Go thru Sonu's latest interview, and his comments on HR's voice
and then give me ur comments
Have a nice weekend
Kavita 😊😊
Sonu switches lanes
The idol of many singers is about to expand his musical horizons
Subhash K Jha
You've become a youth icon among singing aspirants.
I
had not 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 realise
that the contestants tend sing my difficult songs like 'Tera jadoo chal
gaya', 'Zindagi maut na ban jaye' and 'Satrangi re'. I've now begun to
realise that good work always reaches people's hearts. So I just do my
work. As a singer I'm far from perfect and maybe I'll never get there,
but there is no harm in trying. I am 32 and hope to do a lot as a human
and a singer in the years to come.
Are you being challenged enough as a singer?
I
don't think the film industry is able to provide sufficient
opportunities for me, so I have to create my own challenges. This year
I 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. But the challenge I experience when I sing a
classical song where I've to work on a particular harkat or an alaap is
missing. Films don't provide me songs like that. All tracks today are
deejay-designed and private albums are dead. The furthest I could go
with a non-film pop album was Chanda Ki Doli where I showed some of
my classical creativity . I've therefore decided to come out with a
semi-classical album. I might as well do something I believe in and
something I'd be proud of forty years from now.
Have you sung 'Khai ke paan Baneraswala' in the Don remake?
I
wish I had. As a child I used to dance to that song on stage. By the
time I asked Shankar-Ehsan-Loy whether I could do it, they had already
asked Udit Narayan to sing it. With his North Indian background he's
the right person to do it.
What do you feel about Himesh Reshammiya's sudden success as a singer?
It's
easy to criticise someone's singing for being nasal. Who sets the rules
for how a song should be sung? Times are changing and different voice
types are entering the industry 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 India, no matter
how besura (out of tune), becoming successful.
What did you think of all the singers who have come from Pakistan?
A
few are good. But most of them are strictly okay. In a country that has
been blessed with a Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd Rafi who wants these
voices?
Are you happy with the state of film music in this country?
Although
I had raga-based songs in Parineeta and Paheli, the songs didn't get
any recognition. I don't have a problem with Himesh getting all the
awards, but it's an insult to nominate Paheli and Aashiq Banaya Aapne
in the same genre for popular awards. Our songs were from two different
genres in Aashiq…. and Paheli. 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 relatively simple songs.
Mahesh Bhatt started the trend of introducing Pakistani music to Bollywood.
Everyone
has the right to do their own thing. But if this trend continues, we as
artistes need to tighten our seat belts. The music from Pakistan has a
different flavour and colour to it.
What are your future plans for playback singing?
I'm
doing too many things at the same time. I love the feeling of being in
demand. I'm not passionate about anything except music. I'm blessed to
have so much work. But I miss the glory attached to playback singing. I
wish we had one good music company that could respect a good artiste.
How're your relations with your old company T Series?
We
continue to maintain a cordial relation. But it isn't the same as
before when Gulshan Kumarji was around. If I had contributed the same
to any other music company there would have been lot more appreciation.
I'm looking at a credible company for my classical album. I'm doing
this for my own happiness.
Are you happy?
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.
Would you call yourself happily married?
Well,
I am married and one can be happily married. Marriage is a very small
part of life. And I'm saying this in the presence of my wife. There's a
lot more to life.
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