SONU NIGAM'S MESSAGE !!

To all the fans of Vijay's blog, a very happy Christmas and a great new year to u. Keep blessing and supporting genuine music and genuine music lovers.. Lots of love and prayers. Sonu Niigaam 18/12/09
"I know now Oh Lord, how much You love me, after I see my own self love my son !" (Sonu Niigaam (080708 0830am IST, Bangkok, Millionaire Hilton, room 2328)

Namaste, Salaam, Sat Shri Akaal & Welcome !!

Latest News !! Music now released !! Breaking News (Mumbai Mirror) (Music Out Now) (Simpallaag Ond Love Story) (Music Out Now) (Zila Ghaziabad) (Music Out Now) (8.20) (Malayalam Movie) (Bloody Isshq)(Music Out Now) (Saare Jahaan Se Mehnga - Music Out Now!) (Sonu Nigam's 'Vayuputras' Now Released!) (Chashme Baddoor - Music Out Now!) (I Love NY - Music Out Now) (Shootout At Wadala - Music Out Now) (Ale - Music Out Now) (Bulbul - Music Out Now) (Rangeelay (Punjabi OST)- Music Out Now) (Kaddipudi - Music Out Now) (Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 - Music Out Now)

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SONU NIGAM AT EVENTS

SONU NIGAM AT EVENTS
Sonu Nigam At Ajmer Sharif 12-04-13

Friday 30 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam Records With Shawn King


Shawn King is the wife of the legendary talk show host Larry King
Shawn King was born Shawn Engemann in November 1959 in Studio City, California
As Shawn Southwick she was a backup vocalist, model, actress and former host
of the television series Hollywood Insider. Shawn married Larry King in 1997
Most recently she has released In My Own Backyard published by Lofton Creek Records

she announced she had just tied up with Sonu Niigaam for a recording
To be released shortly

Listen to her music now & get more info - http://www.shawnking.com/

Huge Turnout At Physicians Meet At Sony Studios


LOS ANGELES, CA - Sony Studios was taken over by a gathering of the medical community as the Indian Medical Association of Los Angeles (IMALA) and the TriValley Indian Medical Associations (TVIMA) merged resources to conduct a joint gala on the evening of Oct. 24.

Guests were given a red carpet welcome as they entered the locale where the streets inside the studio were lit up and bright signs heralded the event. The function was held in the open. IMALA Executive Director Dr Gopal Batra said the estimated attendance was in the region of 500 and that he had had to turn down several more requests for participation as they had run out of tables.

The evening commenced with an elegant reception where guests from the two associations were able to catch up with friends and acquaintances over drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The area was also filled with displays by medical and pharmaceutical companies showcasing their latest products.

Opening the business session, Dr Raj Prasad, President of IMALA expressed his happiness over how, as a group, the doctors, residents and medical students of the two associations had come to be recognized as powerful entities.

TVIMA President Dr Ramesh Arora touched on the activities of the Association but added that its 200 membership comprised only a third of the physicians who reside in the area and a drive needs to initiated to recruit more. Among his goals is to propel the organization towards more political involvement like affiliation to AAPI so their voices can be heard at the national level which will give it a greater edge to better help the community..

Dr Gopal Batra, Executive Director of IMALA spoke of the dreams he has for the future generations of youngsters of Indian origin. He added that the evening’s program was designed to reflect the intersection of East and West. His remark that while the Indian community represents less that 1% of the population of the country but the medical fraternity of physicians of India origin forms 10% of practicing doctors , was met with thundering applause. it was time for them to help each other as a group to reach the next level.

At the conclusion of the speeches Dr Prasad presented the Distinguished Physician of the Year Award from IMALA to the Chair of the Steering Committee, Dr Shri K Mishra, who pledged to continue to provide his services to the committee and the profession.

The Special Guest of the Night was Shawn King, wife of the legendary talk show host Larry King . She was attending the function not only as an entertainer but in the capacity as the Chairperson of the Larry King Foundation which was set up by King following his quintuple by pass heart surgery in February of 1987. She brought along with her a video taped greeting from her husband commending the work of Indian physicians and organizations such as IMALA and TVIMA. Before presenting a soulful rendition of her the song “ For the Long Run “ she had written for her spouse she announced she had just tied up with Sonu Niigaam for a recording to be released shortly.

Sonu Niigaam Sings For Mani Ratnam's - Raavana !!



Raavan is a Hindi language film directed by Mani Ratnam set to be released in 2010
It is also being made in simultaneously in Tamil as Raavan with a slightly different cast The music of the movie is composed by academy award winner A. R. Rahman

Written, Produced & Directed by Mani Ratnam

Starring Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Vikram
Govinda, Priyamani, Ravi, Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi..
Music by A. R. Rahman
Cinematography: Santosh Sivan & V. Manikandan
Editing by A. Sreekar Prasad
Distributed by Madras Talkies
Language Hindi & Tamil

Raavan has been Shoot in the Southern part of India


1 Maithili - Sita Theme
Chitra with backing vocals by Sonu Niigaam
Picturized on: Aishwarya and Vikram [Ram]

2 Mujhe pasand ho tum - Feels like Swayamwara
Sonu Niigaam & Shreya Ghoshal
Picturized on: Aishwarya and Vikram

Sonu Niigaam Performs For Charity Function


ABOUT 700 SME, priority and private banking clients of Standard Chartered Bank celebrated Deepavali recently at the Shangri-La Hotel - and helped raise funds for the bank's Seeing is Believing programme.

The global fund-raising initiative - a collaboration between Stanchart and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness - aims to raise US$20 million to help 20 million people suffering from avoidable blindness in more than 20 countries.

Acclaimed Pop Bollywood singer Sonu Niigaam put on the evening's star performance and led a charity auction.

Some of the items auctioned included Sonu's autographed framed T-shirt, photo and music CDs.

