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On stage you have to exert your voice or you have to be little loud. In a studio you have to be extra careful" – Sowmya Raoh | ||||||
By IndiaFM News Bureau, July 19, 2006 - 23:39 IST | ||||||
Sowmya Raoh – does the name strike a chord? Well, it surely will when we tell you that she is the voice behind songs like Nach Baliye (Bunty Aur Babli), Dilbara (Dhoom), Jeena (Dum) and Laila Laila (Samay) ! Just to name a few. This trained singer from South believes in quality work. Sowmya speaks to IndiaFM about her singing down south, in Bollywood and her journey so far. Was taking up singing as a career your personal choice or something that happened due to the influence of your father, considering he was a reputed singer? My mother was a Kannada singer and I used to accompany her to the recording studios. Then I started as a child singer. My father was with RBI. He was also a singer and along with them I started singing. Then I took a break for some years and resumed singing when I was in college. That time I was not quite serious as I never thought that I will take it as a profession. Did your training happen at home or did you take any formal training in singing from outside? It's a discipline in South that each child should learn either music or singing. I learnt Karnataka classical singing for 5 to 6 years. Later I shifted to light music.
Yes, when I was in Bangalore in 1993, I started as dubbing artist. After that people began to know me and my work. Music composer Sandeep Chowta was looking for a singer, who could sing Hindi songs. Initially when I used to sing with Chitra, I used to observe her. I learned few things from her. And of course everyone learns from trails and errors, I too. It is a slow process but quality has been a part of my work. Wasn't the Telugu song "Greekuveerudu" from the film "Ninna Pelladata" a turning point in your career? Yes it was. I was singing for Sandeep Chowta at Banglore when 'Ninna Pelladata' happened. The response was quite appreciating. Sandeep wanted a singer to sing in Tamil and Telugu along with Hindi. How did you start out in Bollywood? Well, I can say that I grew up watching Hindi music so there were no extra efforts to grasp the language. In year 2000, when I used to visit Bombay on and off, I got my first project. I lent my song for the 'Soul of Jungle' and then a background track of 'Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya'. Company was my first Hindi film as a singer. After that, other Hindi films like Dum, Bunty Aur Bubli happened. Does the actor's personality affect the voice you lend to them? No, it doesn't affect to any actor's personality. While in my case my voice is heroine oriented so I don't have to modulate my voice. I have sung for many actresses in various languages and different types of songs.
I love to experiment; similarly I would like to try the entire genre. I want to explore my voice in every genre. Till now I have not restricted myself to any specific types of songs. I am open to every new thing that excites me as a singer. How tough is it to sing in different languages? Kannada is my mother tongue, so if you know Kannada language then you end up following Tamil and Telgu languages too. I used to hear lot of languages and grasp it quite fast.
I like Lata Mangeshkar, Sukhwinder, K.K, Shaan and they all are good singers. But if you ask me about my favorite singer then I would say its Sonu Nigam. He is the most versatile singer in Bollywood. He is an idol for me.
I have worked with most of the music directors like Sandeep Chowta, Anu Mallik, Vishal Shekhar and Shankar Ehsaan Loy. There are many with whom I would like to work with. I want to work with everyone as they all have their own style of music. You have done many live shows. What's the difference between performing live and singing in a studio? Performing live on stage is totally different from singing in a studio. On stage you have to exert your voice or you have to be little loud. Whereas in a studio you have to be extra careful as there is lot of creativity involved in making a song.
Winning an award is good but it doesn't mean that if you get an award, you are a good singer or vice versa. It feels good when you are appreciated by the audiences. But at the same time you have to be realistic as there are so many talented people around. So in that case winning an award is like getting appreciated by our audience.
