Interview : Versatile singer Sonu’s take on nationalism

He has a natural bent for news, which follows him like some persistent shadow. Just a week ago, his decision to quit (at his peak as a playback singer) made headlines. But there is some heart-warming news as well. Sonu Nigam, after making his individualistic mark as a playback singer, music show host, actor, talent hunt judge, performer and finally a composer, now creates history by coming out with a song that will be the first-ever Indian track not to be sold to a music company. The patriotic song brimming with nationalistic fervour, ‘Yeh rashtra prem ki bhavana, bas maatra ek hai kaamna...’ has been composed by Deepak Pandit and sung and written by Sonu Nigam, marking also this multi-faceted artiste’s truly remarkable debut as a lyricist. It is also probably Sonu’s first crusade for the upliftment of popular Hindi music as well as national sentiment, both of which seem to have reached its nadir in the last few years.

Excerpts:

What is the motivation behind ‘Yeh rashtra prem ki bhavana...’ and how did it happen? Was the song already written by you?

Deepak Pandit, who is the son of Shambhuji of the famous Shankar-Shambhu team and I are working on my next album, which I would term as a little more than just semi-classical. One day he mooted the idea to me and played out his composition. It was extremely inspiring, because a sense of nationalism is the need of the times and this was not the standard kind of deshbhakti song. Deepak told me that the lyrics had not been written. And then something unusual happened - that night I got inspired and started writing to the composition. When I called him up and narrated my lyrics he was thrilled. It was as if the whole thing was pre-ordained. We began to work on the song with the intention of coming out with it on Independence Day. While we were working on the track the Mumbai bomb blasts happened on July 11. This gave our song an added relevance. Someone suggested that we hurry up with the track and release it, but Deepak and I found that too gimmicky and in reprehensible taste. Our original intention was to release it on August 15 and that’s what we are following. However Radio Mirchi has started airing the song. When they heard it, they actually gave me a standing ovation!

Why are you not selling this song to any music company?


Firstly, I have not made this song with the intention of doing business and earning from it. I have funded everything from the recording to the video, which is shamelessly different from anything you have seen, and is conceived by me and directed by Vikram Razdan. The idea is to present something very good and socially relevant to the people. A music company would have made unreasonable demands on both the audio-visual fronts, and we wanted no compromise at all in any aspect. The song will also be available on the Internet, on mobile phones and after a certain date with other radio channels. It will also be aired on several TV channels. Frankly, I am completely amazed at the response we have got for this song. It just proves that that the people are hungry and starved of good products. They crave for them, and we are not giving it to them. Since the song began airing on Radio Mirchi I have got some 15,000 SMS raving about it. This song will destroy myths that today’s GenerationX is not receptive to substantial lyrics and music.

What is the message that you wish to give them?

I have been reading a lot of late, and according to the great spiritual healers the post-1980s generation will be the harbingers of Satyug. This is a cool, chilled-out and open generation that is not stuck-up. Within them however there are two kinds - the Crystalline, who are the emotional lot who will bring in this change through persuasion, and the Indigos, who will achieve it with rebellion. I see a lot of hope in this generation and have a lot of trust in them. We are entering the 60th year of Independence. There is so much more to be done.

Your recent announcement about retiring from singing - does it also have a base in the kind of caliber of songs you are singing?


Definitely. With sporadic exceptions, job satisfaction has been completely missing. I have, for example, recorded some 300 film songs in the last two years alone, but the really popular ones are a dozen or less! So I asked myself, “What am I doing? Why am I singing what I don’t need to?” Those remaining songs have just added to my bank-balance and my numerical record. I am not after that now. How many of my recent songs have had any gaayaki (art) needed? Just the handful that I have sung in Fanaa, Krrish, Kabvhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Lage Raho Munnabhai. Last year it was Parineeta, Paheli and a few others. Among my forthcoming films too there are very few, like Jaan-E-Mann and some others.

But why not remain choosy rather than quitting?

That’s exactly what I am doing - cutting off the chaff that accounts for 90% of my songs. I want to come down from a 100 songs to 10. I want to sit in with classical maestros and explore areas of music that I have never tapped. If possible I would love to teach others whatever I can from what I pick up from them.

You have recently become a radio host. How has the experience been, especially that of interviewing Lata Mangeshkar live?

When they approached me, instinct made me accept the assignment. As for Lata-ji, she liked my show and told me so. So one day I casually asked her whether she would like to be on the show, and she casually replied, “Theek hai, main aati hoon!” It was as simple as that. We saw to it that she got regal treatment, but she was game to carry on even after three-and-a-half hours! We discussed everything from her riyaaz in childhood to her terror of cockroaches!


