Sonu Niigaam - The music composer now ....

SONU NIIGAAM & BICKRAM GHOSH HAVE TEAMED UP FOR BOLLYWOOD. T2 GETS A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE COMPOSER DUO’S OUTING AS TUNE MERCHANTS

Bickram Ghosh, Purab Kohli, Girish Malik and Sonu Niigaam at the recording studio in Mumbai

What is this film that you are scoring music for?

Sonu Niigaam: The film is called Jal. It is directed by Girish Malik and is based on a village in the deep deserts of Kutch. I haven’t heard anything like this ever, it’s so different.

Bickram Ghosh: It’s an amazing tale about the crisis posed by the drying up of the river Narmada. A concept about human beings versus birds and the absence of water. Girish, who is also a brilliant actor and dancer, is directing his first film that promises to be visually stunning. Jal stars Purab Kohli who’s looking quite the part with a huge moustache, the kind one can roll around! It also has Mukul Dev, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Yashpal Sharma.

How did the connection with the filmmakers happen?

Sonu: I have known Girish for almost a decade but never really knew him closely until a couple of months back when we met at a party. We got chatting and he proposed that I listen to some ideas he was working on. He came across as refreshingly original and different. We zeroed in on a subject and music came up in the discussions. He’s very clear about the kind of music he wants and has proper references for it. One of the references happened to be Bickrambhai’s who is working with me on a world album project. Thus, the whole association fell in place.

Bickram: Yes, I was contacted by Girish and his team. They had heard my track Primal from my album with Pete Lockett (The Kingdom of Rhythm) and tracked me down. They felt this was the premise of the sound they were looking for.

What made the two of you come together as music composers?

Sonu: It is Bickrambhai who suggested that we collaborate on this together. I loved working with him while doing the album, the experience was very enriching. This was another opportunity to work with a like-minded artiste and individual, thus I grabbed it.

Bickram: I thought that bringing Sonubhai in on the project would be another opportunity to take forward this amazing musical exploration that was started with the album. I’m really glad he agreed.

How long have you guys shared a rapport?

Bickram: Sonubhai and I have been working on an album tentatively titled Heart and Beat for a year now. During this time of making music, we discovered an amazing chemistry. I always admired his vocal skills and working together was an absolute pleasure. We were able to write lyrics, and create songs and rhythms in a matter of minutes! So when the offer for Jal came to me, I asked Sonubhai if he would like to come on board. He readily agreed. I think we both saw it as an opportunity to work together again.

Sonu: I remember meeting Bickrambhai briefly during my Sa Re Ga Ma Pa days when he had come with Pandit Ravi Shankar. But our close friend Manisha Dey is instrumental in getting us together. I sang for a movie (Gumshuda) he composed for and thereafter we bonded.

Sonu, is this your first stint as music composer?

Sonu: I’m actually quite well-versed with this role. I have composed for my albums. Chanda Ki Doli was even programmed by me. I had never thought of composing for films, mainly due to my crazy schedule and also because I like to work with like-minded people who have some basic sense of music. Not this ‘illusion of knowing music’. Everything in this set-up is up to my expectations and that feels great.

What are your respective roles as a music composer duo?

Sonu: There are no decided boundaries as we love and respect each other too much to tie each other down with decided roles.

Bickram: True. Though I think we have a bit of a pattern. The composition process mostly begins with me creating a rhythmic pattern and Sonubhai weaving in the basic melody. It’s almost like an impromptu jam. After the basic process, we step into each other’s territory and roles begin to overlap.

What kind of sound have you designed for Jal?

Sonu: I’d call it ‘Muddy-Electronica’. Electronica that has a mitti ki khushboo.

Bickram: I like that — muddy electronica! We’ve done one song. Jal de... Sonubhai has written the first lines Jal de jal de jaldi jal de jalne na de jal hi jal de... Sanjeev Tiwari has written a part too. The mood is sombre and goes into an outcry for water. Raga-driven melody with rhythm sections and interludes where trancy loops meet ethnic instruments. Shubha Mudgalji has sung it.

