Journalism of Courage
The sultana of playback takes a small but significant step towards global fame – Sunidhi Chauhan has just recorded a song for Enrique Iglesias new album Euphoria.
Enriques album Euphoria was released in 2010 and had Nicole Scherzinger singing Heartbeat. But for this years edition of the CD,they wanted an Indian tadka to blend with the track. Shamir Tandonji has provided the blend with the Indian element. Its largely the same song,but there is a bit of Hindi. I enjoyed doing the song,which we recorded partly abroad and the rest here. The collaboration was a great experience.
Such international work was your dream right from the beginning of your career. Would you say a dream has been realised?
Not really. All I can say is that it is a small first step towards that.
How did Enrique zero in on you?
I guess that if you really want to work with someone anywhere in the world,you can reach them. Enriques distinct style has always fascinated me,and this song too is very distinct. He must have liked my voice when he listened to it. Indian music is going places and just as we listen to the greats from the West, they must be also getting the occasional opportunity to hear us as well.
Though it is a first step like you put it,what are your expectations from this song?
I am not expecting anything. I just believe in doing my work. But who does not want international recognition? If Indian culture today is so looked up to that Bryan Adams and Akon are coming to India even though are very big in the rest of the globe as well as here,why would we not want to go global? A few artistes may not admit it,but who does not like to expand ones fan base,learn more about others music and grow in the process,and also make our Indian music reach a wider listenership?
You mentioned the Indian tadka,the slight tang as we can call it. But thats fine for an outside artiste who is flaunting his own culture and fusing it with ours. But when an Indian artiste goes global,the Indian element is still small when the reverse should be the case,right?
I think that it all depends on the individual artiste. Our classical artistes are presenting pure classical there even when they are collaborating live with Western musicians. And so far as the blend is concerned,the innovations are all about new sounds – the base is the same seven notes. Also,the musical culture in India is unique.
Explain.
Over here,it is film music that is the biggest,whereas over there a musician is a part of the music industry. There are Western classical and light music there,but there is no entity called film music. In India,it is our film stars who are big,as much globally-recognised now as the Hollywood names. But over there,a Madonna or a Michael Jackson are bigger than film stars!
What I am saying is that we have to take a middle-path and because of this disparity,we should ideally be open to blending their music with ours in the right way so that we are accepted globally,and that means Indian music rather than any specific artiste. And there is no rule-book of music anywhere,especially in India where we are more into popular music. We accept what sounds nice to our ear,par itne sureele kaan bhi to hai hamaare!
Arising from that,why do you think no female singer has really made a mark after you came in from the late 90s and Shreya Ghoshal from 2002,almost a decade ago?
Honestly,I cannot answer that question. For one,I have never paid attention to who is doing what and who has made it. I do my work not just as a job but with passion. I only know that if a voice or a singer is really nice,especially today,it never goes unnoticed. People are always eager to give you a chance,maybe some singers do not know how to maintain the benefits they get from these opportunities. I honestly do not know how to reply to this question,but there are a lot of talented singers out here,and you never know when someone new will crop up.
What else is happening back home?
I am busy with recordings and shows as usual. I am doing some other things that I will talk about at the right time.
How much has life changed after Sheila ki jawani from Tees Maar Khan?
There has been no difference,except that one more song has been added to my songs that are in great demand on my shows. I am even addressed as Sheila,which is gratifying because a singer has also been identified with a song rather than only the star on whom it was filmed.
Do you feel upset when a song that you sang as nicely as the one that became a hit did not click with the audience?
I have passed that stage years ago. I am used to it now. To an extent,I was always aware that great songs sometimes do not work,so I also had come into the industry knowing that this happens all the time. As I said,for me singing is a passion more than a job,and God has given me so much that I cannot nitpick if some songs do not work.
How upsetting was it that Udi from Guzaarish did not work?
And who says that? The media? Or is it stated because the song is not shown as much on screen as a Sheila ki jawani or for that matter Munni badnaam hui? Look,for me there is no question of disappointment because in my world,this song is a towering hit! On popular demand,this is the song with which I make my second entry on every show. Iss gaane ki guzaarish hamesha aati hai! There are people who tell me that it is the classic of the decade,and that it will go into the Hall Of Fame – or deserves to!
Or take Neeyat from Teen Patti. The fact remains that the song is discussed all the time. There are people asking me about it and I have to sing it on every show. But if you went by the media,the song is buried and gone!
Why is this happening that the media is away from ground realities like this?
I do not know. Maybe it is about filling airtime or print space,or adding spice. Like all this Munni-Sheila controversywhy should one song be compared to another at all? And why should one song be berated to favour another one? Munni is such a fantastic number that I dance to it if it is played in my presence,even at an event. I am sure that Mamta Sharma must be reacting in the same way to Sheila. But its fine,because we artistes learn from such negativity,such talk. If everything was hunky-dory,how would we grow? As I said,the people in India go by their ears and hearts. So what if a singer is not technically up to the mark and needs pitch correction with software? This is a country where if the voice is attractive to the ears,no one can stop an artiste from making a fortune!
So which are the songs we can particularly look out for,just like you had mentioned Udi and Sheila ki jawani last time?
I have recorded superb songs for Venus Tezz with music by Sajid-Wajid,for Murder 2 which has a new pair of composers and for Dum Maro Dum and a Vipul Amrutlal Shah,both of which have music by Pritam.
rajiv.vijayakarexpressindia.com
