “Creativity is the greatest form of rebellion.”
Considered one of India’s most inspiring and controversial spiritual masters, Osho (earlier known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh who passed away in 1990) was known for his ground-breaking views on combining the best of eastern and western philosophy, a connection he described as “Zorba the Buddha”. Osho hit the international headlines in the early eighties with his fleet of over 90 Rolls Royces gifted by his followers who built a sprawling commune on a 64,000 acre ranch in Oregon where he lived until he was deported in 1985 by US authorities on various charges including immigration violation.
When asked by THR about her views on Osho, Lady Gaga said, “Oh yes Osho! I read a lot of Osho‘s books and I have been reading a lot about (Osho‘s views on) rebellion, which is my favorite so far. And how creativity is the greatest form of rebellion in life. Its important to stand up for what you believe in and to fight for equality. Equality is one of the most important things in my life – social, political, economic equality – these are all things I fight for in my country as a citizen. So I read Osho because not only do I love his work and what he writes about, but I guess I am kind of an Indian hippie! ”
When asked by a journalist about the thinking that went behind her latest multi-platinum selling album Born This Way, Lady Gaga took another philosophical turn, “This album is about reincarnation – reincarnation during your one singular lifetime – this one. Not the one after but right now. Its about being reborn over and over again to liberate yourself to love and music and art religion and passion. I believe that you are never trapped in anything. I believe that you can always liberate yourself and that’s what this album is about. ”
Explaining how she balances her life given her superstardom, Lady Gaga said she owed it to her family “who have kept me grounded… Everyday of my life has been quite similar to the lives of the men and women in this room today. I am just trying to make my parents proud. ”
When asked to select three songs she would like to cover, Lady Gaga listed John Lennon‘s “Imagine”, an opera song from “La Boheme” and Bruce Springsteen‘s “Thunder Road”. And then she added, “Maybe some AC/DC… I could go on a long time about this!”
Lady Gaga is scheduled to perform on Sunday after the first Indian Formula Once race at the LAP lounge (promoted by Bollywood star Arjun Rampal), specially created at a resort near the Buddh International Circuit just outside Delhi.
“I have built a special stage for this show – it is unique for India and never been done,” she said. “I will also incorporate the collaborations I have done with Indian DJs (such as noted Bollywood remixer DJ Aqeel) in the performance. I am going to put my whole heart and soul into it.”
But when asked what kind of outfit she would wear for the performance, Lady Gaga smilingly said, “I won’t spoil the surprise.”
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