In the spirit of giving, Stanchart matched client donations dollar for dollar.
Stanchart has so far raised more than $150,000 in Singapore for Seeing is Believing from staff and client donations including proceeds from the Deepavali charity auction.
The bank is committed to raising US$1 million over five years to help provide accessible and effective eyecare services for the underprivileged in Kolkata, India.

Stanchart regional CEO for South-east Asia and Singapore Ray Ferguson said: 'As we celebrate Deepavali, it is important that we remember the less privileged and pass on the spirit of giving to the younger generation.

'The bank has benefited from Singapore's economic success. We are very conscious of this and - in return - are committed to contributing to the community that has supported us.

'We are also proud of the many long-established partnerships we have with our customers and the community, and we are even more delighted to partner our clients in making a real difference in the communities we operate in.'

Wednesday 28 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam Sings In 'Marega Salaa '


Movie Name: Marega Salaa - Year of Release: 2009
Cast: Jimmy Shergill, Hrishita Bhatt, Kim Sharma
Rajit Kapoor, Raakhi Sawant, Rahul Handa
Music Director: Daboo Malik - Lyrics: Praveen Bhardwaj
Producer: Hema Honda - Director : Devang Dholakia
Banner: Star Riders

Song: Aankhein Tumhari - Sonu Niigaaam & Shreya Ghoshal

Cops Launch Campaign For 26/11 Martyrs


MUMBAI: The police on Monday announced the launch of `Abhedya Mumbai', a campaign to commemorate and honour the lives lost in the 26/11 attack. The event took place at the Mumbai police gymkhana in Marine Lines and was attended by police commissioner D Sivanandan and artists like Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Sonu Niigaam among others.

"We want to make Mumbai impenetrable and invincible. The police have taken a lot of trouble to improve security arrangements so that another 26/11 type attack does not take place. Quick Response Teams located in all five zones comprise policemen trained in using state-of-the-art weaponry, who respond to threat calls within minutes,'' said D Sivanandan

The Return Of Showman - Sonu Niigaam


Last Friday evening at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC), Sonu Niigaam's magnetic presence marvelled the crowd. This young artist had received wide recognition not only in India but also in other South Asian countries. With his amazing voice that has a pure classical touch, Sonu can belt out virtually any song -- be it pop, jazz or rock. The singer has fans of all sorts and all ages. He was in Dhaka last year.

“This is the beauty of our profession. We get to meet a lot of people and experience a variety of cultures. Bangladesh has a rich, diverse culture and it is great to see the appreciation of 'kala' (arts) here. Last time I was taken cared of so well that I was inspired to experience Dhaka's warmth and hospitality again,” said Sonu. He further added, “There are some places, some people who radiate incredible energy. Dhaka is one of them.”

The show began around 7:30pm. After a few moments of silence, the electrifying beats of "Rock on" filled the podium. Singer Gunjan performed with her track from "Jab We Met". Finally after a few more moments of silence and darkness, the showman himself appeared blazing in the spotlight and welcomed by furious music.
Sonu didn't just sing. He danced, screamed, laughed, joked, and what not! His undeniable energy got the whole house moving and shaking with him.

“A lot of people wonder where do songs really come from? Well, it's like this: first come the lyrics, then the rhythm, and then a singer performs that.” As a demonstration, he proceeded by asking around the audience to come up with names of vegetables. He then made a jingle out of the "Aloo-gobi-gajar-bengan" and delivered that in classical style, Anu Malik style, pop style and even Himesh Reshammiya style. He even made a beat-to-beat remix of that. Soon the bass guitarist caught up, next was the lead guitarist. Even the drums and finally the whole house were singing the "Aloo-gobi" song with him.

Sonu Niigaam stands out from the rest for his ever youthful and vibrant presence. The hour-long first act did not seem to wear him out. Even at the end of act one, he was still laughing, playing with his mic and doing his dance which if anyone else did, would have looked corny, but Sonu somehow made that dance seem charming and trendy.

He sang a number of his hits, from "Bijuria" to softer ones like "Om shanti om". “I try to have a medley of the wild and the subtle so that it goes out to the entire crowd.”

During the song "Chak de saare gham", Sonu sang the first line of the number and paused. But there were no silence because the audience sang along the second line without a need of queue. “This is Dhaka,” said Sonu. On various occasions, the fans went wild with the songs and their voices were heard alongside Sonu's.

“A lot of you are smiling, a lot of you are laughing, yelling, screaming. But a lot of you are also wondering with a hand on their cheeks 'what is this mayhem about?' People who are wondering when will they go home and sleep and get up for work the next day... and so on. Well for those of you who are laughing and screaming...” With that the vocalist finished the song. Shenanigans like this made him connect with the crowd completely.

There were many celebrity guests present at the show like Shakila Zafar, Mila, Nobel and Kumar Bishwajit.

'Nokia Presents Sonu Niigaam Back in Dhaka' was organised by Fireworks Events. Its co-sponsor was Europecar.

Monday 19 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam Sings In Maleyali Jotheyali


Movie Name : Maleyali Jotheyali
Cast : Ganesh, Yuvika Chaudhary
Music Director : V. Harikrishna
Lyricist: Jayanth Kaikini
Director : Pritam Gubbi


1) Nee sanihakke bandare - Sonu Niigaam
2) Yenu Helabekku - Sonu Niigaam
3) Maleyali Jotheyali - Sonu Niigaam

Sonu Niigaam Rockin This Diwali !!


The Bandra Fort reverberated with the powerful voice of Sonu Niigaam the other evening. The singer entertained a packed audience at the Times of India Diwali Dhamaka concert, and no, it wasn’t just musicians who had gathered to hear him live, there were loads of music lovers, youngsters and his fans as well.

Ghazal maestro Talat Aziz and his artist wife Bina were seen enjoying the melodious evening; the two later caught up with Lucky Morani. Sonu’s wife

Madhurima and their son Nevaan were also seated in the audience, Madhurima recording her husband’s performance on video! Also spotted among the throngs of people were Ramnathkar and Nandini Diaz.

This sure was a crackling start to Diwali!

