Sonu Niigaam Is One Of Britain's Biggest Bollywood Downloaded Artist !!

New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) Britain has become the top country to download Bollywood music abroad while A.R. Rahman has been declared the most downloaded Indian artist, according to a new research.

Bollywood tracks have found particular favour with listeners in Britain, where over one in four tracks downloaded from Nokia’s Ovi Music Store is a Bollywood song.

Following suit are Singaporeans at the second spot, who are responsible for nearly a third (31 percent) of all Indian music downloads outside India. While Finland and Germany occupy the third and fourth slots respectively, Australian music fans account for a fifth of the global total.

The UAE, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico and Russia round off the top 10 respectively.

In India, Bollywood songs represent over half of all downloaded tracks (54 percent), with western pop and ghazal next in line.

Among Indian artists, Oscar-award winning music composer A.R. Rahman leads the way as the world’s most downloaded Indian artist.

He is followed in popularity by playback singer Sonu Niigaam, JoJo, Himesh Reshammiya and Shaan.

Udit Narayan, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar and Salim-Sulaiman occupy the rest of the spots in that order.

The research was conducted by Nokia Ovi Music based on the number of downloaded songs across 35 countries via Ovi Music until mid-March 2010.

Sonu Niigaam At Saurabh Daftary And Smita Parekh's Mehfil

http://www.bollywoodmantra.com/picture/saurabh-daftary-and-smita-parekh-s-mehfil-22/

Sonu Niigaam Ft: In Milenge Milenge - Xclusive Tracklist

Milenge Milenge is a forthcoming delayed Bollywood film, scheduled to
Release on 9 July 2010.
The movie, which seems to be inspired by the 2001 romantic comedy Serendipity
Its stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fifth film together
After Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met (2007)

Produced by Boney Kapoor - Directed by Satish Kaushik
Starring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Aarti Chhabria
Delnaaz Paul, Satish Shah
Music by Himesh Reshammiya


01 - Tum Chaiin Ho - Sonu Niigaam, Alka Yagnik & Suzanne DMello (05:11)
02 - Kuch To Bakee Hai - Himesh Reshammiya (03:55)
03 - Ishq Ki Galee - Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Jayesh Gandhi (05:15)
04 - Milenge Milenge - Alka Yagnik & Jayesh Gandhi (04:46)
05 - Milenge Milenge - Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Shreya Ghoshal (05:07)
06 - Yeh Hare Kaanch Ki Choodiyan - Alka Yagnik (04:43)
07 - Kuch To Bakee Hai (Bright Mix) - Himesh Reshammiya (04:00)
08 - Ishq Ki Galee (Dance Mix) - Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Jayesh Gandhi (03:40)
09 - Milenge Milenge (Lounge Mix) - Himesh Reshammiya & Shreya Ghoshal (06:47)
10 - Kuch To Bakee Hai (Dark Mix) - Himesh Reshammiy (03:59)

Sonu Niigaam To Ft: On Lata Mangeshkar's New Album !!

The world famous Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar is making a comeback with her new untitled music album. This is her next album after a gap of 2 years. There are lots of expectations. Lata Mangeshkar the legendary playback singer of India celebrated her 80th birthday last week. And guess what was her birthday gift ? Her wish to sing along with acclaimed Pakistani ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan. Lata always wanted to do a duet with Mehdi but could not do so due to ill health of Mehdi. The Indian singer has been a fan of Pakistani ghazal maestro since she has heard him. This is the first time they will feature together in a song and that too in duet. The lyrics of the songs have been personally penned down by Mehdi Hassan. The song is titled ‘Tera milna bahut achcha lagta hai’. The song will appear in the next album released from Saregama music company which is scheduled to release some time in next month. Hassan could not come to India because he was not keeping well so he recorded the song in Pakistan only and sent to half made song to Lata, where now she has completed with her own voice. Talk about technology ! The name of the album in not known yet but it surely will be hit. Majority of her songs have been huge hit in India. Also, her last album came 2 years ago. So there will be lots of anticipation. The album will also feature acclaimed singers such as Sonu Nigam, Hariharan and Suresh Wadkar. Plus the music composers are looking for another female artist for which Javed Akhtar have already written the lyrics. Lata’s has made a comeback with her new song from Hindi film Jail directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. The music is given by Shamir Tandon. The song is more of a prayer and will be liked by few only. Her previous album was ‘Saadgi’ and was loved by fans all acroos the world. The music was composed by Mayuresh Puri and the lyrics written by Javed Akhtar She is not active in Bollywood music industry probably because of her age and moreover she does not like the present status of Indian Hindi songs. She claims songs these days are meaningless and does not do justice to singers voice. She prefers well written lyrics only. Thats why now her own album will make way and compete with other popular film albums.

Sonu Niigaam Is An Amazing Singer - Wayne Sharpe !!

Mumbai: While AR Rahman has been looking at the West for the last couple of years, there’s one American composer who has been keen on Bollywood. Wayne Sharpe who earlier worked on the background score for Prakash Jha’s Gangajal and Apaharan, has composed a patriotic song called 'Dhan Dhan Dharti' for his latest film. The song begins with portions from Vande Mataram.

“It was a great challenge for me to include elements of India’s national song and then go on to compose a patriotic track,” says Sharpe. “I have learnt various elements of Indian music and I understand Indian music to a large extent. I don’t understand the language though, so Prakash took me through the script and explained the theme of the film,” he says.

