JOIN USRemixes are overused: Sonu
Musical heartthrob Sonu Nigam will be seen judging the sixth season of BIG FM’s on-air singing talent hunt ‘Benadryl BIG Golden Voice’, presented by
Benadryl Cough Syrup.
In the radio show, that aims at unearthing hidden talent across the nation, Sonu will mentor the participants and hone their skills to prepare for the finale.
The 6th edition will revolve around the theme of ‘Sur Bane Humare’, that aims to capture the diverse music of India.
Rajitha Menon spoke to the established singer about reality shows and more.
There are so many reality shows already. What makes Big Golden Voice different?
Benadryl BIG Golden Voice is purely about music, talent and quality of voice as well as the performance as a singer; there is no added ornamentation. The usual gimmicks and drama doesn’t exist here.
What do you look for in a contestant for him/her to impress you?
I do not look at it in that perceptive. Anything good shines by itself. Like you don’t have to point at the sun for people to notice it — I believe a worthy contestant is the same.
You sang at DeepVeer’s reception ceremony in Mumbai. Tell us about the experience.
I did not give a performance in that sense; I just sang on the spur of the moment. I was personally invited by her for the wedding and it was a special moment as my songs were being played there. Deepika’s father, Prakash Padukone, is a very old and dear friend of mine. I met him at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 in Melbourne. I was touched by the way he approached me and expressed his admiration towards me. Also, three years ago, I came all the way to Bengaluru especially to perform for him on Deepika’s request.
You were seen in a new avatar for ‘Tota’ with Meet Brothers. Is visual the way to go for singers now?
I have been acting in videos since the 90s. I believe songs should have visuals especially since we don’t have albums these days. Videos focusing on one good song should be released. For example, the song ‘Aye Zindagi’, done by Asha Bhosle, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Alka Yagnik, Shaan, Suresh Wadkar and me, was a soulful number that garnered a lot of good reviews.On the other hand, ‘Tota’ reflects a different side of me. The song has been beautifully composed by Meet Bros and written by Kumaar. I hope the audience appreciates it.
What are your thoughts about the trend of remaking old Bollywood songs...
In my opinion, remixes sound good sometimes but not every time. In some cases, it is a strategy to gain more visibility for the movie by banking on the popularity of an old song and releasing its remixed version. I am not against this trend, but I feel one should not overuse something that works. Similarly, an original song’s remix shouldn’t be such that it has only 10 percent of its essence and the rest of it is changed. As an artiste, I don’t see that adding any good value to the music industry and its creative aspect.