Dada Saheb Phalke Award Is God's Gift


Manna Dey, however, praised singers like Sonu Nigam, Udit Narain
Shreya Ghoshal and Sunidhi Chauhan. "Sonu Niigaam, I think is very good," he added.
Read More: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/31199/dada-sahab-phalke-award-gods.html

Motoring Bidar To Development !!

Bidar suddenly shot to fame at the national level with the Planning Commission flushing the town with funds for development. The Bidar Utsav organized by the district authorities also showcased the town's rich heritage. "But it was our deputy commissioner who was the hero at the Bidar Utsav also. So much so, when he went up on stage to welcome Sonu Nigam, the nearly 2-lakh audience stood up and cheered. Sonu Nigam looked dazed and said even a politician or film star does not get this kind of applause from people these days,'' adds his OSD.

Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Motoring-Bidar-to-development/articleshow/5137188.cms

Friday 16 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam Is Glad That He Can Now Make His Choices !!


Golden notes

After years of struggle, the mellifluous Sonu Nigam is
glad that he can now make his choices


Defining lines Sonu Nigam: ’I’m not an aggressive swimmer, I flow’
He really is a busy man. There he was posing for a photograph with the security guard, two minutes later he was on the stairs beaming a “Hello, how are you?” to a stranger gentleman who looked pleasantly surprised to bump into a celebrity. Next minute he smiled generously at the dithering jack of a waiter who didn’t know which was the right moment to take coffee to the man who gave him the “haage summane” hangover. Apart from hectic singing schedules, concerts, interviews and tours if there is someone, at every step, dying to soak in your grace, busy is perhaps an understatement. If you are willing to oblige, it only complicates matters. Sonu Nigam, the inspired singer, who has his hands really full travelling across continents, wears his celebrity status lightly. The charming and affable musician holds his hands out to everyone – not just literally.

It’s not unidirectional: Sonu Nigam hasn’t just stolen the true-blue Kannadiga’s heart with his romantic, starry-eyed numbers. He has lost his heart to Kannada as well. “Ever since I sang Anisutide…haage summane has become a part of my lingo. I have infected all my friends also with it,” he laughs. “I sing so many Kannada songs these days, that in spirit I have become a Kannadiga. In fact, real good music gets made here,” he acknowledges, as he hums the beautiful “Neene Bari Neene” gently waltzing to it. “I think we should not listen to people who are not serious about the music they make. It is nothing less than cheating!” Of course you know he is referring to the entire brigade of one-song wonders who have stormed in the recent years.

In Bangalore for a concert organised by Live Tree Entertainment and later at a function which proclaimed him brand ambassador for BIG 92.7 FM, Sonu Nigam was a picture of grace. “If you have to be a good musician, you have to be a good human being as well. Otherwise, your nastiness will tear through your work,” said Sonu, expunging the dichotomy between an individual and his art. “Your art is what you are,” he says emphatically.

For someone who seems extremely fun-loving and jovial, Sonu Nigam is amazingly profound in his stances. As far as his work is concerned, there is no room for any compromise. “Things can be simplified, but I don’t believe in such an approach. I raise the bar for myself, make things difficult and work very hard to achieve it,” he tells you in great detail about how he personally writes down the Kannada songs he sings, writes down the meaning of every word, checks if his emotional understanding is right and only then proceeds towards recording. “With all that sometimes my pronunciation is wrong…,” he smiles.

Even in these times of enormous belligerence, with people busy edging out one another, Sonu believes in going slow. “I’m not an aggressive swimmer, I flow.” After the two decades of struggle, Sonu is now spiritually tanked up. “I have realised that one has to pause and look inwards. I have had enough of looking outside of me,” says the man, who worries about retaining his emotional and spiritual poise. “It’s okay to be physically imbalanced, like I’m now after travelling continuously,” he adds jokingly.

Mohammed Rafi was an imposing influence on Sonu. “That’s true. But now I’m mature enough to just take his ideology, the narrative is mine,” he insists.

Sonu Niigaam & Me Say Happy Diwali To All !!

Sonu Niigaam & Me wishing everyone a very happy & prosperous Diwali !!
Bang..be safe & not sorry with Fireworks !!










Tu jagmagaaye teraa deep jagamagaaye
Saare jahaan ki khushiya tere bhee ghar ko aaye
Ganga aur Yamuna sa nirmal ho tera man
Ambar our dhara sa swachh ho tera tan
Is nagar me teri jyoti chamchamaaaye
Tu jagmagaaye teraa deep jagamagaaye

Achchhe karmo se jag me naam hogaa tera
Teri aahat se buraiya lengi nahi basera
Tere jaane ke baad bhee log tera naam gaaye
Tu jagmagaaye teraa deep jagamagaaye

Mit jaaye andhera jo teri dagar me aaye
Aaye kabhi na gam jo deti chintaaye
Naam amar ho tera ek taaraa timtimaaye
Tu jagmagaaye teraa deep jagamagaaye

Door karna chhuachoot mandir masjid ka jhagara
Koi mare na bhookha koi rahe na kangala
Aane waalaa kal tera naam gungunaaye
Tu jagmagaaye teraa deep jagamagaaye

Written By: Shreya Srivastava

Tuesday 13 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam - 'My Work Chooses Me'


BANGALORE: He had his first relationship at 18 and that left him brokenhearted.
The very next year, ‘Achha sila diya tune mere pyar ka’ rang true in his voice, perhaps because he understood what the pain of having loved and lost is. From then, we have heard him sing many soulful numbers that touch our emotional chords. But

Sonu Nigam has done much more than that. From fast tracks like ‘Bijuria’ and ‘Tu..’ to trying his hand at movies, to cutting albums that recreate the magic of singers (in Rafi Resurrected that came out last year) this wellacclaimed playback singer has been there, done that.