Sharpe also has high regards for Gulzar who he has worked with. “Gulzar is an amazing poet. Though I don’t understand Hindi or Urdu, I get translations,” he says.

He worked on the western instruments in Los Angeles, then recorded with the orchestra in Prague and then added the Indian instruments in India. So the song has been recorded in three countries.

Sharpe has also composed for the much-acclaimed movie Lahore and now he is looking forward to two more Indian films— one is a crossover English film and the other is a quintessential Bollywood film. But what prompted the composer to come to Bollywood? AR Rahman is one of the reasons he was drawn to India. “I first heard Rahman’s Taal soundtrack. It just changed the way I looked at Indian music. I’m a huge fan of his and would love to collaborate with him some day,” says Sharpe.

He is also a fan of Ustad Sultan Khan. “I got a chance to work with him. I was thrilled,” says Sharpe, adding, “Working with Shankar Mahadevan and Sonu Niigaam was also a great experience. They are amazing singers.”

Sharpe thanks Prakash Jha for bringing him down to India. “He is a filmmaker who makes serious issue-based films which offers me the opportunity to compose some intense music. I love to work on darker and intense soundtracks,” he said.

Sonu NIigaam Ke Dis 'Shri Aam Sur'

Sonu Niigaam & Bollywood Pays Homage To Plane Crash !!

Bollywood stars too are normal people when the camera stops rolling and
Tragedies like the Mangalore plane crash affects and disturbs them as
much as it bothers the rest of us.

Sonu Niigaam “Prayers for the departed souls in the Mangalore air crash. May God give power to their families. Very unfortunate accident,”

Big B said, “Feeling terrible. Plane crash! Air India flight from Dubai to Mangalore crashed on landing, overshot runway...so sad...so sad. I wrote about excess and balance on my blog last night.. Is the plane tragedy God's way of balancing ...? Sad and disturbed.”

Priyanka Chopra too expressed her solemn mood by saying, “Please pray for the families that have lost the ones they love in this horrific crash. We can't even begin to imagine their pain and sorrow. Also pray for the souls of those who have been cruelly taken away from their families in such a tragic situation. R.I.P. (rest in peace).”

Karan Johar’s tweet reads, “Too upsetting to hear all the news coming in about the crash... thoughts, prayers and strength to all the families....”

Amrita Arora, Ritesh Deshmukh, Deepika Padukone, Neelam Kothari, Neha Dhupia, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Arbaaz Khan and Mandira Bedi, Sonam Kapoor, Uday Chopra, Amrita Rao, Vivek Oberoi, Madhur Bhandarkar were among the many who expressed their deepest condolences to the victims of the horrid accident.

Shammi Kapoor posted a tweet saying, “The Air India crash is a very sad happening. My heart goes out to the families of the deceased. Let us pray for the departed souls.”

Arshad Warsi’s post read, “An Air India plane coming from Dubai to Mangalore has crashed at 6:30 a.m....god bless their souls.”

Suzanne Roshan said, “Sending strength and love to all those who have lost their beloved ones, time will heal. Keep the faith.”

Sonu Niigaam Excited To Perform At MCEC !!

Sonu Niigaam just departed for Australia. He is performing in Melbourne on May 22 (today) and he admits that he is quite excited to perform in the Australian city. While this is not the first time he is visiting the country Sonu’s excitement should also be because he is performing at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

MCEC happens to be an award winning location and also the largest and one of the most versatile convention and exhibition space in the entire Southern Hemisphere! “Of course I am excited. I am working hard on it and hope the people there like it,” says the singer.

The singer will be belting some of his latest songs along with some his best remembered numbers. In the meantime the singer just released an album devoted to Buddha in which he sang on song. Sonu released that hours before his flight to down under.

Sonu Niigaam Creates Musical Magic Again - Sanchaari Songs Are Chartbusters !!

The songs of Sanchaari composed by upcoming music director Arjun have become chartbusters.

The track -- Gaaliye Nodu Baa.. sung by Sonu Niigaam and Shreya Ghoshal has reached number one this week. Renowned writer Jayanth Kaikini has penned the lyrics for this song.

Arjun has composed five songs for the film. Another song Bhoomi Sutthodu.. sung by Chitra and Sonu Niigaam has reached top 10 of Kannada music.
One of the hot favorite music composers of Kannada film-makers, Arjun shot to limelight last year through Birugaali. Since then, he has composed music for more than a dozen films.

Sanchaari, a romantic thriller, is directed by Kiran Govi. Raj, who has played several character roles, will make his debut as a full time hero through Sanchaari. Bianca Desai is the female lead of the film produced by the banner D R Enterprises. Others in the cast are Dilip Raj, Rangayana Raghu, Bullet Prakash, Sathyajith, Aravind and Subbaraju. Vijay Mohan is the cameraman for Sanchaari. The movie will be released in June.

Sonu Niigaam Takes Control !!

After learning it the hard way, singer Sonu Niigaam says, “Once I lost my cool at a party. There was a lot of media around and the incident got blown up. I got angry because someone was doing something wrong so I took things into my hands. In retrospect I don’t think I will do that now. I won’t even allow myself to get into such a situation.” Sonu feels that some people display their feelings openly while others are very cautious about their image and what the media writes about them. “I think it is more about personal conduct. Rather than thinking about what could be written about you, it works better if a person behaves well,” says Sonu.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloids/celebs-can%E2%80%99t-afford-misbehave-412

Sonu Niigaam's Son Keeps Him Busy !!

