Sonu Nigam rocked IIFA with Jermain Jackson ...

Jermaine Jackson took to stage with Indian singer Sonu Nigam to pay a special tribute to brother Michael Jackson on his second death anniversary at the IIFA Rocks concert here.
The duo sang This Is It, a song written by Sonu Nigam, in remembrance of the 'King of Pop', who died on June 25, 2009 at age 50, just weeks before his much awaited comeback tour of the same name.
Dressed in a red sequined jacket, V-neck white shirt, black slacks and the number '5' displayed in red, Jermaine tried to recreate the past by singing a medley of hits including Can you feel it, Scream, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin, Stop pressuring me before crooning to This is it with Nigam.
Jermaine ended the high octane performance amid loud cheers from the audience.
"First I want to say how much I love you/ Because I see Michael in each one of you," the singer added.
Nigam said he was teary eyed when Michael passed away two years ago and had written and composed the song in his memory.
"Little did I know that Michael would send his respected elder brother Jermaine to sing it with me. This is truly a special moment for me," Nigam said.
The performance was part of an event-studded night of of the IIFA Rocks event, a fusion of music and fashion for charity saw Sonu singing popular qwawali numbers in rock style which had several Bollywood personalities dancing.
The fashion show saw cricketer Brett Lee, Zayed Khan, Rahul Khanna as show stoppers for Rajesh Pratap Singh, Neha Dhupia was the show stopper for the Bay while Sonakshi Sinha was the show stopper for Vikram Phadnis' ethnic collection.
The fashion show saw performances by Shankar Ehsaan Loy as models walked the ramp.

Sonu Nigam nominated for 58th Idea Filmfare Awards ...

The Idea Filmfare Awards South are back! During a press conference at the Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers - Chennai, Filmfare and Idea announced the much awaited Nominees for the best in South Indian cinema for 2010.
The 58th Idea Filmfare Awards 2010 (South India) would be held on July 2, 2011 at Hyderabad International Convention Centre.

The polling process has generated a huge response for 10 popular categories each in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. Nominees drawn from the responses have been shortlisted and a specially appointed jury has been set up to pick the final winners...

Sonu Nigam will be in a documentary on Leh Ladakh ...

Director Harish Sharma, who debuted this year into filmmaking with "2 nights in soul valley", is now making a documentary film on the 'Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre' (MIMC) at its Devachan campus in Leh-Ladakh.
This half hour long documentary will feature the voice of character actor Hemant Pandey, of TV serial "Office-Office" fame, who also acted in " Ready"; and the film is edited by Anuradha Singh who was the assembly editor of " Slumdog Millionaire".

"Guruji- Bhikkhu Sanghasena of Mahabodhi centre- is doing so much charity work for the needy people of that region that it is only appropriate that his work gets highlighted," says Harish. The documentary will be shot in Leh- Ladakh this month end and will wrap up in about four days time. "How many people do we know today who do work so selflessly? Not many. Hence, I decided that such people should become inspiration to the others which is why I am making the film. We intend taking the film to various film festivals to spread the good word," says Harish.

While the film projects a good cause, those connected with it have also donned the role of good human beings and are not charging any money for the film. "Both Anuradha and Hemant are not charging any money for doing this film," informs Harish, "Though neither them nor I am into spirituality, nor are we followers of the Mahabodhi sect."
British singer, Milli Moonstone who also acted in the Harish's debut film, is also a part of this Mahabodhi movement and has already spread the message in Europe, converting into a virtual ambassador of Mahabodhi in Britain.
Sources say, noted singer Sonu Nigam is also expected to shoot a song with the children of Mahabodhi's school at Devachan sometime soon.

Sonu Nigam sings for Suhaib Ilyasi's movie 498A -- The Wedding Gift ...

Filmmakers often look at their own lives for inspiration, and Suhaib Ilyasi has found pretty much everything for his debut movie in his own life. Ilyasi, widely known for his show India's Most Wanted, was charged under the Dowry Act (498A) after his wife committed suicide in 2000. A decade later, he is making a movie called 498A The Wedding Gift, and has shot 85% of the movie.

Says Suhaib, The movie is a project of blood and sweat. People always thought Suhaib Ilyasi was arrested for killing his wife Anju. But the truth is that I was arrested under the charge of demanding `10,000 as dowry. My movie is based on a section of the IPC, 498A, yeh dahej lene waalon ko rokne ke liye banaya gaya tha. But it's being completely misused these days.