Sonu was in the city for a concert and as the brand ambassador of BIG 92.7 FM. Sonu said that he was quite surprised that the FM channel chose him to be the ambassador since “in our country, this role usually goes to actors or cricketers”.
He believes that musicians should be chosen for musical causes and “If it were not me, it could be Shaan, or KK, or Shreya, or Sunidhi, someone who is a musician”.

Although some say that Sonu has been relatively inactive in the Bollywood front for sometime, the singer has been very busy, touring the world for his concerts and belting out hits in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. “Sometimes the schedules are so erratic that I practice on flights.” The usual question that is thrown at him is how manages to evoke the feelings of the songs in south Indian languages without knowing the tongues. “Sometimes you may know the language and yet be unable to put the correct expressions.
Then what is the use? I understand every word, I understand the situation in which the song is set, ask who it is being filmed on, learn every pronounciation and then sing the songs.

The feelings flow.” He has a unique project lined up. With HMV Sa Re Ga Ma, he will be coming out with a series of albums titled Time Travel

“It’s less of an album and more of an experiment. I will be singing songs of the earlier era. I have made my voice sound older and even the tracks are older. It will be time travel,” the singer says. The fans will surely hope that for this man who says “I do not choose my work, my work chooses me,” the musical journey will continue for long.

Musical weekend at Bangalore's Palace Grounds


Bangalore: The huge sprawling Palace Grounds at Bangalore has been a venue for a number of events, including musical events for long. The ban on live bands enforced by the Bangalore Police department a while ago, fear from terror has had local populace thirsting for music.

Last weekend, Saturday, October 10, saw the comeback performance of the group Mr.Big seven years after they broke up at the Palace Grounds at Bangalore. The city hadn’t seen an international performance for quite a while and Mr. Big’s first performance on Indian soil seems to have been picture perfect to break that jinx. The opening acts – 15 minute performances by each group were by Pravin David and River, Slain and Galeej Gurus.

Sunday saw performances well known Indian musicians – singers Anup Jalota and Suresh Wadkar, music director Ravindra Jain and Sonu Niigaam at different venues located within the Palace Grounds in Bangalore.

Anup Jalota, Suersh Wadkar and Ravindra Jain were the judges of the ‘Jainostav’ (A musical event comprising of male and female individual singing competition of Jain spiritual songs for talent search in Bangalore organised by The Sri Bangalore Jain Samaj Charitable Trust – the Jain Trust).

The Jainotsav winners – Shelu Mehta and Parag Parikh in the 16 and above category and Vikas Kochhar and Urvi Shah in the under 16 category were awarded trophies and will be singing for Jain devotional songs album that is to be created by a private label according to the Jain Trust’s founder Saliesh Kumar Sethia.

A little distance away at the Jayamahal Palace side gate venue, Sonu Niigaam set the stage on fire with thumping Hindi and Kannada numbers from his films. The title track of Kal Ho Na Ho, Chak de Sare Gum, Ab mujhe raat din as well melodious number from Kannada films such as Mungaru Male kept the audiences enthralled and asking for more.

radioandmusic.com

Monday 12 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam Will Do A Full Kannada Show !!


Sonu Nigam captivated music lovers in the City recently
with his hit numbers in Hindi and Kannada

It was an evening that Sonu Nigam fans were eagerly waiting for. The popular singer’s full-fledged concert in the City saw long queues, overflowing parking lots and major traffic jams outside the venue as a large number of people rushed in to catch their favourite star live. Scheduled to start at 6.30 pm, an announcement at 7 pm saying, “The show is going to take 20 more minutes” left the crowd groaning in disappointment. Meanwhile, an audio visual on Sonu with stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Lata Mangeshkar speaking about the singer was displayed.

As colourful fire crackers made their way into the sky, Sonu’s band took the stage and performed Rock On and Socha Hai from the film Rock On. Singer Gunjan entertained the crowds for a bit with her rendition of popular numbers like Yeh Ishq Hai, Dance Pe Chance, Desi Girl and Beedi Jalaile.

“If you have belts on your seats, fasten them hard,” adviced the host of the event, who later proved to be right. Sonu rendered a beautiful alaap and sang a few lines from Kal Ho Na Ho from the backstage before taking the spotlight.

He went on to sing other popular numbers like Falak Dekhun, Chak De, Dil Dooba, Tu Jahan Main Wahan, Ab Mujhe Raat Din, Suraj Hua Madham to name a few. Praising the Kannada music industry, the singer said, “Many people ask me, why do I sing Kannada songs? I tell them, you make nice songs, I will sing. And Kannadigas make very good music.”

Considering himself to be lucky to have many hit numbers, he rendered some of his more recent numbers like Soniyo from Raaz — The Mystery Continues and Don’t Say Alvida from Main Aur Mrs Khanna. “I am so lucky to be in such a beautiful profession, and do what I love and even get paid for it,” he added.

The singer even demonstrated how a song is composed. “First the lyrics are written, then a tune is composed, instruments are added and the singers come in later,” he said. Sonu asked the members of the audience to name a few vegetables and composed a song with the lyrics, Aloo Bhindi Gajar Matar Paneer. He even sang the song in the styles of composers Nadeem Shravan, Anu Malik and Himesh Reshammiya.

Later, the singer sang his Kannada hits like Neene Bari Neene, Ninnindale, Mungaru Male and Anisuthida Yaako Indu. He promised, “I will do a full Kannada show the next time I come here.”

Be it Kannada songs, or Bollywood numbers, old Hindi classics like Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawano Ka, Kajra Mohabbat Wala, Aaja Aaja and Mere Sapnon Ki Rani; the singer mesmerised the audience with his talent and even interacted beautifully with one and all.
When Sonu performed Blue’s song Chiggy Wiggy, he sang Kylie Minogue’s part in a female voice. He even paid a commendable tribute to the King of Pop Michael Jackson by singing MJ’s hit Billie Jean, which was coupled with a moonwalk. “Let’s celebrate his life,” he said. Sonu ended the show with his beautiful rendition of Kal Ho Na Ho and left every one asking for more.