Sonu Niigaam is a busy man. And it is not just his career that keeps him busy.

From a time when Sonu would be a part of every film music album he has moved on to sing only a few select songs a year. While he does more shows the singer is also kept busy by his son Nevaan.

The two and half year old is growing fast and keeps him amused. “Yes he is two years and nine months now. Time actually flies!” says the singer talking about his son who was born in the US in 2007. Sonu spends a lot of time with Nevaan teaching him and playing with him.

Wonder, if he would too grow up to become a singer. Of course, Sonu says there is a long time before we can talk of that.

Sonu Niigaam Ft: In Buddha Hi Buddha - Music Launch !!

Rajesh Dhabare’s album ‘Buddha Hi Buddha Hai- The Buddha Within’ deals with a unique theme with the album being a musical interpretation of the teachings of Lord Buddha. The album, which also features names like Sonu Niigaam, Shankar Mahadevan, Alka Yagnik, A.Hariharan, and Suresh Wadkar, and has music and lyrics by Rajesh Dhabare, was officially launched by Saregama yesterday night at BJN Banquets Hall in Fun Cinemas.

The album was released at the hands of Kabir Bedi, who was the guest of honor at the event. While speaking on the album he says, “Buddhism has always been a strong source of inspiration. I have been influenced by Buddhist teachings. My mother had turned to Buddhism in the last 15 years of her life and so I am familiar and to some extent connected to it. The album conveys the message and teachings of Buddha which is a noble cause”

Dhabare, who is not a trained musician and works as Joint Commissioner, Export, in the Department of Customs, at Mumbai composed the album with a missionary outlook and is keen on doing at least one more album on Buddha. Speaking about the cause he says, “I feel I have a responsibility towards the cause of my faith, and have so much more to offer.”

The album, which took a period of four years for completion, is said to have several variations in terms of style, from chants to electronic beats, fusing Western and Indian arrangements, blending melody with message, but never compromising on content.”

Dhabare claims to be deeply inspired by Mohammed Rafi, Naushad and O.P Nayyar and is an amateur singer himself.

– Rahat Khan / Sampurn Wire

Sonu Niigaam Sings For - Naanu Nanna Kanasu

Movie Name : Naanu Nanna Kanasu
Cast: Prakash Raj, Amoolya, Ramesh Aravind, Seethara
Music Director: Hamsalekha - Lyrics: Hamsalekha
Producer: Shailaja Nag, B Suresh, Prakash Rai - Director: Prakash Rai
Year : 2010
Music Now Released all over !!

Tracklist:
•Putta Putta - Sonu Niigaam
•Ondu Maamara - Kailash Kher
•Balukthalamma Nam Kaveri - Hemanth Kumar & Shreya Ghoshal
•Kannaliddare Kanasu - Sonu Niigaam
•Hello Uthappa - Mohan, Nandani & Hamsalekha
•Mundoduva Dinavo Idu - Sonu Niigaam

Naanu Nanna Kanasu is all about the relationship between a father and his daughter. The film is made on and family values and unlike today's movies, it deals with a message to the society. It has a few commercial elements like love, sentiment and action too. With the humorous treatment of the subject, director Prakash Raj manages to run the story smoothly thereby making the audience tighten their seat belts.


The film starts with Uthappa (Prakash Raj) meeting with a young father Jayanth(Ramesh Arvind) on his morning walk. As they introduce to each other, Uthappa begins to narrate to Jayanth how it was to bring up his own daughter Kanasu (Amoolya).

Sonu Niigaam Ft: In Bickram Ghosh's - World Music Album !!

I'm not flippant as a judge: Bickram

From turning producer to being an online music guru to doing collaborative works with Sonu Niigaam and Lisbeth Scott of Avatar fame, Bickram Ghosh is keeping a busy schedule. He tells TOI that throwing in a bunch of loops isn’t enough to make a piece of music.

While physical sales of albums are taking a dip, why are you coming up with quite a few albums including a world music project with Sonu Niigaam, Terra Groove with Greg Ellis featuring Lisbeth Scott, Tablasphere and Tagore Lounge?
While the physical sales have gone down, the Internet is so potent especially in the context of products like mine. That’s where the main sales come from as well as events. If I come up with an album, people call me up for shows that have music from that album. Besides, there are still so many companies coming out of albums. If each one of them was facing huge losses, they wouldn’t have been taking them out. Some of my old albums are still in demand at music stores. Moreover, ringtones of alternative music are also in demand. For my world music album with Sonu, he is scoring the melody while I am doing the rhythms. There are songs in every rhythmic cycles between three and nine beats. Lisbeth Scott is one of the most popular vocalists in Hollywood and has been featured in the soundtrack of Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, Breaking Point and Angels & Demons. Terra Groove will feature her and Greg Ellis. Though I am open to experimentation, I must say that throwing in a bunch of loops isn’t enough to make a piece of music. While Tablasphere is an electronica driven tabla album that can be happily played at a night club, Tagore Lounge is experimental in soundscaping without relying on stunts.

You are soon turning producer. Is it frustration with music labels or a desire to have ownership of your works that’s prompting you to take this decision?
I want to retain my rights. Musicians in India don’t realise the meaning of perpetuity. Artistic rights belong to musicians. If a musician gives away those rights, it means he is running the risk of forever losing his artistic rights. If his producer doesn’t want to produce that album, the albums will vanish from the face of the earth. Thankfully, all my old albums are still available. But there is always the risk of the company getting sold out. Despite there being a demand for those albums, they might not be available in the market. That’s the scariest thought.