Will we also find you singing/playing in some of the tracks?

Sonu: That depends on whether composer Sonu and Bickram choose Sonu the singer and Bickram the percussionist to work with them!

Bickram: Touché! I’m playing because the film demands a lot of drumming. Sonubhai is debating whether to sing or not.

Do you see yourselves taking this forward and getting busy in Bollywood?

Sonu: I don’t know if we have enough time to indulge in full-time composing since music is a passion more than a profession for both of us. But then that’s when good work comes out, when you do it for the sake of art, not economics. If we meet like-minded people, we’ll surely work on some chosen project.

Bickram: Our main focus is to lend our talent to projects which have the right aesthetic values for us to step in. I see us doing select projects, be it mainstream or art house. We have discussed one more project. Let’s see.

What about the album that both of you were working on together?

Sonu: It’s in the making.

Bickram: It’s 70 per cent complete and is incredibly out-of-the-box. We have done songs in Hindi, English and Gujarati with rhythmic cycles ranging between three and a half and nine beats! You will also discover us as lyricists in this project. We’re hoping to wrap it up soon.

Sonu, what else is keeping you busy?

Sonu: As of now, my platter is pretty full. After my performances in the recent award functions and the opening song at the ICC World Cup opening at Dhaka, I can see a lot of positivity in the way the world is looking at me. Or perhaps I have become more open to the world.

I was kind of in my own space in between as I needed some time with myself. It was fulfilling and that’s probably why I am bonding well with the world now.

l kinds of opportunities are knocking at my door. I’ve accepted a few, like the X Factor. There are a couple of movie scripts that look interesting. I guess I jumped into acting a bit too early in my life. This, perhaps, would have been the right time. Nevertheless, we all learn from our mistakes.

I’ve cancelled all long tours since my mom has been diagnosed with cancer. I want to be around her so I took up the X Factor and postponed my American album. I’m not singing for too many movies as I no longer fancy it much. There are some selective people I work with and I’m happy with that. A contemporary music album is overdue too.

Bickram, what about you?

Bickram: I’m launching my project on Tagore called Tagore Lounge produced by Veecon on March 24. Terra Groove, a rhythmic magnum opus with Hollywood percussionist Greg Ellis, is expected around mid-year. Also, Tablasphere and Mortal, two fusion albums are ready for release. My song for the cricket World Cup — sung by Rupam Islam — is on air and I’m scoring for Suman Ghosh’s Nobel Chor.

RAPID FIRE

Favourite music composer in Bollywood BG: RD Burman, Madan Mohan
SN: Shankar Jaikishan, RD, Anu Malik, SEL (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)

Favourite music composer in Hollywood BG: Juno Reactor, Philip Glass
SN: I don’t know many names as there is no song and dance in 99 per cent of their movies

A filmmaker you wish to do music for someday BG: Sir Richard Attenborough
SN: Karan Johar

A favourite among recent Bollywood film soundtracks BG: Tanu Weds Manu SN: Khuda jaane from Bachna Ae Haseeno

Favourite singer BG: Kishore Kumar, Sonu Niigaam SN: Salamat Ali Khan, Lataji, Rafisaab

Sonu Nigam shares his Holi memories ....

Sonu Nigam is perfect judge says Aditya Narayan ....

How do you think X factor will make a mark in the minds of the audiences?

I am extremely delighted to be a part of the biggest singing reality show on Indian television. X Factor refers to the indefinable something that makes for star quality, so if you have it in you, come and show your talent. We are the 21st country launching this iconic show and contestants here won’t have an age bar. Also, we have different genres of singing like ghazal, devotional, etc. So this show will provide unlimited entertainment to the audiences.

Will you have a special look in the show?

My look in the show will be contemporary and I have a stylist helping me with it. Also, I will be wearing oodles of charm!!

Who is your favourite singer?

There are many singers I like but I love Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Niigaam, Sukhwinder Singh and Shreya Ghoshal because they are sensational.

What is your take on Sonu Niigaam as judge?

He is very humble and like an older brother to me. He has immense experience judging reality shows and I think he is the perfect candidate to judge X-factor. I feel the contestants will come out as better singers and performers after their interaction with him on X-Factor.