12 - 10 - 09
deccanherald.com

Sonu Niigaam - Music Hasn't Died in The Kannada Film Industry


After rocking the city of Bangalore in a concert on Sunday night, ace singer Sonu Nigam, also the brand ambassador for BIG 92.7 FM, unveiled the new Bejan Hits which follows the Contemporary Hit Radio(CHR) format. Accordingly, the station will play only hit songs covering a great variety.

Speaking to presspersons post the unveiling, Nigam, dressed in a stylish black jacket and trousers to match, didn't mince words on his take on the current scenario in the Bollywood music industry. He expressed his love for Kannada music, his inspirations, the kind of music he loves listening to and his first break into the world of playback singing.

The singer said he gives prime importance to the quality of content in a movie while choosing songs. "I do not always want to sing for the hero, I can be singing for a beggar in a movie but it should have quality and sadly that is missing in Bollywood nowadays. That is one of the reasons for me to stay away from it," he said. Nigam, who rose to prominence as a host of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, a singing talent competition. He also said that contestants who have won such music shows today are still struggling as they are not given chance to sing. "Music producers these days have started to sing in their own movies and they only choose singers who are willing to performing in concerts along with them, therefore the real talent loses out on opportunities." he said.

On his preference to sing in Kannada songs, Nigam said that music isn't dead over here as people still like to listen to melodies and romantic ballads. "I will sing here as long as I get good offers, the day I get trashy songs i will stop," he quipped. He also said that he makes it a point to translate Kannada lyrics to understand what every word means thus making the song sound authentic. He also recently released a Kannada album ‘Neene Bari Neene’.

His upcoming album, "Time Travel", by Sa Re Ga Ma, he says is an experiment. "We have gone back to the old songs but have not remixed it. When you listen to the album you will feel like I am singing with greats like Rafi. We have indeed travelled time in this album," he said.

With a career that spans almost twenty years, Sonu Nigam wished that he had a mentor to guide him to have chosen better projects. "So much of my hard work has gone to waste because I chose the wrong movies to act in. Love in Nepal is the only movie I am proud of but on the whole I am extremely proud of what I have accomplished. From a time when there was just playback singing, I have done concerts, released successful pop and classical albums, I am happy with what I have done," he said.

12. October 2009
mybangalore.com

Sonu Niigaam Delights Dubai Audience


Sonu Nigam is one of the most successful and admired music artists in the world today and it is not difficult to see why. Just like old wine, the singer keeps getting better and better with the years.

During his power-packed performance before a near capacity crowd at Dubai's trendy Souk Madinat Arena on Friday night, the young singer launched a barrage of his choicest classic hits to varying crescendos. Blending western fusion, golden oldies, mischief, youth appeal, humour, pop, crowd rapport and, of course, the surprise element – Nigam and his troupe presented a brilliant potpourri of all-round stage performance during their over four-hour performance.

The event was presented by Oberoi Middle East Events, which has been associated with the young singer for a long time now and has always made Sonu Nigam's show an annual feature in entertainment-hungry UAE.

Performing alongside his father Agam Kumar Nigam and upcoming playback talent Shruti Pathak, Sonu Nigam burst on to the stage with some of the most popular hits in his two-decade-long Bollywood singing career. And it was those same hit songs which made the stripped-down, intimate performance all the more pleasing, something he's been doing successfully most of this year with shows across the world.

Sonu Nigam entered Bollywood as a Mohammed Rafi clone but quickly broke that stereotypical image by developing his own ubiquitous style. He also acted in a clutch of Bollywood movies. Singing in many different Indian languages (including Kannada, Marathi, Bengali and Nepali) and alongside some of the biggest international names (Kylie Minogue, for one), the singer remains one of the hottest playback artists and a delight to watch on stage.

But on this night, the singer, dressed in faded jeans and casuals, looked and sounded quite relaxed and humorous from the opening moments of the title song of Kal Ho Na Ho, to roughly two dozen songs later when Just Chill (Maine Pyaar Kyon Kiya) found its place in the encore.

After warming the crowd with his tender power ballad Kal Ho Na Ho, one of several songs he could probably churn out in his sleep, Sonu Nigam launched a quick-fire round of his most wanted songs, including the samba-infused Maria Maria (Partner), Jeene Ke Hai Chaar Din (Mujhse Shaadi Karogi), Saathiya (Saathiya), O Soniyo (Yuvraaj), among others.

Sonu Niigaam Reigns Over Red Fort


NEW DELHI: The Commonwealth Games may be a year away but the mood for celebration has already been set in the capital. The lawns of the 17th century Red Fort on Saturday evening came alive to the vibrant music of leading playback singer Sonu Nigam. More than three hours before the show was to start, Delhiites had started queuing up outside the imposing monument to catch a glimpse of the popular star.

The event was part of the heritage series of the Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF) in association with the Archaeological Survey of India. The audience waited restlessly till Nigam finally came on the stage a little after 8pm. But before he appeared in front of the crowd, a slow version of his popular song Kal Ho Na Ho, for which Nigam also won a National Award, filled the air. Dressed in dark-blue jeans, black shirt and a bronze-coloured jacket, Nigam looked all set for the entertainment that followed. Three colourfully-attired dancers accompanied him during the first song Falak Dekhoon. They were later joined by three male artistes who provided the perfect setting for Nigam's peppy numbers. The dancers made a reappearance during another of Nigam's romantic numbers Tu dede mera saath later in the show.

Nigam's repertoire of songs included numbers both from his films and music albums. Maintaining the tempo throughout the show, from Dil Dooba to Chak De Chak De Chak De, Nigam had the audience singing along. A break in the middle of the high tempo rendition was an old number Ajeeb Itefaq Hai-Kya Mulakat Hai which Nigam sang at someone's request for the first time on stage.

The audience responded with great enthusiasm to his stage presence and he faced no trouble keeping the atmosphere alive. "I came to Red Fort last when I was in school and all I know here are Diwan-e-Khas and Diwan-e-Aam. An event like this in Lal Qila is a huge deal and I would like to thank The Times of India for making it possible,'' he said.

