On World Singing Day, singers and composers speak about how they fell in love with music, the inspiration behind their passion, how songs help in taking the narrative forward in a film and add to box office success
Sonu Nigam: Songs add to a film’s recall value
Sonu Nigam began singing when he was four years old. 42 years later, music has become a reflection of his soul. “Music is a byproduct of my spiritual evolution.” When we ask him to choose his favourite singers, Sonu says that it’s difficult to choose one. “I look up to legends like KL Saigal, Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Salamat Ali Khan, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, Talat Mahmood, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Jagjit Singh, Al Jarreau, Anup Jalota, Bhimsen Joshi, Suresh Wadkar, Hariharan and SP Balasubramaniam.” Speaking about the importance of songs in films, Sonu adds, “I feel songs add to the recall value of a film, but these days, films don’t necessarily need songs to hold the plot.”
Shilpa Rao: Listening to music is my biggest passion
For singer Shilpa Rao, listening to “music” is a “greater love than singing. Listening to music was and continues to be the biggest love of my life.” Shilpa, who grew up listening to classical music, attended concerts where maestros like Bismillah Khan Sahab, Nikhil Banerjee, Zakir Hussain had performed. While Shilpa listens to all forms of music, there is no a particular genre on her playlist. “Mehdi Hassan is my idol; he is someone I aspire to sing like, the biggest source of my inspiration. Other musicians I love to listen to, are Sting, Sade, Kendrick Lamar and Ella Fitzgerald.” She feels a film’s success depends on songs to a great extent. “Even after a film goes off the theatres, we remember the songs,” she says.
Guru Randhawa: Be it in films or indie music, there is space for good songs
Guru Randhawa, singer, songwriter and music composer, says, “Since childhood I used to listen to songs on TV and used to hum along. It was clear that it would always be music for me. I have devoted my heart and soul to music from my childhood.” Speaking about singers who have inspired him, Guru shares, “I like to listen to Hans Zimmer, Bruno Mars and Ariana Grande. My early influences in music have been artistes like Gurdas Maan, Babbu Maan and legends from Pakistan like Sajjad Ali and Abrar-ul- Haq.” Guru adds, “There is always space for good music in India, be it in movies or independent genre.
Swati Sharma : Songs are the backbone of Bollywood films
Swati Sharma, who’s currently doing some Bollywood playback, says, “I breathe music and that’s how I can describe my love for music.” A fan of the iconic Lata Mangeshkar, Swati, who has also sung with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Javed Alil, Ash King, Nikhil D’souza says, “Songs are the backbone of Bollywood movies, it’s not wrong to say that many movies are still known only for their songs.” She adds, “I idolise Lataji, while I have learnt a lot from Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan.”
Tulsi Kumar: Independent music has emerged in a big way
Singer Tulsi Kumar says, “I was six years old when I fell in love with music. I used to hum a lot while watching TV. It was my father who first felt that I should train in light classical music if I wanted to be a professional.” Tulsi loves both Bollywood and international music, and what she wants to hear at a given point of time “depends on the kind of phase and mood I’m in.” Internationally, she likes listening to Whitney Houston, Beyoncé and Ariana Grande. Speaking on whether the success of a film depends on its songs and the trend of independent music, Tulsi says, “A film can get the right kind of opening if it has a hit song. If the music is good, then that becomes the soul of that film. In India, independent music has come up in a big way, indie artists are doing albums and are getting visibility.”
Ami Mishra: Music brings people together
Music is the answer to all problems, says singer-songwriter Ami Mishra. He says, “Nothing can bring people together the way music does. For me, singing is like breathing.” When we prod him to reveal his favourite artistes, Ami shares, “AR Rahman, Mithoon Sharma, John Mayer and Ed Sheeran are the ones I look up to.” Sharing his take on the importance of songs in films, he says, “Songs bring a lot of emotions to films.”
Jubin Nautiyal: Music is a way of life for me
Speaking about his love and passion for music and singing, singer-composer Jubin Nautiyal says, “Music is not just love for me; it’s a way of life, a habit. I have been making music all my life.” Jubin adds, “Kishore Kumar is the voice of India, Md Rafi taught me to sing romantic numbers, while Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s live recordings helped me prep for stage shows. For me Lata Tai is the definition of sur.” What does songs mean for Bollywood films? Jubin says, “A great song needs a great film and a great film needs great songs. Bollywood films are surely driven by music. I believe a great song will always attract its audience and get is due.”