What are your future projects apart from this show?

I am happy the way my career has shaped up. Right now, I am just concentrating on this show and my singing but there would be an acting project starting next year...

Sonu Nigam hits the right notes ....

From ‘Acha Sila Diya Tune’ to ‘Zoobi Doobi’, and ‘Deewana’ to ‘Bijuriya’, Sonu Nigam has dabbled with pop, Western and classical genres of music. He wishes to experiment more with his voice while his versatility as a singer is unquestionable, says Srabanti Chakrabarti

Clones of famous singers do not last long. Be it a Kumar Sanu trying to ape Kishore Kumar or a Mohd Aziz imitating Mohd Rafi, they have been in the limelight for a few years only to be relegated to oblivion, later. The Hindi film music industry has been ruthless to clones. If you have to survive, you have to establish your own identity.

And that is precisely what Sonu Nigam did. The most-wanted singer in Bollywood today, Nigam started his career by singing cover versions of Mohd Rafi hits for T-Series. Although he did gain popularity after hosting Sa Re Ga Ma, he became Bollywood’s most sought-after playback singer only after his superhit number, Yeh Dil Deewana from Pardes.

He returns to television as a judge in X Factor on Sony Entertainment Television. “I have always believed in creating my own identity and never tried to imitate anyone. That does not mean I have not learned from my predecessors. I have tried to imbibe good qualities from the people I admire,” says Sonu Nigam.

On the situation of playback singers in Bollywood, Sonu says, “A number of good singers are not getting enough opportunities. Today, music directors give opportunities to only those singers with whom they can do shows later. Whether they are capable of singing a particular song or not is not even considered.”

Worried about this developing trend, Sonu decided to take a break and spent close to a year in the US, jamming up with musicians in the West Coast. In fact, he was also planning to release an album there.

Says Sonu, “I will need some more time before I can complete and release the album. My mother has been diagnosed with cancer and till she recovers, I cannot leave her and go abroad for a long duration.” The wait will definitely be worth it, considering Nigam’s albums have always been chartbusters. Songs like Deewana Main Hoon Tera or Bijuriya, from his non-film albums, have been extremely popular.

What does he think about the new breed of singers who are being churned out of reality shows on television? Are they even talented to have a successful or rather long-lasting career in the Hindi film industry? “Some singers, for instance, Rahul Vaidya, are really talented. I really do not know why they are not getting a chance in playback singing. A few are doing well, especially in stage shows.”

In the past, we have seen talented singers like Amit Kumar retiring from playback singing and concentrating only on stage shows. Amit was not happy with the deteriorating quality of songs being composed for Hindi films and the kind of treatment music directors were meting out to singers. Sonu partially agrees and says that a stage show is the right platform to test a singer’s mettle. “I feel happy to know that many stage shows are being conducted across the country. What’s even better is that budding singers are also getting a chance to sing for a large audience and have the opportunity to earn money.”

So, what brings him back to television? Sonu was a judge on Indian Idol but he chose to discontinue his commitment to the show. “It reached a point wherein the whole exercise was only to earn TRPs and not to celebrate music. I did not want to be associated with such shows and therefore, I took a break. I chose to judge X Factor only because it is a reality show for kids,” Nigam explains.

The singer has also been experimenting with his looks lately. “Why is that people keep questioning and discussing about my looks? Why is a singer targeted for trying to look good?” he asks.

All we hope for is that we are regularly treated to his soulful voice, both on television and films.

Today's youngsters are good in confidence says Sonu Nigam ....

Sonu Nigam who started his singing career at the tender age of three needs no introduction today!! Considered to be one of the major forces in the Indian music industry, Sonu is now ready to judge yet another musical reality show on television, X Factor on Sony Entertainment Television.

Here is he in a heart-to-heart talk with TellyBuzz..

What is X Factor all about?
X Factor is one of the biggest shows of music in the world right now. I would say that Indian idol was the biggest earlier, but now things have changed. X Factor has given great singers to the world and the format has been tried and tested and is acknowledged throughout the globe.

