'Anyone can sing now'

A versatile singer, Kumar Sanu has won many hearts with songs like Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Pagal Hai, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga among others. Kumar, who was in the City recently to perform at the ‘Alive India In Concert’, spoke about the changing face of music and his journey so far.

Talking about the ‘Alive India In Concert’ series, in which the audience asked him questions as he performed, he says that he always wanted to do a show like this as it would help him get closer to the public. 

Having been in the industry for almost three decades, he feels that everyone associated with it wants to make a profit. “The music of yesteryear had creativity. The music director did his share, the lyricist wrote impressive lyrics and the singer sang with as much modulation and variation as possible,” he says, adding, “Today’s music is very mechanical. We have gone much beyond technology now. Anyone can sing now. This change is very painful and the condition of the industry is getting worse.”

Commenting on the much-hyped item songs of today, Kumar says that these songs are popular for a few weeks after which, the hype dies down. “The composers of these songs don’t think for a moment about the effect that they will have. What message are they giving to the people? Nowadays, one has to be careful even when sitting with family and watching a song sequence,” he complains.

His inspiration is Kishore Kumar. “Everyone knows that I was inspired by him to enter the industry. My voice was similar to his so I followed his style of singing. Later, I tried to use what I learnt from his singing to create my own identity,” he shares.

He says that the best award for any singer is the response he or she gets when performing in front of a crowd. “The shrieks and applause give you an adrenaline rush. I have received many awards and have an entire room dedicated to them. But the excitement stops there,” he says.Soft, semi-classical and romantic numbers are Kumar’s favourite. “I have sung pop numbers also,” he quickly adds. “Music is my life and I cannot live without it. There is music in everything — even when we walk or when water is poured into a glass,” says the singer.

Kumar says that there are a number of songs of Kishoreda that he would have loved to sing. He also feels that the music in the southern part of the country is much more powerful. “Carnatic music is very impressive. But Bollywood music is favoured by all because it blends all styles of music from across the country. It is a perfect mix,” he states. 

Visiting Bangalore after long, Kumar recollects that he used to sing at a hotel here earlier. “I love the weather here and the people are very kind and warm-hearted,” he says.

He has his hands full with concerts and recordings at the moment. “I just recorded a Spanish song. I have also released a tribute album to Kishoreda called Hum Aur Tum with music composer Jatin Sharma,” he sums up.