He is actually the king of romantic songs in India. If in the last few years, the show Sa Re Ga Ma had imposed him into the hearts of spectators, the success of his songs have very quickly
turned him into the glory of Indian music. Despite the rain that was messing up with things at the Rose Hill Stadium, in Mauritius on the 2nd of September 2000, his numerous fans were there.
With his voice and his music, it was pure delight and the heart of the audience was conquered in an exploding manner. "I was overwhelmed by the crowd," he tells us. Between his passion, his
new albums, his success in playback singing, and, maybe, soon, his success as a hero in a movie,here is a young man who's just full of talents and crazy about them.
Ab Mujhe raat din tumara hi khayal hai Sonu Nigam sings it with so much love that he warms the hearts of all his fans in this fine rain. His charm, his beauty, his simplicity, and to top it all, his great voice creates a craze amongst all, young and old. The girls were numerous at the meeting on that night and they were yelling at the top of their voices each time Sonu Nigam started a song. On his part, the singer had not realised before that he had conquered the hearts of so many fans and he expressed his surprise: "I didn't expect such a response from the audience.
I was overwhelmed to see such a crowd. They were thousands of people standing and waiting for me, even though it was raining. They stood there till the end and the rain didn't affect them.
That's great! I'm so happy that the show went on smoothly and people enjoyed themselves. It's the same all over the world and it amazes me."Music is absolutely part of my life", says the one who thinks that if he has so much success, it is because it is "God's wish", as he believes in fate. Sonu Nigam's breakthrough in music was predestined, his father Agam Kumar Nigam being very famous for his own music talents in the
1980's. "I gave my first live concert at the age of three and a half." And yes, however unbelievable it may seem, he really did it. Moreover, he used to take up all the prizes in singing
competitions, to such an extent that he was being forbidden from taking part in competitions, not just in those for his age group but in those for seniors as well. "The organisers used to invite me as a guest of honour to distribute the prizes," he says with a laugh.
Sonu Nigam thinks that he has a long way to go. He works his voice every day. "Without that, my voice goes for a toss. I didn't have a powerful voice when I started and I have worked hard to make it sound the way it does now. Every singer has to work on his or her voice. But I do have an extraordinary sense of music." His inspirations are Mohammad Rafi and Michael
Jackson "who have inspired and influenced me the most." To be noted that he had refused the Screen Videocon Award when he was offered the trophy for the Best singer for the song
Sandese aate hain of the film Border. The reason that he brings up is: "the trophy was not justified. It was offering me the prize for the Best Singer while forgetting that Roop Kumar
Rathod also songs the song. How could they do that? Anyway, these people have no sense of music.
Discovered by Gulshan Kumar, Sonu Nigam has quickly made himself a name as a singer in the Indian film industry. With the success of Sa Re Ga Ma, he became a new craze. Many girls are after him, but Sonu Nigam thinks that marriage is far away. "Before, I used to say to myself that I will never get married, as I did not want to raise children in such a cruel world where so many
people are miserable. Then, with time, I have changed and I am now in favour of a love marriage. My wife should respect my family, and other religions and she does not need to be a
great singer." Sonu Nigam believes in love at first sight.
Sonu Nigam says that music directors have always had a good relationship with him, which he thinks may be because of the success of Sa Re Ga Ma. However, at the beginning, he had been
rather sceptical about the show. "The show was entertaining, but never before had there been any show that was so slow with classical music and at times, pop music. The aim was to find
hidden talents and it was great that the show was so much appreciated". Sonu Nigam has met quite a few great singers; the most memorable of whom being Naushad, when he had to interpret one of his songs in front of him.
After five years, Sonu Nigam does not host the Sa Re Ga MA show any more and has been replaces by two young brothers Amaan Ali and Ayaan Ali Bangesh. He actually wants to concentrate himself on his albums and his movie songs. "It was getting more and more difficult for me to manage my time. I almost had no more time to spend with my family. I also travel a lot. I really want to concentrate on my music," His music means a lot to him. He is not the type to act as a hero in public. He has lent his voice to a large number of celebrities from Bewafa Sanam at the beginning of the 90's, with the song Achcha Sila Diya, followed by his first solo album, Kismat. However, at that time, he had no clue that he was going to be such a success. "Things just clicked for me in playback singing and I continued to consolidate my position in films before I agreed to do a pop album. I think this album has come at an appropriate stage in my
career.
To his fans in Mauritius, he sends his best wishes. He claims to be proud of Mauritians who have made of the country a small paradise. "From India, you have settled here. You have worked hard for this and it is nice to see this nation. The economy is flourishing as it should without constraining the Mauritians to forget their culture and their ancestral values. Whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Chinese or Christian, you all live happily and in peace. It's an example to follow." He adds: "India is still alive here." Two days after the concert in Mauritius, Sonu Nigam
flew to South Africa, where he is supposed to give three concerts, the funds of which are for charity purposes.
