Vijayalakshmi's 24-hour recital on Saturday

HYDERABAD: The desire to prove toherself her own versat i l i t y will see popular singer Vijayalakshmi performnonstop for 24 hours beginning 6 pm on Saturday at Ravindra Bharati.The performance will require a repertoire of about 250 songs. Thesinger will be assisted by a number of back-up vocalists. The others who willput in an appearance on stage to help her along are S P Balasubramanyam,Madhavapeddi Suresh, Vandemataram Srinivas, R P Patnaik, Sasipreetam, RaghuKunche and Ghantadi Krishna.Speaking to reporters on Wednesday,Vijayalakshmi said the singathon is not aimed at setting any records but toprove to herself that she can carry off a wide range of styles andtraditions.“I have earlier performed for 9-10 hourscontinuously,� she said.To ensure that her voice remains inshape during the show,Vijayalakshmi said she has consulted a voicetherapist.“I have the physical strength,� she exudedconfidence The programme would be inaugurated by Telugu poet Dr C Narayana Reddyand playback singer of yesteryears Rao Balasaraswati. At the conclusion of theprogramme on Sunday, Vijayalakshmi will be felicitated by minister BabuMohan.