Internet is the new underground

So feels Hard Kaur after hosting her first webcert on artistaloud.com.

So feels Hard Kaur after hosting her first webcert on artistaloud.

Coming down to Mumbai with dreams and her trademark grunge voice,UK-raised singer Hard Kaur was disappointed to find herself boxed in the same category of songs for three years. She bemoaned the lack of originality and sang Punjabi based songs,the only category that has some chance at success with the audience. I had to do it for my bread and butter. But deep inside,it was eating away at me that I could not do the kind of songs that I wanted to, she says,a faint trace of melancholy discernible in her voice. The industry is all about actors. Nobody talks about people like background dancers or singers, Kaur adds.

Kaur then took a chance and sang a few of her own songs from B69 Bajao,a jamming club situated in Mumbai,to an audience that comprised live listeners from across the globe in her first webcert for artistaloud.com. The website is a repository for upcoming and established singers who wish to reach out to a niche audience with a collection of their selected tracks. I sang a few hip-hop numbers. That8217;s my favourite genre of music. I yelled out swear words and sang without a care. It took me back to my roots and was like a proper performance that was appreciated by many Indians and other listeners from across the world, she said. Kaur said that she did not need to overcome any technological barriers to host her webcert. All I need is a mike and I can get singing. I don8217;t even need music. Although I felt the sound could be a little better,there were no issues with the performance really.

Kaur,who shot to fame with Move your body in the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy composed Johnny Gaddar and Talli from Ugly Aur Pagli,said it was a welcome break from her Indian film industry songs. I hope there are many more webcerts. It is the latest base for the type of underground music that I love to do, she said adding that webcerts are a boon for unconventional singers to put out their stuff and get opinions directly from fans. There are many singers like Kailash Kher whose work deserves to reach out to a wider audience. We also get to know what listeners are thinking on a real-time basis during the performance, she said.

The singer said hip-hop is an oft-neglected genre in the larger scheme of music in the country today. Kaur feels regular performances will help hip-hop rise to the level of independent rock that exists along side the staple Bollywood fare. Today,when you go into a club,you can8217;t be sure that the DJ will play even a single hip-hop song. I want to clear the misconception that hip-hop and rap songs are about bad lyrics and poor music, she said.

Realising the power of Internet,Kaur has also opened up her own official website. The singer said it is for her fans to connect with her at hardkaurworld.com. Complete with links to various social networking sites,the site also features a virtual iPod featuring various hits and links to buy Hard Kuar merchandise. While sections of the website are still under construction,the singer promises that she will interact with her fans via her website on a regular basis. The singer also revealed she will release an album comprising bhangra and hip-hop numbers in March next year. She will also be heard singing for Akshay Kumar Anushka Sharma starrer Patiala House on February 11.

priyanko.sarkarexpressindia.com