But is there enough business in this field to take on the onus completely on yourself?
Let us not fool ourselves into believing that there isn’t any business. What’s sad is that this business in our is against the artistes’ interest. When we give away all our publishing rights, we don’t have the right to earn when this product is played, performed or broadcast anywhere. Somebody sure earns money, when these creations are played but since musicians are writing away their publishing rights, that somebody is not the musician himself. Most of big stars worldwide like to be their own producers. That way they retain their rights and get better deal for money.

Abroad, being a music producer is a lucrative career option. Why isn’t that option explored in India?
The definition of a music producer is very different in the global context. Yes, it is a very lucrative career option. People with great vision and those who can come up with an album by relying on that vision, can turn producer even without having money. India does have people, who already act as music producers. But they don’t get the recognition since somewhere the term music producer is still associated only with finances. I’d want to turn a music producer too. There are many genres of music that I don’t specialise in. Through my experience and vision of music, I believe I can produce talents with merit.

Which is a greater risk for you — turning music producer or taking a hiatus from the classical music circuit?
Taking a hiatus from classical music was a greater risk. My career was dependent on my concerts and I had just stopped doing that. Today, I am coming back to the classical music circuit. Even when I take to production, I am not stopping and doing something else.

You are supposed to host a music-based talk show and have also been a favourite on the judges’ seat. Is judging an alternative career for you?
The pay is good for a judge. I don’t mind judging if it’s not a long-term assignment. It took me only four days to shoot the recent show that I am judging with Suchitra Krishnamoorthi for Imagine. I enjoyed doing it. I don’t mind work, which doesn’t hamper my own activities and also pays me well. A judge must have a certain credibility and be faithful to the job. I might be flamboyant but I’m not flippant as a judge.

What do you do when you find your fellow judges translating your comments? Is it flattering or irritating?
It’s worrying.

Do you discuss this issue during the breaks you take while shooting?
As a judge, it is always to each his own. Whatever the judge says has to be accepted. If I find that someone is translating my comments and repeating them in Bengali, I have to take them in my stride. It’s neither in my control nor my responsibility to monitor this. The responsibility rests on the director and not me on to take a call on this. But when I get judging offers, I do check on who my co-judges are and whether they have a basic credibility.

You’ve also judged a dance show though you wouldn’t know as much about dance as you would about music. Is there any show that you’d never judge?
I was clear that I was judging a dance from a rhythmic point of view. I will never judge a fidelity show.

There are reports of you joining a faculty of an online music university with Suresh Wadkar and Sonu Niigaam. Are you as good a guru as your father?
This is the first time that I’ll be teaching music online. A tabla course will be uploaded along with videos. There will be chances of personalised interaction with the gurus. I started my career as a guru. I used to teach at the Rabindra Bharati University and Visva Bharati University. Later, I taught in three different music schools. I stopped teaching because of my performing career. Now that I’m getting back to teaching, I’ll try to be as good as my father.

Sonu Niigaam's Cut On Love !

Sonu Niigaam is known to speak out his mind be it as a judge in a reality show or a regular party.

When we met at the singer recently celebrating at Aadhesh Srivastav’s 20th marriage anniversary he said such occasion call for huge celebrations considering relationships in the industry hardly sustain. “In our industry when someone completely fives years of relationship even that is considered a success. So when someone completes 20 it’s grand celebration.

Especially when the couple consists of an actress and very aggressive music director,” quips Sonu. Aadesh’s wife happens to be actress and singer Vijayata Pandit. She is best known for her acting opposite Kumar Gaurav in 1981 blockbuster Love Story. Her last film as an actress was Kasam Dhande Ki (1990) after which she got married. She however continued to sing in films although very rarely.

Sonu Niigaam Surprise's Talat Aziz On Birthday !!

This was a musical mehfil that turned out to become a birthday party by the end!

Saurabh Daftari and Smita Parekh’s musical do on Thursday evening was attended by a host of music lovers, prominent among them being Talaz Aziz and wife Bina, Sonu Niigaam, Anup Jalota, Anu Malik and Salim Merchant. Bhupinder and Mitali mesmerised the audience with some beautiful melodies while Anup’s ghazals were the highpoint of the evening. Lucky Morani was seen enjoying herself. The atmosphere was shaayrana and everyone was in high spirits as the mehfil carried on.

COMING SOON - Sonu Niigaam On Ace Open University - Launching on May 15th!!

Sonu Niigaam Ace Open University - The first Online Art,Culture and Entertainment School!! Online Music curriculum in Hindustani Vocal, Percussion and Western Music!!
Launching on May 15th!! Join this fan page and be updated!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ACE-OPEN-UNIVERSITY/114788895226937?v=wall
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Legendary Singer/Composer

"Music is a kind of death. Nothing else exists when there's true music!"
- Sonu Niigaam

Born on 30th July 1973 to Shri Agam Kumar Nigam and Mrs. Shobha Nigam in the city of Faridabad, Sonu Nigam performed on stage for the very first time at the age of 3, and later accompanied his father for various singing assignments. He moved to Mumbai in 1991 and started his career in music by singing jingles, cover versions and devotional songs.. Soon, Late Shri Gulshan Kumar recognized his talent and gave him his first break as a playback singer. The songs 'Sandese Aate Hai' from Border and 'Yeh Dil Deewana' from Pardes went on to become blockbusters in 1997, marking the arrival of the superstar!