Nigam took a break from singing for a short while when he offered to give the audience a demonstration of how songs are made. He picked on random words from the audience even names of vegetables and set them on music and also gave an idea of how different music directors would present the lyrics in their own respective style. Needless to say, his interaction with the audience and witty remarks had Delhiites in splits.

Towards the end, Nigam wove old Hindi film songs into a medley and had even the older members of the audience swaying to his charm. Between Tumko Paya Hai from Om Shanti Om and Tu Dede Mera Saath from Raaz came a nostalgic medley of Bol Radha Bol, Hum Hein Rahi Pyar Ke and Bachna Aye Hasino.

Friday 9 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam In Bangaore City

BANGALORE

“Your tomorrow has no right to complain about your today, as long as your today gives you a bliss, unknown and incomprehensible to both your yesterday, and tomorrow!” says Sonu Niigaam on his Website.

The man, often dubbed as the Golden Voice of Indipop is not just an icon in Bollywood music, but also a household name in Karnataka after giving superhits like “Mungaru Male”, “Milana” “Mussanje Maatu”.
And he will be back in Bangalore after two years. Bangalore based LiveTree

Entertainment Pvt Ltd along with the World of Titan is all set to serve a musical feast to Bangalore with Sonu Nigam as he performs live for a public show in the city.

Sonu has been performing from the age of three and half years. From then there is no looking back. Sonu has released a number of pop albums, both in Hindi and in Punjabi apart from his Kannada album, Neene bari neene.

He has also released several devotional albums, both Hindu and Islamic ones, as well as albums of Mohammad Rafi’s songs. In August 2009, he released a Michael Jackson tribute song on YouTube composed by Saikat-Shankar with six other singers worldwide.

He was adjudged the Best Singer (Male) at the Filfare Awards South, for the song Yenagali munde saagu, from the Kannada movie Mussanjemaatu Catch Sonu Nigam live on October 11 at the Palace grounds at 6.30 pm. Tickets are available in all the World of Titan outlets in Bangalore. Buy online from www.livetree.in. For more details, call 080- 64557076.

Thursday 8 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam Interested In Getting Involved With PETA


Bollywood celebrities such as Sonu Niigaam, Shahid Kapoor
Amrita Rao, John Abraham and have said that they are interested in getting involved with PETA for the welfare rights of animals. Other stars, also interested, are Esha Deol, Upen Deol, Yana Gupta and Raveena Tandon. All these bollywood celebrities could be seen in poster campaigns for the charity in the full nude

Shahid Kapoor was chosen because he was voted the sexiest vegetarian and Amrita Rao is a sexy girl-next-door who promotes vegetarianism. What’s more is that they look good together. He adds that Amrita has already tried the sexy look in Shortkut but she failed. Amrita will wear hot pants and a tube top in the advert. She wants to give it (her sexy avatar) another (vegetarian) shot and the campaign will get people talking about her and she does need some publicity. Shahid Kapoor will flaunt his chiselled six-pack-abs and it will be his sexiest look since ‘the running with the horses sequence’ in Kaminey

A PETA spokesperson has said that these pictures might not be acceptable in India but might work overseas, and there is no reason why stars such as John and Sonu cannot be seen going without clothes for the overseas Indian.
The campaign will be shot next month. Shahid Kapoor is currently in the US and was unavailable for comment while Amrita Rao said that she was looking forward to the campaign which will spread the message of how sexy vegetarianism is

indiatarget

Monday 5 October 2009

Return Of Private Albums


Are non-film music albums making a comeback? Or are they too risky an option? Metrolife takes a look
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There was a time when Indi-Pop was a rage among many. A time when Remo Fernandes, Baba Sehgal, Anaida, Alisha Chinai and Apache Indian were hugely popular. Even in the South, one saw A R Rehman, Jassie Gift, Harris Jayraj and others rule the music scene through private albums and even make a mark for themselves in the film industry.

These artistes were known for their innovative videos, catchy numbers and style of singing and people used to wait for trends created by them.

Recently, Sonu Nigam launched his first non-filmi Kannada album Neene Bari Neene, which makes one wonder whether at this time and age, the audience or the industry is paving way for Indi-Pop culture again. Some of the music directors in the City say that the private album culture is a risk one has to take.

Mano Murthy, the music director of Neene Bari Neene, says that though the album has been receiving a good response, when Jayant Kaikini, Sonu Nigam and he decided to make the album, they did have a few financial glitches initially.

“We wanted to reach a global audience through this album, for which everything had to be top-notch and different. When things finally fell in place, we knew we had created something special,” he adds.

Music director Gurukiran agrees that finance is a matter of concern when it comes to private albums, since most producers worry about recovering their investment. “Those were the days when the cassette industry was booming but now the the cost of producing one album has gone up. A lot goes into the creation of an album, from the making of the video to the distribution of songs and of course the publicity. Since film songs are doing so well, many producers hesitate and find it risky to produce a non-filmi album these days. With movies, the audience find a relation to a story but when it comes to solo album, one has to strike out something different,” he adds.

Bringing in something different seems to be the mantra these days for albums to work. Ricky Kej, who had also released his own non-filmi Kannada album called, Nee Badalaadare, says,“Getting something different is important. Those days, all Bollywood numbers sounded the same, so albums, as such, gave a different feel. But now a Bollywood film has a mix of everything. So unless someone brings in something different, it will not work on the listener. In Sandalwood too, there is a chance for albums but one has to be different,” explains Ricky.

“Familiarity of the artiste and the makers is another plus point,” says Mano Murthy. “The audiences are well aware of us because of the many songs we have created for movies. Since the combination has clicked before, our audience would know what to expect in the album as well,” he adds.

Private albums have established quite a space in other languages. In fact, many singers and music directors got recognition through such albums.