Will the format of the Indian version be similar to the international one?
Yes, I think the format will remain the same but along with that our personality will also show up in the show.

How are you as a judge approaching the show?
You will see me as a strict judge when it comes to judging the nuances of singers, because this stage is strictly meant for good singers. If you cannot sing properly, you do not have the right to stand in front of the judges authentically. We are here to search for that X Factor in a singer..

How did you get convinced to judge the show?
I got this proposal some three months back, but I had immediately refused to be part of it. In all these talent hunt shows, lots of fights take place between the judges and I do not prefer that. I usually opt to take up kids reality shows, in order to be away from such fights. I have always been comfortable doing Little Champs and Chhote Ustaad. But when I heard that X Factor was not just related to music I gave it a second thought. It so happened that certain middle aged aspiring singers who auditioned for this show came to me and told me how lucky I was to get the right platform at such a young age to showcase my talent. It was something very nice, and I took it as a great incentive to fulfill the wishes of people who are in the afternoon or evening of their life. X Factor is such a show which is a platofrm for such singers, and I wanted to be part of the journey of such people by judging it. You can come here as an individual, as a Jodi or as a group to participate.

What is the kind of performance that will woo you as judge?
Performance for me is not something that prompts the audience to 'Clap hands', or come up with expressions like 'Cool' or 'Yo'. Performance is one when a singer knows that he/she is singing very well with all the confidence. That is X Factor for me, and I feel that coming up with all the extras like dancing or putting some mannerisms in your act will not help.

Being an established singer do you think you could have done way better if you got such a platform to perform?
See, as a singer you very well know that the person who will matter the most is the composer. During my struggling days, there were certain composers who had the ISI mark; if you get to work with them your life is actually set. One such composer duo was Laxmikant Pyarelal. I still remember the days when I used to drive my bike and when I used to go past their house, my head would automatically bow down, and I used to pray to God to give me one chance to prove my worth before them. I started my career with lack of confidence. I was a school drop out, and had no God Father in the industry. But in today's era if you see, all the youngsters are so good in confidence, and I feel happy when I see them doing well in such platforms offered.

So are you happy with the standard of reality shows we have on TV today?
Yes, from a singer's perspective, I agree that with more and more reality shows happening, singers get more of scope. Again, going back to my days, there was this composer who used to always shout at singers, and we used to apologize to him even if it was not our mistake. We were forced to abide to all their whims and fancies as we had no other option. But today, I don't think the flourishing singers would put up with such tantrums. They have so many options made available to them like the live shows, reality shows thro' which they can make money. So I feel really happy for the singers of today. 

What happens to those who do not win such competitions? It has been noted that the singer who wins gets all the fame..
Every coin has two sides to it, and it is a known fact that only one person can be the winner. Having said this, the other singers do get their share of success and recognition. The world can never be fair to anyone. Just see for yourself, even though Abhijit Sawant won Indian Idol, Rahul Vaidya is far more successful today. Though he is not getting many of the movie offers, Rahul is a content man as he gets to do so many stage shows. Atleast he is not standing outside anyone's house looking for work.

Do you feel it is wise for successful reality show singers to opt for different things other than singing? 
See, they will obviously seek work outside if they do not get called by composers. Nowadays, the composers have the habit of singing their songs themselves. If at all they offer a chance to an aspiring singer, they give a chance to the one who is under their contract. If a singer does not get a good opportunity, it is not always his mistake. There are many composers who till date have not given me even one chance to sing for them. This does not mean that I am a bad singer. Nothing is in our hands. Everyone today wants to be a legend, and they do grab the first opportunity they get

Sonu Niigaam rocke at the IMA Awards ...