He adds, It's an absolutely commercial film. Cinema ke through bahut strong messages diye ja sakte hain. It's a balanced mix. There are songs by Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shaan, etc, but the topic is serious. The lead roles are being played by Delhi-boy Harsh Nagar, and Shrishti Gautam, a class X student of Delhi's Sanskriti School. A class X student? Yes. I wanted a young and fresh face. Shrishti agreed she's a younger version of Katrina Kaif, and a wonderful performer. Farida Jalal, Alok Nath, Reema Lagoo and Deepak Tijori are also in the film. 

The team is also coming to Delhi to shoot. Says Ilyasi, We are keeping the film low key, but once it's complete, I'd like to show it to LK Advani. Even such a senior politico has experienced this problem. His daughter-in-law has filed a case of dowry against him. We earlier had permission to shoot at the High Court, but it was recalled when a bomb was found outside the court.

X Factor winner will get the biggest break in KJo's movie ...

Filmmaker Karan Johar, who buried the hatchet with Sanjay Leela Bhansali when he recently visited the sets of "X-Factor", has decided to give the winner of the music reality show a chance to sing for one of his forthcoming films.The filmmaker, known for movies like "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" and "My Name Is Khan", has tied up with Sony Entertainment Television to give a worthy platform to the winner.

The host of the show, Aditya Narain, broke the news to the top 12 shortlisted contestants on behalf of Karan - much to their excitement.

Karan praised "X-Factor", saying it is by far the best talent show and all three judges - Sonu Niigaam, Shreya Ghoshal and Bhansali - are doing well. He was also heard saying that Bhansali is one of the "finest directors" of Bollywood, according to a source.

In fact, Johar and Bhansali even hugged each other - suggesting that they have moved on after their war of words.

Bhansali had taken a tad too seriously Johar's comment on "Saawariya" being a "blue film" and had lashed out against him in the media.

Johar reacted by saying in an interview: "Anyone who chooses the media as a form of communication is clearly not a friend. I think he needs to learn to take himself a lot more lightly than he does. It will be a good thing for him."

But now, all seems to be well between the two - at least by what seemed on the sets of the reality show.

The episode featuring Johar will be aired Friday, and the top 12 contestants will be revealed as well. 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali : Sonu Nigam is a mad genius ...

The common factor in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Saawariya and Guzarish other than producer director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is the powerful music. And the man behind the melodious creations, Sanjay Bhansali now dons the role of a judge on Sony's mega show X-Factor. Sanjay reveals his reasons to be on the show, what he learnt from Sonu and how he loves people mimicking him
Why did you choose to judge X-Factor?
The concept, format and platform of the show is huge. X-Factor is a mega show, something I have never seen. It is bigger than any film I have done and the canvas totally blew me away. I was shocked and surprised with the level, grandeur, scope and reach of the show. Moreover, when I heard about the production team and my co-judges, I knew I had to be on the show

How excited are you about being a part of X-Factor?
I am truly looking forward a rocking experience. I feel X-Factor is phenomenal. I love music and being associated with music via a music reality show is a dream come true for me. What better could it be?

What is the goal of X-Factor?
The goal is to find that one fabulous voice that blows us all over- a performer that takes India forward. We need a superb voice and with such great talent as judges- as we can't get better than Sonu and Shreya- I hope the audience is in sync with us. I have enjoyed my associated with Sony in the past and now as well. We [judges] have laughed, cried, entertained and been entertained by the contestants on the show.

How has the experience been with Sonu Nigam?
Sonu is a mad genius who is funny, witty, and full of jokes and puns. He has a superb take on contestants and a brilliant command his craft. Interacting with him, I have begun talking more than I used to.


Were you surprised to see Shreya as a judge?
Yes, I was pleasantly surprised as she has grown in front of my eyes. The beautiful Shreya has soared in the music industry and I feel extremely proud of my association with her. I felt emotional to see her beside me judging in this competition.

You have fabulous soundtrack in your movies. Have you learnt music in life?
No, in a music class, if that's what you mean. But I learnt music from lots of people I have heard Lataji, Rafi Saab, Kishore Kumar Saab and numerous other superb singers. I learnt about music listening to jingles too. My understanding of music has come from various songs I have heard over the years. I love music and don't leave any opportunity to learn, understand, talk or hear more music. I am constantly learning.