So what took so long for the trend to come to Kannada industry? One of the main reasons given was the fear of piracy. But now with that coming under the Goonda Act, there may be some doors that have opened for budding singers,
“There is a chance for such albums to do well in Kannada industry, provided the making of the song is good. Otherwise it is as good as a song without a hero,” concludes Gurukiran.
deccanherald.com

"Sonu Niigaam - I love Kannada more than Hindi"


Meet actor, talent show judge and play back singer Sonu Nigam, who will be in town to wow Bangalore fans with his kannada renditions

Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam loves singing Kannada songs compared to Hindi ones. He will be performing live once again for the Bangalore crowd after a gap of two years on October 11 at Palace Grounds.

Here's what Sonu had to say when MiD DAY asked him about his life, his love for Kannada music and his acting career.

What's special about your attachment to Kannada films? Any new albums or movies in the pipeline?
I enjoy singing in Kannada a lot more than in Hindi. They make such good music, it satisfies my soul. I definitely want to cut more private albums in music be it in Hindi, English or Kannada, merely because I believe private albums give you an outlet to express your kind of music.

There are criticisms from some quarters about 'outsiders' singing Kannada songs. They say that knowing the language is also important for singing. What is your stand?
How does knowing the language help if you don't know how to express yourself with it? I drown myself in a song when I sing it. I kill myself. I don't know if I am singing Hindi, Tamil, English, Kannada or Marathi. I enact and express with every line I sing. If I don't know the language, there are people around me to explain what the words mean. I know nothing else at that time. I only know I am doing music. And that God is showing through my voice.

Recently you'd alleged that music directors keep good tunes for themselves. Is this true? Is that a problem for many singers too?
Even a little child will tell you that most of the songs today, the good ones I mean, are sung by the composers themselves.

They have all the right to do the best for themselves. Concerts are the main source of income and they know that unless they don't sing their own songs, they won't get concerts.
As much as they have the right to do that, I have the right to prevent damage to my repute by singing trash. So I try my best to be selective in whatever I get. I don't claim that I am infallible, but I am sure people who understand music, appreciate my endeavour and sincerity.

How difficult was it for you to reach the number one slot? Any particular memory that you cherish? May be during one of your shows or any particular performance that you can't seem to forget?
When I was struggling, taking long walks instead of going by bus or rickshaw to save money, lonely nights without my family, indifferent and rude secretaries of the music directors, doing household chores from cleaning to washing to cooking all by myself...most of all, the uncertainty of the future, is what I remember of the past.

It feels good though. Everything that I've got and am getting now, all this feels like an unending bonus coming my way.

Whom do you consider as your Godfather, if there is any?
God is my father.

You've become an icon of sorts for talent hunt. What do you feel about the innumerable talent hunt shows on channels these days?
There is competition now and I like it that way. I would get too complacent otherwise. I remember as a kid, since I was the topper of my school, I would work extra hard right before my exams. Urgency and competition brings out the best in me. Complacence bores me.

You are now concentrating on western symphonies. Any particular reason for this interest?
I don't plan anything. I just go with the flow. I feel we are all in a journey that starts and ends at the same point, thus there is no point getting too exasperated for Rafi Resurrected. I collaborated with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and then something else lead to my setting second base in Los Angeles, all without any efforts of mine. I'll continue doing my best and let life take its own course.

You will be performing in Bangalore after two years. What are your expectations?
Yes, I am performing after a gap of two years in Bangalore and I have huge expectations.

Can you tell us your experience in Bangalore the last time you performed here?
It was good and it is great to perform in front of the Bangalore crowd.

Do you have any plans of acting?
Yes, I'm still getting offers after my five-year sabbatical. Most of them have more faith in me than I have in myself. They all know I was the first to bell the cat without knowing the marketing tools required to pull off a hit. The others merely learnt from my experience.

All this goes on to prove that when you are good, your talent comes to stand by you, even if the box office doesn't. If I find a project worthy of my sincerity and hard work, I'll take it up. If not, I am in no need.

What: Sonu Nigam Live
When: October 11
Where: Palace Grounds
Tickets: Rs 550, 1,100 and 2,200
Log on to: http://www.livetree.in/

Sonu Niigaam To Perform Live In Bangalore


Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam, who recently released his first ever Kannada album 'Neene Bari Neene', is now all set to rock the music lovers
of Bangalore. The King of melody will perform Live at the Palace Grounds in Bangalore. 'Sonu Nigam Live In Bangalore' is presented by the World of Titan.
Sonu Nigam concert will start at 6.30 p.m. on October 11, 2009. Sonu Nigam, who is often regarded as the golden voice of Bollywood, will sing the Best of Bollywood and a few hit Kannada Songs on the Musical Evening.

Sonu Nigam started singing at a very tender age. Sonu performed on stage for the first time when he was just three and a half years old. In 1991, he began his singing career in Mumbai. His first big break came with the song 'Accha Sila Diya' for the album 'Bewafa Sanam'. After that he sang in many Bollywood and Sandalwood films.

However, tickets for the concert are available at all World of Titan stores or can be bought online www.livetree.in/. The prices of Tickets are Nebula Gold - Rs 2200, Raga Flora Silver - Rs 1100 and Edge Classic Standing - Rs 550.
entertainment.oneindia

Sonu Niigaam Sings In 5 Voices - Exclusive !!