Sonu released his first major indipop album Sapne Ki Baat in 1997 which generated a remarkable response from the listeners. Following that, In 1998, albums such as 'Kismat' and 'Mausam'. History was made when Sonu launched his album 'Deewana' in 1999. It led Sonu to the heights of his singing career and it was estimated that more than ten million copies were sold officially making it the highest selling album over the next few years!! His next two albums 'Jaan' and 'Yaad' in 2000 and 2001 respectively were also chart toppers!!

Sonu is among the highest-paid singers of Bollywood and has become the safest choice for any music director to do justice to their composition. He has sung countless songs not only in Hindi but in almost all the regional languages of India and delivered chartbusters...He has established himself as one of the most versatile and soulful singers of India, appealing to the masses and connoisseurs alike. All prestigious awards adorn his mantelpiece, the most coveted of all being the National Award for the song Kal Ho Na Ho in 2003!

Sonu's first venture as an independent composer/lyricist was with the album 'Spirit Unfolding'..He further broadened his horizons by turning composer/programmer/arranger with his album 'Chanda Ki Doli' in 2005, followed by a path breaking album 'Classically Mild' in 2008. The album is semi-classical with a touch of mainstream commercial music and is skilfully packaged to appeal to connoisseurs and laymen alike. His next milestone was 'Rafi Resurrected', an album in collaboration with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 2008,as a tribute to Late Mohammed Rafi, his idol and musical father. He then reached out to the west and collaborated with several American artists like Jermaine Jackson, Chaka Khan, Emmy-winning arranger and composer Chris Boardman; songwriter-producer Jud Friedman, Barbra Streisand,Rod Stewart, triple-Grammy nominee composer Steve Dorff and dancehall artist Mr.Vegas among many!!
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Legendary Performer
As a performer, the major breakthrough in Sonu's career was being offered to host the singing Talent hunt Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee TV in 1995. He catapulted the show to heights that Indian TV had never seen before and it made him the most familiar face in households.

Stage and Sonu are words which go hand in hand. Sonu has performed all over the world. His shows are a class apart, stretching over 3 and half hours.His excellent rapport with the audience and his energetic acts have bowled over the audiences all over the world and the magic continues. A huge landmark in Sonu's career was being invited to perform at the prestigious Harvard University in 2007, a true honour. It was a symbolic moment of the next phase for our music on the world stage - one that will be looked upon often for inspiration!

The superstar,is now an international icon, with fans and followers across the globe - The voice of a million hearts, the idol of a million music lovers. He is a student of music with a zeal to surpass his own targets, a musician who strives to better himself everyday. He is a legend at the age of 37, and his journey has just begun!
http://www.aceopen.com/index.php

For more information please visit http://sonuniigaam.in

Sonu Niigaam Live In Melbourne Convention And Exhibition Center - 22nd May 2010

Sonu Niigaam Ft In: Raajneeti - Music Now Released !!

Producer : Prakash Jha & Director : Prakash Jha
Cast : Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgan, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif
Manoj Bajpai, Arjun Rampal & Naseruddin Shah
Music Director/s: Wayne Sharpe, Aadesh Shrivastava, Pritam, Shantanu Moitra

Lyricist/s: Gulzar, Sameer & Swanand Kirkire
Singers: Sonu Niigaam, Mohit Chauhan, Aadesh Shrivastava
Pronob Biswas, Hamsika Iyer, Swanand Kirkire, Shankar Mahadevan
Kavita Seth & Antara Mitra
Audio Release Date: May 2010
Cassettes and CD’s on: Sony Music Records

Tracklist
01 – Sonu Niigaam – Dhan Dhan Dharti Reprise (Call Of The Soil)
02 – Aadesh Shrivastava, Shashi & Rosalie Nicholson – Mora Piya
03 – Pronob Biswas, Hamsika Iyer & Swanand Kirkire – Ishq Barse
04 – Shankar Mahadevan – Dhan Dhan Dharti
05 – Kavita Seth – Mora Piya Mo Se Bolat Naahin (Trance Mix)
06 – Pronob Biswas, Hamsika Iyer & Swanand Kirkire – Ishq Barse (The Bombay Bounce Club Mix)
07 – Aadesh Shrivastava, Shashi & Rosalie Nicholson – Mora Piya (Twilight Mix)
08 – Mohit Chauhan & Antara Mitra – Bheegi Si Bhaagi Si
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MUSIC REVIEW: 'Raajneeti' makes a mark
American composer Wayne Sharp is not new to Bollywood. After composing for Prakash Jha's Gangaajal and Apharan, the music director collaborates with Jha once again for Raajneeti. The music is impressive

Finally there are two versions of a song called Dhan dhan dharti - one sung by Shankar Mahadevan and the other by Sonu Niigaam. The patriotic song has musical influences of Vande Mataram and both the versions are quite similar except for the diverse singing styles of the two singers.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/music-review-raajneeti-makes-a-mark/115464-8-76.html

Sonu Niigaam At Aadesh's Wedding Anniversary Celebrations !!

Aadesh Shrivastav and Vijayta Pandit are known as one of the most affable couples in town, so it wasn’t a surprise that so many guests turned up for their wedding anniversary celebrations the other day.