Why haven't you worked with Sonu Nigam before in your films?
Well, Lataji is the Goddess of music and I have not worked with her yet either. But that is all luck and destiny. After meeting and talking to Sonu and knowing all about him, I hope I get an opportunity in the near future to work with him. There is no doubt about his talent. I am a huge fan of his voice. And now after being with him in X-Factor, I am a fan of Sonu, the person, too.

Why do you think people make fun of you at award shows or mimic your movies
I think because they love me a lot and that gesture is to show their love. I have a serious side but I have a fun side too, which not many people know about. I can take a joke. Sonu is so funny that being with him on the show, I have learnt to laugh more. People who make fun of me are doing it in humour.

Singer Soumya Raoh & Sonu Nigam collaborated for CCL ...

Not all singers can compose music,” says one of Bollywood’s favourite playback singer, Soumya Raoh. While she may have been itching to compose for years now, Soumya admits, “It is easier to sing than to compose and I was happy to be doing my singing assignments. But then comes a time when that urge to do a bit more gets to you and you sit up and do something about it.”
Raoh’s first composition, incidentally turned out to be an international tie up with a US-based company called EEG. “As of now, I have composed one song in English for them. It has a few Hindi words in it as well. It’s called the Paradise and though it was released on iTunes for the American market, it has been uploaded on You Tube as well. We released this as part of the dry run and there are a lot more songs coming up,” she says.
If you thought going international means going away from ones own roots, it is quite the contrary for Raoh. The last connection this singer, originally from Bangalore, had with her city is something that a lot of the filmi fans are tripping about right now.
“Singer and composer Sonu Nigam is a good friend of mine. And I also happen to be his Kannada connect. So every time he has an assignment from here, he calls to check on meanings of words and the way they are pronounced too. So when he took on the task of composing the theme song for Karnataka Bulldozers, who are part of the ongoing Celebrity Cricket League, he called on me to not just sing along, with him and Kunal Ganjawala, but to write the lyrics as well. Though I am very comfortable with Kannada, writing lyrics in the language was a first for me. I had actually informed him that if I did not like what I had written, I would not give it to him at all. But I am glad it has turned out well and from what I hear, people seem to like it a lot too,” she explains.
So was it easier than she thought? Raoh says, “Writing a theme song for something that is sport related, even though this was being played by actors, comes with a challenge. The lyrics need to be able to cater to the lowest denominator. The words have to be meaningful, yet light enough for people to sing along. Putting it together was good fun.”

I won't sing on stage : Sanjay Leela Bhansali ...

Filmmaker and recently turned music composer, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has refused to sing for a gala that will unveil X Factor Season One’s finalists on Sony Entertainment. Even though he is the judge on the singing reality show and the channel is planning to rope in big artistes from Bollywood, the filmmaker is adamant.

Several international artistes like Jennifer Lopez are also being considered, but no names have been finalised yet. “Jhalak Dikkhlaa Jaa’s first season was the first show I judged on TV, but I didn’t dance on it. I interacted and enjoyed myself with some of the finest people from the industry. Similarly, I love music, I compose and even hum songs, but that doesn’t mean I will sing on stage for a national audience,” says Bhansali.

“I can’t even begin to imagine what I will sound like when I’m made to sing alongside Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Niigaam and infinitely talented contestants. I think the stage belongs to my co-judges and the participants, not me.” Sanjay would rather stick to singing in his bathroom and humming along with the Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey classics that he listens to in his car. “All those good ole’ songs that I grew up with, have given me a fantastic ear for music,” he adds.

When asked which songs he likes to sing, Sanjay pinpoints ‘Abhi na jao chhod kar…’ from Dev Anand’s Hum Dono (1961). Considering it’s a romantic song and romance has been a strong element in all of Sanjay’s films, has he ever sung the song for anyone?

“Yes, I have,” blushes Sanjay. “I’ve sung this song to someone special several times. I still sing the song, whether the person is around or not. But hey, I’m not naming the mysterious Miss. Let her identity remain hidden.”

Sonu Nigam performed at CCL in Bangalore ...