Abhishek, Katrina, Sonu, Shankar, Mika enthrall packed house at Reliance Media Works Studio


Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Beera Beera, Right Here Right Now, Dus Bahane, Jugni, Pyar do Pyar lo and other top Bollywood numbers resounded at Filmcity as Abhishek Bachchan, Mika Singh and Shankar Mahadevan brought the house down at the grand finale of the BIG STAR IMA Awards. The original Barbie doll of Bollywood, Katrina Kaif, enthralled the audiences with her jaw-dropping Moulin Rouge-style act as Sheila, while the most versatile singer of the music industry, Sonu Niigam, charmed the audiences with a medley of 23 songs across eras of music. The gala awards night was hosted by the entertaining duo Tusshar Kapoor and Kunal Khemmu, who have made a comeback after the success of 2010’s super hit movie, Golmaal 3. The duo upped the fun factor with their one-liners and hilarious gags that entertained the audiences throughout the event.


The evening saw glitterati from Bollywood and the music industry walking the red carpet as the performers and guests strutted their way into the event. Veteran directors from the Bollywood industry like Karan Johar, Yash Chopra posed for shutterbugs while the glam quotient was heightened by Salim-Suleiman, Luke Kenny, Mamta Sharma and Shruti Pandit, amongst others.
The event, conceptualized and executed by BIG Live, the experiential marketing arm of Reliance Broadcast Network Limited, recognized the best from the music industry across various genres. 92.7 BIG FM saw a countdown to the event as well as a live update of the entire event from the venue. The awards saw the best in the industry -- ranging from Bollywood to Pop, Jazz to Ghazals and Folk to New Age music and more – being honoured.


The awards will be aired on Star Plus

Sonu Niigaam Live in Concert at Thiruvananthpuram ...

March 13 will see one of the biggest musical mega shows happening in the city. Top-notch Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam and his band will be giving a musical treat on that evening at Nishagandhi. The show marks the finale of the PAACET Festival-2011, the national-level technical and cultural fest organised by P A Aziz College of Engineering and Technology (PAACET) every year.

The singer, who has to his credit some of the biggest bollywood hit numbers,

like ‘Sandeshe aate hain’, ‘Kal ho na ho’, ‘Ishq bina’, ‘Tu hi tu’, ‘Suraj hua madham’, ‘Main hoon na’,’Piyu bole’, ‘Main agar kahoon’, ‘All Izz Well’ etc and who carries the tag of an electrifying stage performer, will be performing from 6 pm onwards at the venue..



The event is being managed by ADD event management company, which has done stages for many fests and the sound and lights will be by Reynolds.

While the technical fest of the college began on the PAACET campus at Karakulam on Wednesday and will continue on Thursday, the cultural fest will begin at Nishagandhi on Thursday and will end on Sunday...

Sonu Niigaam will be seen in a new avtaar at IMA Awards ...

The music industry has never seen it this big! Come March 11, the BIG STAR IMA Awards, will see the music industry and Bollywood make a beeline to Filmcity.

The awards, which are as grand as it gets, will see the coming together of media conglomerates Reliance Broadcast Network and Star India, and the most credible representative of the music industry, Indian Music Academy (IMA).

The star-studded night will see performances by some of the biggest names like Shankar Mahadeven, music legend Sonu Niigaam, Mika and Tochi Raina, all these in a never-seen-before avatar. This, mixed with the slant of Tusshar Kapoor and Kunal Khemu's rippling comedy promises to bring the house down.

The industry is already buzzing with possible winners across genres that range from Bollywood to pop, jazz to ghazals and folk to new age music on the social media platform. You surely don't want to miss this one.

Cheers!!!

Playback singing is cursed says Sonu Niigaam Ji ...

More in the news for his changing head of hair than a Hindi film track, Sonu Nigam says most Hindi film songs are being rendered by the composer himself

You are hardly singing for films and focussing on shows instead.
Yes, because I don't get good songs to sing. The good ones are rendered by the composer himself, or are given to other singers. I don't want to sing for B or C grade films any longer. I respect my voice enough not to grab every playback singing offer.
 
Are you upset?
I will continue to sing for shows, television, films and at award functions. I don't hold grudges against people who don't engage me. Finally, it's business, and they are taking care of their business in the way they deem fit.

Are you suggesting that playback singing is not essential to survive as a singer?
Playback singing is shaapit (cursed). At a award function, Shah Rukh Khan said, "I owe 60 per cent of my success to singers who have sung for me." I appreciate that because it's rare for a playback singer's contribution to be so liberally acknowledged.