While the hosts ensured that all of them were having a great time, Vijayta’s brother Jatin Pandit, who was accompanied by wife and kids, too went about greeting the guests. Sonu Niigaam, who has suddenly discovered his social skills
(he attended two fashion shows in one day recently), was present along with wife Madhurima. The singer caught up with Shekhar Suman and the duo were seen catching up over dinner and drinks. Making a solo entry however, was Shaan, who greeted Aadesh and Vijayta before mingling with the others. Sameer was also present at the joyous occasion.

http://broadband.glamsham.com/aadesh-shrivastavs-filmi-wedding-anniversary/-video_fe5180b71.html

Sonu Niigaam & Inspiration !!

We agree that Hrithik Roshan’s long locks and stubble in Kites is a hot look. But there is a Bollywood celebrity who is taking it a bit too far in trying to get same look as Hrithik Roshan.

We spotted Sonu Niigaam recently and couldn’t help but wonder if Sonu was
drawing inspiration from Hrithik.

Interestingly Hrithik will be chopping off his gorgeous mane for Zoya Akhtar’s next film, Running With The Bulls.
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Vijay Says ...

Sonu Niigaam has had this hair style for a long time, its not the fisrt time
Sonu Niigaam has always had different hair styles, just look at his pics
From over the years.

However, Hrithik is the one who has changed his look for the first time
So who is inspired from who ???

Sonu Niigaam & Riyaz Gangji at the Fashion Show of Shagun -At JW Marriott Juhu Mumbai On 09-05-10

Sonu Niigaam & Wife Madhurima At Malika's Ramp Walk !!

The women got a chance to dress up and strut the ramp at the fashion show by Vikram Phadnis held at the JW Marriott Mumbai’s exclusive Wedding Fair 2010, showcasing the finest in gourmet and wedding expertise.

And the women looked nothing less than gorgeos wearing colourful lehengas, mogras in their hair and bright red bindis on their foreheads. Candice Pinto, Shruti Aggarwal, Nethra Raghuraman and Shonal Rawat were some of the pretty ladies who strutted down the ramp in bridal wear, smiling at the audience who couldn’t take their eyes off them. Vidya Malavade, wearing a long blue evening gown, was seen with hubby Sanjay Dayma while Sonu Niigaam too dropped in with wife Madhurima. Suleiman and Reshma Merchant were the colour-coordinated couple as they both turned up in white outfits. Salim Merchant joined them later. Making a solo entry was Sonu Sood, who looked a little clueless before settling in his seat. Jacqueline Fernandez, who had walked the ramp earlier in the day, too came in for a dekho, dressed in a lovely one-shoulder black dress. Remu and Naaz Zaveri and Chetan and Lavinya Hansraj too seemed impressed with the lovely creations on display. And then the moment that everyone was waiting for finally arrived when showstopper Malaika Arora Khan, looking like a million bucks, strolled on to the ramp. Marriage and a kid has certainly done nothing to lessen her charm — she looked hotter than ever! A perfect end to a lovely evening, that’s what this was!

DJ Sanj's - Brand New Collaboration With Sonu Niigaam

In other news DJ Sanj's brand new collaboration with Juggy D, Sonu Niigaam and Sukwinder Singh dropped into my inbox this week, not sure many people in the world have it yet. It's a dancefloor filler guaranteed, there isn't a DJ in the world that plays Bhangra who won't need this track when it's released, hopefully at the end of the month. I am currently listening to so much great music and hunting down so many exclusives that I'll have to apologize if I haven't managed to get everything in this time, guess you'll just have to check out my UK Flex next week and hopefully by then I would have remembered.

Sonu Niigaam Nominated For Best Playback Singer At IIFA Awards !!

'3 Idiots' Leads IIFA Nomination List

Aamir Khan starrer, blockbuster 3 Idiots leads the nomination list in the popular category of 11th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards which will be held in Sri Lanka from June 3-5.

3 Idiots leads the pack with 14 nominations, including two nominations each in the best male playback singing and best supporting actor category.

The Rajkumar Hirani directed movie is followed by Saif Ali Khan's home production Love Aaj Kal which has received nine nominations while Amitabh Bachchch-Abhishek starrer Paa has bagged eight nods.

3 Idiots, Wanted, Kaminey, Paa and Dev D are vying for the title of Best Picture, while the Best Direction category nominations comprise, Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots), Anurag Kashyap (Dev D), Ayan Mukherji (Wake Up Sid), Vishal Bharadwaj (Kaminey), Imtiaz Ali (Love Aaj Kal) and R Balki (Paa).

The actors nominated this year for Performance in a Leading Role (Male) are Aamir Khan for 3 Idiots, Amitabh Bachchan for Paa, Saif Ali Khan for Love Aaj Kal, Salman Khan for Wanted, Shahid Kapoor for Kaminey and Ranbir Kapoor for Wake Up Sid.

The winner for Performance in a Leading Role – Female will be chosen between Kareena Kapoor (3 Idiots), Priyanka Chopra (Kaminey), Deepika Padukone (Love Aaj Kal), Vidya Balan (Paa) and Mahie Gill (Dev D).

The awards ceremony would be held at Sughathadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Sharman Joshi (3 Idiots), Irrfan Khan (New York), R Madhavan (3 Idiots),Abhimanyu Singh (Gulal), Abhishek Bachchan (Paa) and Rishi Kapoor(Love Aaj Kal) are in the race for Best supporting actor category.

Kalki Koechlin (Dev D), Arundhati Naag (Paa), Divya Dutta (Delhi 6), Supriya Pathak (Wake Up Sid) and Kirron Kher (Kurrban) are vying for the best supporting actress trophy.