© Copyright 2006 by MusicIndiaOnLine.com


I still haven't heard the song. I hope they release it on the internet fast. I;m really not happy about him cutting down on his songs; nowadays there are hardly any movies with his songs, and I've always said to others; "Can you imagine a movie without having at least one Sonu Nigam song???"

Now I can't say that. Because they can. =(

Johnny Lever and Sonu Nigam

I know I'm posting this up really really late, but I was browsing YouTube today and found this. I'm exhilarated to watch it again! Thanks to whoever for posting the vid up on YouTube! This segmeent was DAMN funny! I was like high for the next three days after watching this.

Sonu, you rock.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONU!!!

Coincidentally, we had guests over at home last night, and they brought chocolate cake over for us.
How cool is that.

I'm gonna cut chocolate cake for your birthday Sonu!

Best Wishes, and have a GREAT life ahead!

Keep singing in that melodious and magical voice...your songs keep me going...

Sonu Nigam not in the best of health!

Sonu Nigam is having a terrible time as he is down with stomach infection. The pain is owing to binging paani puri, chaat and rajbhog on the roadside fare last weekend when he was in Delhi for a few days. He went ahead having a freaking time with his cousins on the street food and the outcome is the cry from his stomach. “The stomachache was unbearable and I had to take an injection to get relief. The doctor says that I should be fine in a day’s time. Presently, I’m thriving on a very light diet. I prefer homemade food anyway. Though, I believe you should give in to the sinful pleasures at least once in a month. But this time my joyride went bust.”

However being a true professional we hear that he is headed to Lucknow to wrap some professional commitments.

** He's SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:( :( :( :(

I dont believe this! I feel like suing the idiot paani puri wala!!! How dare he!!!

Poor sonu! After all his careful diet regime and all; to think he hardly eats junk- once a month!!! OMG. and this just has to happen to him on one of the rare ocassions he decides to enjoy himself!

stupid paani puri wala.

take care sonu!!

Sonu back from the hills

Where has been singer Sonu Nigam all this while? In Nandadevi Parvat in the Himalayas enjoying his phase of a hermit. It was a much-needed break for him after the hectic working schedule in the Bollywood. This was his way to move away to the fast-paced life to a peaceful and serene atmosphere. Two friends from Delhi and Kolkata accompanied him in the voyage. The place was 60,000 feet above sea level.

“I have been planning to do this for years, and I finally got around to doing it. Basically, I was isolated; something I wanted. The time there was mine, and I spent it engaging in introspection. I lived in places that did not have basic amenities, like toilet facilities and water. I lived on a lean diet of fruit, pulses and rice, which we carried from Mumbai. I kept telling myself that it could not be more strenuous that performing on stage for hours on end. But I was wrong. The first hour of climbing was horrible. I was really nervous and my stamina was running out. I kept questioning my capacity to continue. But I fought the temptation to give up and went on till I reached the top. I was mesmerised and overcome with emotion once at the top. I experienced immense inner peace. I guess this is where word fails and it’s all about what you feel,” the singer puts in.

In a rejuvenated and refreshed mood, Sonu is back to his basic, to music! He has already started working on his next solo album and this will be his first semi classical album. It will be another stance by him to satisfy himself.

** Its so cool to go to the mountains to go find inner peace and relaxation!!

I think I'll do that some day.

Competing with Himesh is insult: Sonu Nigam

Sonu Nigam is about to change musical lanes. He tells Subhash K Jha about his plans.

Q: You've become quite a youth icon among singing aspirants.
A: I hadn't noticed this development until two to three years ago when Shaan told me that many of the songs that the contestants sang on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa were mine.

Now when I'm a judge on Indian Idol I do realize that the contestants tend to go to my difficult songs like Tera jadoo chal gaya, Zindagi maut na ban jaye and Satrangi re when they've a point to prove.

I've begun to realize that good work always reaches people's hearts. I don't think about how successful I am. I just do my work. As a singer I'm far away from the goal of perfection I've set for myself and maybe I'll never get there. But no harm in trying. In just 32 right now. And I hope to improve for at least ten more years.

Abhi mujhe bahut kuch sikhna hai …as a human and a singer. I don't want to make errors as either.

Q: Are you getting enough challenges as a singer?
A: I don't think the film industry is able to provide that many opportunities for me. I've to create my own challenges. This year I'll have some great songs in Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna, Shirish Kunder's Jaan-e-Man, Kunal Kohli's Fanaah, Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq, Rakesh Roshan's Krisshh, J.P. Dutta's Umrao Jaan and Farhan Akhtar's Don…I wish Umrao was a man so I could've sung all the songs.