I don't like the phrase 'playback singing', the way Mr Bachchan doesn't like 'Bollywood'. What do you mean by playback? Why does every singer have to do playback? Playback singing is only one genre. You could be doing classical, semi-classical, ghazals... What's important is to be a good singer.

Is there a market here for private albums?
Yes, but album sales have dipped. Their place has been usurped by performances and music reality shows. That's why the world's biggest singing talent show on TV, X factor, has come to India. In the absence of such shows, a singer wouldn't want to be a singer today. Few singers actually get the chance to sing in films. With the help of digital equipment, anybody can become a singer in the industry. These shows have opened new avenues for singers to survive.

What albums are you working on?
One is for Greg Ellis and the famous tabla player Bikram Ghosh. It has songs in nine matraas, which is a rare feat. The other album, with guitarist Gaurav Diji who composed the music for Knock Out, will have contemporary music.

What about your album with Lata Mangeshkar, featuring a song by your son, Nevaan?
Sarhadein will be released in a month. Lataji suggested my son's name. I was in America when I got a call saying she had asked them to check if my son would sing. Before his third birthday, he had recorded the song. It just happened.

Your hairstyle has been a subject of debate.
It's inadvertent. When I was in America in 2009, I allowed my hair to grow and acquired this look. Now I have developed a new respect for women. I know how difficult it is to maintain long hair.

It's given you the aura of a pop star, but there's no concept of a pop sensation in India.
Zahir Hussain has long, unkempt hair. Nobody argued with him. Singers are crazy, and it's high time Indians accept us as we are...

Sonu Nigam Ji sings for Thank You ...

Sonu Niigaam complimented by Bryan Adams ...

Canadian rockstar Bryan Adams has been touring India and reaching out to all his Desi fans! Along the course of his trip, Bryan Adams met with Bollywood playback singer Sonu Niigaam and was quite impressed with his versatility...

Most recently, Sonu Niigaam blew the world away with his 54 voices all hear on the title track of Tees Maar Khan. Sonu brought the song to the opening ceremony of the 2011 cricket World Cup which is where Bryan Adams complimented Sonu on his voice and passion.

Reflecting on the compliment, Sonu Niigaam says, "I feel humbled by Bryan's warm gesture, he surprised me by singing along my song during rehearsal...and has invited me to visit him when I go abroad next. Last few months have been busy but exciting as I am also judging the first season of a new talent show coming on air this summer."

As Sonu continues to grow and expand as an artist, we are sure that more western artists will be in awe of his vocals!

Apna Sonu is back in form ...

Sonu Nigam is an artist who defines versatility as a singer and now as an actor. The actor is back with numerous assignments.

Recently at a musical award ceremony Sonu showed off his funny bone with a hilarious mimicry of his colleagues like Shankar Mahadevan, A. R. Rehman, Himesh Reshmiya, Pritam & Adnan Sami with his superb singing skills and great presence of mind. The singer also sang in 54 different voices for Farah Khan's last venture, which went on becoming a chart topper. Apart from singing in several female voices he has sung the song with an array of accents in his trademark style! Says Sonu, 'But the one I enjoyed the most was singing in Akshay Kumar's voice'. After which this multi talented man gave a spectacular live performance at the grand opening ceremony of the Cricket World Cup 2011, and got complemented by youth icon Bryan Adams, on his singing skills and passion for music. With so much happening around him Apna Sonu believes sky is the limit!

Sonu further adds, 'I feel humbled by Bryan's warm gesture, he surprised me by singing along my song during rehearsal...and has invited me to visit him when I go abroad next. Last few months have been busy but exciting as I am also judging the first season of a new talent show coming on air this summer.'

Sonu Niigaam & Jermaine Jackson's album coming soon.....

Jackson told Gulf News that the album will have Middle Eastern and Asian influences...

Jermaine Jackson, whose own attributes were often overlooked due to the phenomenal success of his brother Michael and sister Janet, is set to release his first solo album in 19 years, with several of the tracks having being recorded in Dubai.

