Being a front rank playback singer, a pop-artist and host of a mega musical show on TV doesn't look like child's play. However, Sonu Nigam, with his boy-next-door face and oodles of talent switches these roles with ease and style. He has hosted over two hundred shows of the immensely popular Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee TV, sung songs for films like Border, Dil Se, Pardes, and Taal, among others, and cut well-noticed albums like Deewana, Mausam and Jaan.
So, where exactly does one pinpoint Sonu's energy source? To his early years, when he trained under his father Agam Kumar? To the frustrations of his early, struggling days? To his sincerity in opting for a sound classical music background? Or to the sheer will to excel and make a mark?
Sonu Nigam's position today as a talented and rapidly upcoming singer is probably a product of all these. It was easy for him to star learning music from an early age since his father himself was a highly gifted singer. What was not very easy to imbibe from his father, was the missed opportunities because of temperamental fluctuations. Or for that matter, wasting his
talent by singing in birthdays and marriages, as his father would do. When Sonu Nigam took a leap and came to Bombay, he also decided to put behind him the itsy-bitsy film roles he had done as a child in films like Kamchor and Betaab, and concentrate solely on music.
Stardom as a singer wasn't easy. To begin with, there was some kind of an association with Mohammed Rafi's voice and style, something he had stayed with since his first public performance of Kya Hua Tera Wada, when he was just three years old. The Rafi tag however didn't take him far, much as Kishore Kumar's did to Kumar Sanu.
Next, with great effort, Sonu recorded his first song for a film, Aa Meri Jaan (courtesy Usha Khanna who introduced him to composer Amar Utpal), but the song ended being dubbed by S.B. Balasubramanyam. The song that ultimately worked wonders for Sonu, was the rather down market Achcha Sila Diya Tune Mere Pyar Ka for the film Bewafa Sanam. However, in spite of the great popularity of the song, the fact that it was picturized on Kishan
Kumar, wasn't a great help for Sonu, in the overall designer marketing demands. But people heard him repeatedly and many had begun liking the tenor, the melody and the grace of the voice.
Soon came the song from Border: Sandese Aate Hain. The entire nation was singing it and the song made waves abroad in the hearts and minds of all Indians. The wonderfully hummable tune created by Anu Malik thus airlifted Sonu Nigam into the frontline of playback singers. With the husky and sensuous rendering in the erotic song Tu Hi Re in Dil Se, picturized
exquisitely by Mani Rathnam, Sonu Nigam had started finding his own groove. With songs like Yeh Dil Deewana in Pardes, Sonu was even experimenting with the Michael Jackson elements. By the time Taal was to happen, through so many playback numbers in between, Sonu had established himself as one of the finest male playback singers in business. Along with Udit Narayan and
Abhijeet, Sonu today forms a troika reminiscent in many ways, of Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh.
Unlike his playback contemporaries, Sonu leads a triple life. Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee TV for over four years has made him a household name. In addition, the opportunity to meet great music legends as judges and finest music talents as participants, has further honed his musical insights. Above all, it is a platform for him to showcase his own understanding of the intricate aspects of Indian music. The music show has variously made him respected,
adored and loved by all Indians within the country and abroad.
Sonu Nigam's most spirited venture has been his foray into the Indipop scene. His latest album Jaan is creating waves in no uncertain terms. However, compared to his playback singing and compering abilities, the pop albums have invariably received mixed reactions. His earlier association with T-Series resulted in a few mediocre outputs like Sapno Ki Baat and Deewana. Even with Magnasound, Kismat and Mausam were not too hot, though they sold fairly well. Some interesting experiments however can't be ignored. Sargams, Arabian style claps, saxophones -- all seem to desperately attempt innovation. In most cases, they haven't worked out too well. On the other hand, more indigenous songs like Tharo Roop (a m=E9lange of folk and classical) or Bijuriya (Bhangada beats) succeeds in turning on the magic. Sonu definitely has the capability of turning a number into an infectious song, as in Tu from Kismat.
Sonu Nigam's latest album Jaan is somewhat of a letdown, with a few exceptions. Tera Milna, a slow love ballad with good arrangements, tune and melody, supported by a picturized music video is worth the buy. Jaane Kyon Tujhko can be called passable as against the rest which are quite fast forward able. You feel cheated when you buy an album after seeing its music video and
find that particular number to be the only piece worth listening to. Sonu can be more selective in planning his next album.
May be, that's the reason why he is planning to turn composer soon. Now, that's a fourth role, isn't it?
