At 'Howdy, Modi' gig, specially-abled Indian teen rapper's 'Jana Gana Mana' gives goosebumps

For billions of Indians, at home and abroad, Sunday offered another chance to be proud of their homeland. The 'Howdy, Modi' event in Houston held at the NRG Stadium saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking centrestage, along with American President Donald Trump. While the stadium was lit with 'Ab ki baar Trump sarkar' chants, it was the performance of a teenage boy that gave everyone goosebumps.
Indian-origin teen Sparsh Shah, who was born with a rare medical condition known as 'osteogenesis imperfecta' or brittle bone disease, took to the stage to sing the Indian national anthem. The 16-year-old, who is also a rapper, songwriter and motivational speaker in the USA, said that it was his dream to meet PM Modi. In the presence of 50,000 people, the teen saw his biggest dream come true. While Shah was among the 400 artists who performed at 'Howdy, Modi', his spirit was what stood out in the crowd.

Hours after the event, Twitter witnessed posts pouring in for the boy who proved an inspiration for all. While some people called him awesome, others reiterated that he made his country and people proud.









Shah's condition is characterised by weak bones that break too easily. Some reports suggest that the boy has suffered over 130 bone fractures throughout his life. The wheelchair-bound boy revealed on his Facebook page that he cannot walk or run because his bones cannot bear the body weight. A hard hand shake can also result in a fracture.




Shah first rose to fame at the age of 12 when he recorded a video of Eminem's popular song 'Not Afraid'. The video received over 65 million views online. This came into the notice of the rapper's record label. Later, he went on to release his first album cover, named 'Purhythm', as a tribute to Eminem.

Purhythm is also a music style invented by Shah.