Jackson told Gulf News that the album will have Middle Eastern and Asian influences while retaining its R & B core.

"I hope people will enjoy listening to my new songs just as much as I have enjoyed recording them," said Jackson, who was a surprise visitor to Meydan Racecourse on Thursday night.

"I've collaborated with musicians like Adnan Sami and Sonu Nigam on the album which will have a fair share of contemporary Middle Eastern and Asian rhythms. We hope to release the album this summer."

In the last 70s and early 80s Jermaine and his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael were The Jackson 5, a pop-music phenomena that remains till now one of the most successful and best selling music bands of all times......

Sonu Niigaam, Salim Merchant & Sanjay Leela Bhansali will judge the X Factor ...

Renowned luminaries Sonu Nigam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Salim Merchant will judge the Indian version of US music reality show ‘X Factor’.

The music reality show will be aired on Sony Entertainment channel and will be hosted by singer-anchor Aditya Narayan.

Sonu Nigam stated “My consent to be a judge of ‘X Factor’ is proof enough of my faith in the format, the teams involved and the Channel.”

He said further, “Music in India has gone beyond the boundaries of film music.”

Sonu added, “So for all those singers, bands and musicians who are trying to give music a new expression the show will give them a platform to showcase their talent, attitude, passion and commitment.”

Sonu, Sunny, Sanju, Shreya, Rahman -- X-Factor makers wooing everyone....

Last November Telly Chakkar reported that Sony would be launching their next big reality show X Factor. Now reports suggest that pan-India auditions for the show are currently on and will end by February-end or early next month.
Meanwhile, a list of probable judges for the show is out. A source informs, “Since this is a big ticket show the channel is trying to rope in the best in the business. Top actors and singers are being considered to judge the show. Rishi Kapoor is almost finalised but not much can be confirmed about the latest on this. The other names under consideration are Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Juhi Chawla. Then there is music composer-duo, Vishal-Shekhar and Shreya Ghoshal too who are top favourites. In fact there are suggestions that AR Rahman, Sonu Nigam and have also been approached.”

As is known the international version was made by Simon Cowell. Cowell’s production company owns the format of the show. It was also reported that the channel was keen on having Cowell on board as one of the judges. Sources say Fremantle India Television Productions will produce the show for Sony. The reality show is slated to launch after the Indian IPL (Indian Premier League). The format of the show is such that the finalists are mentored by a judge. Each judge is assigned a category and then aids the contestant with song selection and styling. The winner of the show usually gets no prize money but a recording contract.
We tried getting in touch with Ajay Bhalwankar Programming Head, Sony for confirmation but he remained unavailable......

Sonu Niigaam Ji performed at a function at Ajivasan in Mumbai ...

It was a delight to watch Dr L Subramaniam performing a solo piece on stage and even more so, to see him getting felicitated for his contribution to Indian classical music.

Hosted by Suresh Wadkar in memory of his guru, the evening also saw a performance by Ustad Rashid Khan. Talat Aziz and wife Bina were present, as well as Sonu Nigam, Ila Arun, Pallavi Joshi and many others were seen enjoying the performances.

In between listening to the music, Jagjit Singh also kept track of the cricket match between India and England on his cellphone!

Sonu Niigaam & Bryan Adams team up ...

It will be the perfect mix of the East and the West and efforts are on to get Indian music sensation Sonu Niigaam to team up with iconic rocker Bryan Adams. Sonu, who met Bryan during the cricket World Cup grand opening ceremony where they individually performed at Bangladesh, is set to travel to London to meet Bryan at his residence.

A source from the music industry informed a news daily that Sonu had the confidence to compose and sing an English song on a platform that had the international rock legend Bryan Adams. After hearing his song 'Let’s Go For Glory', record labels want Sonu to collaborate with Bryan for an English album.

Sonu confirmed to the daily that he would be travelling to London soon to meet Bryan. He added that it would be great if they can work out something together. As of now he just wants his mother’s health (his mother Shobha has been detected with cancer) to improve before he can get going on his projects...