Taking the city’s cinema buffs to dizzy heights and throwing the traffic cops in a tizzy, the much-awaited Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) made a dramatic mark at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

It took time to fill up the stadium. But the presence of CCL brand ambassadors Shriya Saran and Priyamani; Salman Khan, the owner of Mumbai Heroes; Sonakshi Sinha and others was enough to rev up the event. Celebrities from the Kannada entertainment industry including TV artistes were present in full strength, and that did enough to excite the crowd. A live performance by Sonu Niigaam only added to the glitz. Before the stars donned the cricketers’ mantle and got onto game mode, a folkish opening awaited the crowds. With Vijay Prakash belting out one folk song after another, the stadium had a dose of Yakshagana, Nandi Kolu, Pooja Kunita and Dollu Kunita. The stage was now set for the first match between Chennai Rhinos and Telugu Warriors. After winning the toss, the Rhinos chose to bat first. But, unexpected rain stopped the match for a while and the match was restricted to 14 overs according to Duckworth-Lewis method. Chennai Rhinos put up a tough total of 134 runs for 6 wickets at the end of 14 overs. That was adequate to help them beat the competition by 21 runs. Cricket apparently took the backseat. What mattered were the stars. The cheers the Karnataka Bulldozers got was proof enough of this, as the local team took on the Mumbai Heroes in the second match. Dancing in the drizzle, the fans lapped up every four and six in gay abandon. For the record, Karnataka Bulldozers beat Mumbai Heros by seven wickets. Actors Dhruva and captain Sudeep were the star performers for the home team

Sonu Nigam & Shreya Ghoshal's recording tips ...

Sonu Nigam attends Ismail Darbar's birthday bash ...

Ismail Darbar celebrated his birthday with a party for the first time in over three decades. A select few of the music fraternity came in to wish the birthday boy at the boutique restaurant venue. Sonu Nigam shared a laugh with music composer Lalit Pandit, as brother Jatin was also seen. Himesh Reshammiya, who is finally emerging from his hibernation, showed up.

Alka Yagnik put in a brief appearance and was heard saying that she was scheduled to go elsewhere. “I came to wish Ismail since I was in town,” said Alka. Abhijeet Sawant also showed up. Smita Thackeray was seen wishing Ismail on his big day, on which he also broadcast his decision to join a political party...

Sonu Nigam at the BIG STAR IMA Awards ...

The Indian Music Academy (IMA) co-founded by Durga Jasraj in 2006, has spent the last 5 years to fulfill the goals set by its founder Patron Pandit Jasraj and the illustrious Board of 12 Patrons. Having instituted the IMA Awards for dedicated contribution to music over a lifetime in 2006 and 2007, IMA entered into a joint venture with Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. to produce India’s first comprehensive Music Award for Annual Excellence – the BIG STAR IMA AWARDS to be telecast on Star Plus on the 5th of June at 8pm.

The show features uniquely designed performances by Indian Music stars like Shankar Mahadevan, Percussionist Selva Ganesh and Violinist Ganesh and a breathtaking rendition of the variety of all genres of Indian Music and its journey over decades by Sonu Nigam – which will entertain audiences as never before in a Music Award function.

Also watch super stars Abhishek Bachchan and Katrina Kaif performing to their all-time hit songs like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Sheila ki Jawaani, and a tribute to the versatile composer, director, producer Vishal Bhardwaj by TV stars Sanjeeda Sheikh and Sushant Singh Rajput, and Amir Ali.

The BIG STAR IMA Awards provides national recognition to music talent across every genre of India’s Musical landscape – covering Classical, Folk, Ghazal, Sufi-Qawwali, Jazz and Blues, Electronica, Rock, DJ Remix, Film music, etc. These awards are truly the right blend of celebration of music in India.

The Award has many firsts –

The specialized Jury comprised renowned and veteran musicians from the Indian fraternity who judged five categories that they had excelled in. The Jury spent more than 700 man hours in marking each and every entry received.

Entries were solicited from musicians, lyricists, labels and the entire music industry, which resulted in a record breaking more than 3000 entries. The total of 25 Jury based awards cover five categories including Classical, Traditional, World Contemporary, Sound Design and Film.

The Popular Category Awards which are distinct in that they were chosen by listeners of the 92.7 BIG FM radio arm of Reliance Broadcast Network across its 45 station networks. Extensive digital promotions and on-ground activation was executed to create a buzz among listeners who voted for their favourite lyricist, composer, musician and singer in the popular section via SMS or Online logins.

The joint presentation of the most credible body of Music in India – Indian Music Academy, and two of the largest and popular media houses in the country Reliance Broadcast Network and Star India is not just entertaining but also the most authentic platform to felicitate annual excellence in all forms of Indian Music.