Best Performance in a Comic Role will be chosen from among Omi Vaidya (3 Idiots), Ajay Devgn (All The Best), Johny Lever (De Dana Dan), Govinda (Life Partner) and Sanjay Dutt (All The Best).

Other nominations include:

Best performance in negative role: Boman Irani (3 Idiots), Amol Gupte (Kaminey), Prakash Raj (Wanted), Kay Kay Menon (Gulal) and Arya Babbar (Jail).

Music Direction: Shantanu Moitra (3 Idiots), A R Rehman (Delhi 6), Pritam (Love Aaj Kal), Amit Trivedi (Dev D) and Vishal Bharadwaj (Kaminey).

Best Story: Abhijat Joshi, Raj Kumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra(3 Idiots), Ayan Mukherji (Wake Up Sid), Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane (Dev D), Imtiaz Ali (Love Aaj Kal) and R Balki (Paa).

Best Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire (3 Idiots), Prasoon Joshi (Delhi 6), Irshad Kamil (Love Aaj Kal), Gulzar (Kaminey), Amitabh Bhattacharya (Dev D).

Playback Singer (Male): Shaan - Behti Hawa Sa Tha Who (3 Idiots), Mohit Chauhan - Masakali (Delhi 6), Sonu Niigaam - All Izz Well (3 Idiots), Atif Aslam - Tu Jaane Na (Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani), Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - Aaj Din Chadiya (Love Aaj Kal), Sukhvinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani - Dan Te Nan (Kaminey)

Playback Singer(Female): Shreya Ghoshal - Zoobi Doobi (3 Idiots), Kavita Seth - Ek Tara (Wake Up Sid), Rekha Bharadwaj - Sasura Genda Phool (Delhi 6), Sunidhi Chauhan – Chor Baazari (Love Aaj Kal), Shilpa Rao - Moodi Moodi (Paa), Tulsi Kumar - Hafiz Khuda (8X10 Tasveer).

"Colombo marks the second decade of IIFA, with the best of Indian cinema being showcased. The events of the IIFA Weekend are expected to boost tourism in Sri Lanka," Director of Wizcraft, which organises the event, Sabbas Joseph said.
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3 Idiots tops music nominations

After having ruled the box office, 3 Idiots is also ruling nominations for the upcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards to be held next month (June, 2010) in Sri Lanka.

3 Idiots led the way in the music category sweeping five nominations. The film has also grabbed four Technical awards which have already been declared.

In the popular awards, Shantanu Moitra has been nominated in the Best Music Direction category, Swanand Kirkire has been nominated in the Best Lyrics category
3 Idiots have received two nominations in the Best Male Playback Singer with Sonu Niigaam for his rendition of 'All Izzz Well' and Shaan for 'Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh'.

And the last nomination is in the Best Female Playback category with Shreya Ghoshal for' Zoobi Doobi' from 3 Idiots.

Sonu Niigaam & Bollywood Singers Pay Tribute To Naushad Ali !!

On legendary music composer Naushad Ali’s fourth death anniversary, various musicians came forward to pay their tributes at the memorial organised
at Bandra on May 5.

Getting nostalgic, Sonu Niigaam said, “On May 5, 2006, I was at the Himalayas when I heard about his demise. Standing there alone, I sang a song in his remembrance.” Sonu captivated the audience with Nain lad jaihe and Madhuban mein radhika nache.

Hariharan, recalled his long association with Naushad. “I have been fortunate that I got the chance to work with him. He would call me Hariya in the rehearsal room.”

Hariharan sang a song from the 2005 release, Taj Mahal, one of Naushad’s last works. Hariharan also recited a few of Naushad shayaris.

The late Mohammed Rafi and late Mahindra Kapoor had sung Kaisi haseen aaj baharoon ki raat hain together for the 1968 movie, Aadmi. On Naushad’s memorial, their sons, Shahid Rafi and Rohan Kapoor, came together to recreate the magic.

Kapoor reminisced, “The experience was unbelievable. Shahid and I are good friends and we meet frequently. We decided to sing the duet just two days before the memorial.”

Various other musicians such as Kersi Lord, Franco Vaz and Shabbir Kumar, who worked with Naushad during his lifetime, were also present to pay tribute.

Sonu Niigaam Ft: In The Blockbuster - Rajneeti !!

According to the film's co-writer Anjum Rajabali, this film is hugely influenced by the epic story from the Indian religious history the "Mahabharat", and is set in the milieu of contemporary electoral politics. So the films characters are going to have the similar dilemmas and experiences drawn from the story of Mahabharat.


Cast: Nana Patekar , Ajay Devgan , Ranbir Kapoor
Arjun Rampal , Vivek Oberoi ,Katrina Kaif , Manoj Bajpai

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala - Director: Prakash Jha
Written by Screenplay: Anjum Rajabali & Prakash Jha
Story: Prakash Jha
Budget $20.78 million
Music Director: Wayne Sharpe, Aadesh Shrivastava, Pritam, Shantanu Moitra
Lyricist: Gulzar, Sameer, Swanand Kirkire, Irshaad Kamil
Cassettes & CD%s on: T-Series
Movie Release Date: 4 June 2010
Music Releasing Soon !!

Track List - To be updated soon !!
01 - Raajneeti - Sonu Niigaam
02 - Ishq Barse
03 - Mora Piya - Aadesh Shrivastav

Sonu Niigaam: - A R Rahman Reacts !!

