Sonu Nigam to perform in Sydney on July 20
by Neena Badhwar
Sonu Nigam is coming to Sydney performing live on July 20. He is well known playback singer, composer, host and an actor.
Someone who wanted to become a scientist in his school years, Sonu was a child prodigy when at the age of four years he sang along with his father Mohammed Rafi’s song ”˜Kya hua tera wada’ at a function. This ”˜Kal ho na ho’ and ”˜Sandese aate hai’ singer is a multi award winning artist who was trained under Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. Sonu is a sought after singer by the fans down under who love to listen to him live.
Very much a family man, Sonu says he is always nervous before a concert and always rang up his mum before a performance asking for her blessings. “She is not alive any more and remember my love of bhajans came from her as I learnt my first bhajan ”˜Jai Jagadish’ when I used to join in the puja at home.” Sonu is very close to his son Nevaan and wife Madhurima Mishra and has always taken his son along to his concerts abroad. Sonu is a multilingual singer having sung in close to twenty Indian languages including English.
Sonu Nigam won the 2015 Socialathon ”˜Person of the Year’ with close to 3 million fan-following, being the most popular person on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Says he, “It was taking too much of my time and that was affecting my music. I thought I had to respond to every comment, counter every comment positive or negative. At times I came across ”˜gutteraties’ and ”˜sweeteratties’ too on twitter I have become very careful though not to waste hours on end on social media and have gone back to concentrating on my music which is my main love.”
In 2017 Sonu had complained something of a very simple concern on Twitter that early morning ”˜Azaan’ was disturbing his morning sleep. In response it angered many Muslims when Syed Sha Atef Ali Al Quaderi, vice president of West Bengal United Council announced a reward of ₹10 Lakh to anyone who shaved Nigam’s head, to which Sonu Nigam responded by shaving his own head to claim the reward. Whether he got the amount or not we do not know but Sonu did close his Twitter account for ever having been put off by the whole episode. He did apologise and said that it’s not the religion, any religion, Hindu or Islam, his objection was to the using of loudspeakers which create a huge noise pollution and thus disturb others. “When my concerts at night finish early by 10 at night with music equipment all packed up otherwise the police will confiscate, then why odd times are applicable to these loud speakers, its not the Azaan or even the Arti, it is the loudspeakers at odd hours I am against.” he said.
His love of music comes from a home where both his mum and dad sang so well that singing career became his obvious choice. Sonu had to struggle a bit like anyone who comes to Bollywood but having come there to try out at a very young age of 18, he said by 21 he was able to get his first break by Gulshan Kumar and things moved on from there when he started to get assignments to sing in films. In 1997 he was recognized as the Best Male singer by Zee Cine Awards for his song ”˜Sandese aate hain’, 1998 saw him getting Star Screen Award for Best Male Pop Artist. In 2004 Sonu received the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer, for the song “Kal Ho Naa Ho”, from the film Kal Ho Naa Ho. Since then he has won innumerable accolades and awards and became well a known singer in the Kannada films.
Sonu has recorded Romantic, Rock, Sad, Devotional, Ghazal and Patriotic songs. And has remixed with Brittany Spears and appeared in Oscar 2015 nomination list ‘ with Bickram Ghosh for their rustic compositions.
A handsome singer, Sonu has acted in many films, he says he regularly follows fitness routine so that he stays young as he grows old. He prefers bhajans and ghazals over songs, says he, “When I started, I faced a lot of hardships. Nothing came on a platter for me. People used to call me a Rafi clone because I used to sing my favourite singer’s songs. Then ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ happened. That gave me a good break.”
One can see Sonu is always evolving, always learning, his favorite channel being ”˜National Geographic’ he recently sang Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s poems and has also sung bhajan with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. He is also a big advocate of ”˜Clean India’ Campaign saying that when, “We do not throw a wrapper when in Singapore or anywhere else abroad then why we throw indiscriminately here in India without a thought, throw anything and everything, spit even, its utterly disgusting.”
Sonu says he is happy to sing what his fans want, “While performing if I hear ”˜Agneepath’, I ask ”˜Agneepath Chahiye’ and when they all shout yes I know that it has become huge.”
Sonu, who has crooned some of the most popular Hindi songs including Suraj Hua Maddham, Abhi Mujhme Kahin, Kal Ho Naa Ho title track, Do Pal, Sun Zara and Sapna Jahan, On July 20, will be performing live along with Prajakta Shukre of Indian Idol fame at the Hill Song Convention Centre in Sydney at 7pm presented by Crestwood IndAus Care’s Bharat Ratnam. Do keep the date free and book your tickets with drytickets.com.au or ring Lata on 0404 272 412 or Amit 0433 211 986.
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