Sonu Niigaam - This is why he is the worlds most versatile asian
Artist in the world
Give him any song & he will sing it perfecto !!
Anything from qawwali's. Bhajans, Classical, Semi Classical
Film songs - Comedy or tragic, naats, ghazals, nazms. The legend can sing anything !!
Here we have Sonu Niigaam singing for Sachin's movie 'Amhi Satpute, in the voices of
Shabbir Kumar, Nitin Mukesh, Kumar Sanu, Adnan Sami & of course in his own voice too
Comedy style

Amhi Satpute, stars Sachin, wife Supriya and Ashok Saraf
The film bears a close resemblance to 1982's hit, Satte Pe Satta.
The film, which saw Amitabh Bachchan in a double role, also saw Sachin play
The Big B's youngest brother. Satte Pe Satta was a remake of the 1954 Hollywood musical hit, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers

Sachin Say's 'Satte Pe Satta was a Bollywood drama. Plus, it had a great actor like Amitabh Bachhan, the story was changed accordingly to suit his character
My film is an out-and-out comedy

An article by Aap Ka Vijay 05/10/09

Video exclusive:courtsy of http://sonuniigaamandme.blogspot.com/

Saturday 3 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam Sings A Romantic Zoobi Doobi For 3 Idiots


Now that Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor are starring together in Raju Hirani’s 3 Idiots, after two misses (Mani Ratnam’s Lajjo and Vishal Bhardwaj’s Mr Singh & Mrs Mehta) there is a considerable amount of curiosity about this never-seen-before jodi.
Kareena Kapoor, Aamir Khan and Raj Kumar Hirnai on the sets of 3 idiots

We dropped in on the sets at Film City on Thursday to watch the two sizzle in the only romantic song, Zoobi doobi, in the film.

Entering the sets wasn’t an easy task because of the tight security. This despite the fact that we had taken the requisite permission on Wednesday to visit the sets. Thankfully, Aamir Khan spotted us after which going on the sets was a cakewalk.

Sung by Sonu Niigaam and Shreya Ghoshal, the rain song has been composed by Shantanu Moitra. Aamir Khan, dressed in a burnt orange shirt and white trousers, was completely wet and gladly showed off his super flat abs. Kareena too wore a similar coloured sari and looked effortlessly stunning. The two actors dancing in the (artificial) rain reminded one of the Raj Kapoor-Nargis Awara song, Pyaar hua ikraar hua.

Choreographer Bosco was busy instructing all the dancers in the background. Aamir and Kareena were explained a shot, which was being filmed from a high angle. Raju Hirani sat by the monitor, closely watching the visuals. As soon as the shot was okayed, Aamir and Kareena rushed to check the scene in the monitor after which Aamir got busy with his Rubik cube. He told us that when he was in college, he could solve it in 27 seconds flat, but now he takes a minute to get it right. Surprisingly, he claimed that he could solve the Rubik cube without even seeing it, which he did, in exactly one minute. Aamir also said that he has quit smoking for over six months as he wanted to look fresh and young in the film.

Mumbai Mirror

Exclusive: Kurbaan - Listen To All The Songs Now !!


Tracklist :
1 Shukran Allah – Sonu Niigaam
2 Dua – Sukhwinder Singh & Kailash Kher
3 Ali Maula – Salim Merchant
4 Rasiya – Shruti Pathak
5 Kurbaan Hua – Vishal Dadlani
6 Ali Maula - Remix – Salim Merchant

Listen to all the songs here

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Friday 2 October 2009

Sonu Niigaam Live In Dubai 2009


Presenting the most 'scintillating performer' of the Millennium in the most
'scintillating show' of the Millennium!!
"Sonu Niigaam - Simply the Best!
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SONU NIIGAAM, Asia's No 1 Singer-Icon, aptly titled "The Lord Of The Chords", will be performing along with his 30-member troupe in a 4-hour non-stop musical concert at Madinat Jumeirah Arena (Indoor), Dubai on Friday, October 09, 2009 from 9:30 pm onwards. Directed & formatted by Sonu and specially choreographed with Bollywood dancers, promising to be an unforgettable evening
An ultimate musical journey!!

Naresh Oberoi, Managing Director, OME-Oberoi Middle East Events, who has spearheaded Sonu’s concerts over the last 9 years, says "This concert, a very special event for OME, is being directed and formatted specially by Sonu, himself. It has a unique format and song performances, specially choreographed with Bollywood dancers, as never presented by him ever in any of his stage shows in India and abroad”.

The event is planned to be a 4-hour non-stop journey through Bollywood melodies, promising to be an unforgettable evening. A state-of-the-art setup of stage, sound, light and screen installations are being specially designed for the event, with a view to give an optimum view to every spectator in the prestigious Madinat Jumeirah Indoor Arena and enable an up-close-and-personal experience between Sonu and his audience.

Oberoi confirmed that “Each ticket will get a seat and each seat will get an excellent view of the stage"


EVENT DATE / TIME
Friday, October 09, 2009
Doors Open: 8:00 pm
Concert Starts: 9:30 pm (sharp)

EVENT VENUE
Madinat Jumeirah Arena (Indoor), Dubai

EVENT TICKETS
V VIP: Dhs 2,000 & Dhs 1,000 (Reserved Seating) - Limited seats
VIP: Dhs 500
Gold: Dhs 250
Silver: (Balcony) Dhs 175 (Limited seats)

TICKETS Available from TIMEX Kiosks in:
Mall Of The Emirates (055 3075691 / 050 1851335)
Dubai Mall (050 4609755)
Ibn Batuta Mall (050 9642026)
Deira City Centre (050 4765519)
Dubai Festival City (050 3097978)
Oasis Centre (050 8125496)

Also from: Madinat Theatre Box Office at Madinat Jumeirah Souq, Dubai.

For online tickets purchase call 800 4669 or visit www.timeouttickets.com.
For more information, special bookings / reservations: Call 050 6984599 / 050 6260593

Sonu Niigaam Sings For 'Kurbaan'

Saif & Kareena At The Shooting Of 'Kurbaan'

Song Title: Kaisi Apni Mohabbat, Aisi Rooh e Ibadat
Hum Pe Meherbaan Do Jahaan ..
Sonu Niigaam Sang a beautiful number for the upcoming
Movie 'Kurbaan' wriitten by Karan Johar & Renzil D'Silva
Dialogue's by Anurag Kashyap - screenplay by Renzil D'Silva
The movie is Produced by Karan Johar & Hiroo Johar
Directed by Renzil D'Silva
Star Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi
Dia Mirza, Kirron Kher, Om Puri And More
Music Director: Salim Merchant - Sulaiman Merchant
Watch the trailer now - Release Date : 27 November 2009