Q: Have you sung Khai ke paan baneras wala in Don ?
A: I wish I had. As a child I used to dance to that song on stage. By the time I asked if I could do it, Shankar-Ehsan-Loy had already asked Udit Narayanji to do it. With his North Indian background he's the right person for it.

Q: You've quite an impressive list of films.
A: Yes. But that feeling of being challenged when I sing a classical song where I've to work on particular harkat or an alaap, is missing. Films won't provide me songs like that.

All tracks today are deejay-designed. I can't expect to get something like Man mohana bade jhoothe. And private albums are dead.

The furthest I could go with a non-film pop album was Chanda Ki Doli where I showed some classical creativity. I've therefore decided to come out with a semi-classical album. Might as well do something I believe in and something I'd be proud of forty years from now.

At least now people will stop complaining that I'm not doing anything raga-based. The music for my album will be Deepak Pandit. He's Jagjit Singh's immensely talented violinist.

Q: What do you feel about Himesh Reshammiya's sudden success as a singer?
A: It's easy to criticise someone for singing through his nose. Who sets the rules for how a song should be sung? Times are changing. Different voices are coming and being accepted. With Himesh at least a distinctive voice from within the country has found acceptance.

Otherwise we've lately had strange voices from outside, no matter how besura, becoming successful. Pataa nahin kyon ! Why do we give so much importance to voices from outside? Stars dine with them, feature in their bloody music videos. They wouldn't do the same for me or any Indian singer.

Q: What did you think of all the singers who have come from Pakistan?
A: A few were good. But most of them were strictly okay. In a country that has witnessed Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd Rafi who wants these voices? I'm glad to see an Indian—Himesh—getting the popular awards to someone from our country who's very smartly patented the style from another country (Pakistan).

Q: Are you happy with the state of film music in this country?
A: Although I had raga-based songs in Parineeta and Paheli the songs didn't get any recognition. I don't mind Himesh getting all the awards.

But it's an insult to nominate Paheli and Aashiq Banaya Aapne in the same genre for popular awards. Film music is expanding genres.

So I couldn't be competing with Himesh for the popular awards because we sang two different genres in Aashiq…. and Paheli. The songs from Zaher, Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Aksar belong to the same genre.

The genres have to be separated or our singers will stop doing riyaaz. They'll wonder why they need to work on their voices when they can get awards for simple songs.

Q: Do you think Aashiq banaya is easy to sing ?
A: Very easy.

Q: Mahesh Bhatt started the trend of bringing Pakistani music in Bollywood…
A: Everyone has the right to do their own thing. But if there's an infiltration we as artistes need to tighten our seat belts. Pakistan has a different flavour and colour of music. Now Himesh has given that style its own twist. Yeh to hona hi tha.

Q: Where do you intend to go as a playback singer?
A: I'm doing too many things at the same time. I love the feeling of being in demand everywhere. I'm not passionate about anything except music. I don't like to go out to restaurants or shopping. My work is my only high. I love going to judge Indian Idol. Then I come home catch a flight for a concert, and return to get to work on my classical album.

I'm blessed to have so much work. But I miss the glory of playback singing. I wish we had one good music company that could respect a good artiste. Nowadays it's more about putting up singers out of defiance rather than conviction.

Q: How're your relations with your old company T Series?
A: They're cordial with me. But it isn't the same as when Gulshan Kumarji was around. I did try to be a good friend. But dosti ki kadar nahin hai. If I had contributed the same to any other music company there would have been lot more appreciation.

I've gone out of my way to get them (T Series) out of critical situations, including political. …I'm looking at a credible company for my classical album. I'm doing this for my own happiness.

Q: Are you happy?
A: I've learnt to look for happiness within myself. People around me have changed. I've converted them into positive people. I don't allow anyone negative in my space. I'm surrounded by people who have love in their eyes.

Q: Would you call yourself happily married?
A: Well I am married. One can be happily married. Marriage is a very small part of life. And I'm saying that in front of my wife. There's a lot more to life.

**a nice overall update on what sonu's been doing. oh man i really cant wait for his semi-classical album to release. Goodluck sonu!!

And I loved what he said about Himesh. Honestly I have been quite pissed at him bagging all the awards when sonu is equally, if not more deserving iof them. but sonu's diplomatic way of looking at the issue as india's acceptance of a new distinct indian voice is logical and has won my heart. i guess himesh doesn't suck then. haha.

some of sonu's new look pictures from the release of haath se haath mila!

although the cd's been officially released, apparently its not out in stores yet. can't wait to get it!!!