There are some films that I am working on. But I can't name them as they are under production. I have sung for Khosla Ka Ghosla that's releasing soon. I am also singing for a Yash Raj movie. |
By Sameer Wadekar, Bollywood Trade News Network |
She is credited with more than 200 songs down South and is a huge craze amongst her fans there especially after her stupendously hit Telugu number "Greekuveerudu" (from the film NINNA PELLADATA) which ran for 20 consecutive weeks at No 1 position. She has extensively worked with maestros like A R Rahman, Deva, Illyraja and Vidyasagar. But she was eager to sing for Bollywood and that opportunity came through Sandeep Chowta with 'Aiyo Aiyo Rama' (JUNGLE). She then sang some wide popular songs like 'Ankhom Mein Rahon' (COMPANY), 'Zindagi' (SAMAY) and 'Jeena Tere Liye' (DUM). But it was 'Katra Katra' (FAMILY) and 'Nach Baliye' (BUNTY AUR BABLI) that has catapulted her to the zenith. We are talkin' about Sowmya Raoh!
BUNTY AUR BABLI was one of 2005's biggest hits and its songs were an absolute rage. 'Nach Baliye' was a standout for its easy-on-ears catchy tune and Sowmya's soothingly ecstatic voice. The talented trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy did the musical score for the film.
And now this brilliant singer has added another gem into her kitty! Her self-titled album SOWMYA had its official launch on 5th April 2006 at the hands of veteran actress Dipti Naval and versatile composer Sandeep Chowta. The album is released by Times Music.
The album has in all nine tracks, five of which she has sung previously including the peppy 'Haai Re Haai Tera Ghoongta' (from the album JALWA 3). The rest four numbers are original compositions of which one is composed by Sowmya herself! The track is called 'Nazar Na Lage' which is more in the Qawwali format.
But is it the right time to cut a pop album? There's a 'Sowmya' reply, "Yes I know that the non-film music segment is not doing well these days. But I have made an effort to keep my album as innovative as possible so that it reaches out to a vast multitude. Isme Har Mood Ke Liye Gaana Hai. (This album has got songs for every mood)."
There is a video song called 'Pyaar Hai' composed by Taufees Akhtar who has also done the remix of the same number. Directed by N C Matthew this is Sowmya's first commercial video "It was wonderful to work with Matthew. We shot the video in Chennai in soaring temperatures but it was a lot of fun," Sowmya chuckles excitedly.
What are her current assignments? "Well, there are a few film songs I am doing right now but it's too early to speak about it, you see."
And her expectations from this album; is she nervous? "I am excited but I haven't kept any exorbitant expectations. Basically this is another crack at my musical endeavor and I hope my fans would welcome it open-heartedly! That's all I wish at this moment," she concludes.
Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago
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Who'll be the next 'fame'ous one | ||||
Friday, November 03, 2006 10:57:31 IST | ||||
With Daler Mehndi announced as the first judge, Fame Gurukul will now be revamped in terms of its concept and name | ||||
Last year, there was a sudden spat of reality shows like Nach Baliye, Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul. While Indian Idol has finished with its second season a long while ago, Nach Baliye is halfway through its second season, then how could Fame Gurukul be left far behind? |
Aditya Jassi Age - 24 years From - New Delhi Aditya is a journalist by profession and also plays in a band called Heavy Metal. He has never been trained in music, but plays the guitar, mouth organ and sings like a dream. He is the naughty boy with a charming personality. He is the country boy who has the charm to make the audience melt with his performing capabilities. Pink Floyd, KK, Shaan, and Indian Ocean are his favourites. His sweet arrogance is just what is required |
Alok Chaubey Age - 18 years From - Bihar The shy guy from Patna, belongs to a family of farmers and has grown up in a conservative, rural society. His family has a history of singing in temples and being the boy of the house, he has sustained this tradition. He sings in Jagrans, but at the same time, he is very adaptable to Indian music beyond his own region. Because of his delightful and authentic character, |
Anandrupa Bagchi Age - 19 years From - Bihar She is from Jamshedpur, studying in Mumbai. This filmy girl is also the talkative one, a great performer and has participated in lots of shows. A very ambitious girl, Anandrupa is a die-hard fan of Sonu Nigam. She has this flirtatious streak to her and loves being in the limelight. And she is all here to grab everyone's attention. |
Rohitraj Sinha Age - 24 years From - Allahabad A wonderful singer and a great dancer, this Allahabadi believes in seizing any opportunity and loves to be in the limelight. A filmy kind of guy, he wants to be a star and believes that Fame X is his platform for stardom. Rohitraj was just waiting for this opportunity and has no intentions of letting it go. |