Recently Sonu Niigaam tweeted about his surprise discovery that his track had been dropped from the recently released music album of Mani Ratnam’s Raavan. He made things quite apparent by saying he now understood why he hadn’t been invited for the launch too.

Now A R Rahman who has composed and directed the music for Raavan is not one to say much about his work. But this time he has decided to come out and speak publicly following Niigaam’s public outcry.

“Unfortunately, because of the narration, we couldn’t fit many songs. We have three more songs that we recorded, but couldn’t use. We had a song with Asha Bhonsle too, which wasn’t used. The movie’s narration would’ve halted with so many songs. So, we took a creative decision,” said Rahman.

Over to you Sonu

Sonu Niigaam Live At The Vaishnav Stadium Raj Mohalla, Indore 07-05-10

Sonu Niigaam Sings For 'Nanjangud Nanjunda' - Music Now Released !!

Yes guys our Sonu Niigaam sings yet for another kannada movie :
'Nanjangud Nanjunda' - Music Now Released !!

Ravishankar, popularly known as Dr. Vittal Rao from the mega serial 'Silly Lalli', is back with 'Nanjangud Nanjunda'. The film is said to be inspired from the Tamil film 'Dindigul Sarathy' starring Karunas in the lead.

The Kannada version is being directed by Srinivas Prasad. The film is slated to go on floors in May. 'Nanjangud Nanjunda' will be shot in the temple of Nanjangud in Mysore. Yogeesh will be playing a cameo in this film.

Cast : Ravi Shankar, Hamsini, KSL Swami, Nagaraj Kote...
Music Director : KV Ravichandra
Producer : VK Jindal, Subhash Coorg - Director : Srinivas Prasad
Lyrics : Kaviraj, Dr V Nagendra Prasad, Ram Narayan

Tracklist:
01 Mella Mella Ee Preethi – Sonu Niigaam, Shreya Ghoshal
02 Yerimele Yeri – Tippu, Inchara
03 Yelu Bannada Chitte – Shankar Mahadevan, Anuradha Sriram
04 Laila O Laila – Kunal Ganjawala, Chaitra
05 Vandane Nanjunda, SPB

Sonu Niigaam Sings In Nooru Janmaku - Music Now Released !!

Movie :: Nooru Janmaku[2010]
Starring :: Santosh, Aindrita
Music Mano Murthy
Lyrics Nagathihalli Chandrashekar
Producer Vinay Lad - Director Nagathihalli Chandrashekar
Music On Anand - Audio Release 2010
Language :: Kannada

Track List:

01.Maneyanu Kattiona
Singer : Sonu Nigaam, Shruti Pathak

02.Ivanu Yaaravva
Singer : Hemanth, M D Pallavi

03.Banthu Banthu Recession
Singer : Hemanth, Chaithra

04.Nooru Janmaku
Singer : Rajesh Krishnan

05.Gelluba Gelluba
Singer : Shreya Ghoshal

Sonu Niigaam Wins BollySpice Choice Bollywood Awards 2009-2010 !

It's that time year again when the fans get a say in who they think were the best in 2009. Yes, we are talking about the hottest awards of the season, The BollySpice Choice Bollywood Awards. These awards are different than any other because all nominees and winners are solely based on votes by the fans! The nominees in each category come from suggestions of Bollyspice.com forum members. Once the final list is created, based on those nominations, the fans vote on who they think rocked their world in 2009-2010. The votes have been tallied and we now present:

BollySpice Choice Bollywood Awards 2009-2010 Winners!

Best Singer - Male
Nominees: Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal Dadlani - 'Dhan Te Nan' (Kaminey ), Atif Aslam - 'Tu Jaane Na' (Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani ), Mohit Chauhan - 'Yeh Dooriyan' (Love Aaj Kal ), Bonnie Chakarvarthy - 'Emosanal Atyachar'(Dev D ), Sonu Nigam, Shaan & Swanand Kirkire - 'All Izz Well' (3 Idiots )
Winner: Sonu Nigam, Shaan & Swanand Kirkire - 'All Izz Well' ( 3 Idiots )

Best Singer - Female
Nominees: Kavita Seth - 'Iktara' (Wake Up Sid ), Shilpa Rao - 'Mudi Mudi' (Paa ), Shreya Ghoshal - 'Zoobie Doobie' (3 Idiots ), Alisha Chinoy - 'Tera Hone Laga' (Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani ), Sunidhi Chauhan - 'Chor Bazaar' (Love Aaj Kal )
Winner: Kavita Seth - 'Iktara' ( Wake Sid )

Best Music
Nominees: Pritam Chakraborty - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani/Love Aaj Kal/Tum Mile , Vishal Bharadwaj - Kaminey , Amit Trivedi - Wake up Sid/Dev D , Shantanu Moitra - 3 Idiots , A.R. Rahman - Delhi 6
Winner: Pritam Chakraborty - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani/Love Aaj Kal/Tum Mile
A.R. Rehman - Delhi 6

Best Lyrics
Nominees: Javed Akhtar - 'Iktara' (Wake Up Sid ), Swanand Kirkire - 'Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh' (3 Idiots ), Irshad Kamil - 'Tu Jaane Na' (Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani ), Irshad Kamil - 'Ajj Din Chadheya' (Love Aaj Kal ), Shellee - 'Pardesi' ( Dev D )
Winner: Swanand Kirkire - Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh ( 3 Idiots )

See more: http://www.bollyspice.com/view.php/4872-bollyspice-choice-bollywood-awards-2009-2010-winners.html