Musical Legends - Sonu Nigam

Sonu Nigam (born 30 July 1973 in Faridabad, Haryana, India) is a highly acclaimed Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi and Kannada movies, as well as Marathi and Telugu movies. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films. 

                                                           http://sonunigamvideos.blogspot.com/

Sonu Nigam began his singing career at the age of three, when he joined his father on stage to sing Mohammad Rafi's "Kya Hua Tera Wada, Wo Kasam Wo Irada." From then on, Sonu accompanied his father on his singing appearances at weddings and parties. In his teenage years, Nigam participated in several music competitions successfully. He moved to Mumbai with his father to begin his Bollywood singing career at the age of 19. His initial years in Mumbai proved to be a struggle, beginning by singing covers of Mohammad Rafi songs, mainly for a number of "Rafi Ki Yaadein" albums released by T-Series.Nigam's first movie song as a playback singer was in the film Janam (1990), which was never officially released. Sonu also got a break in several radio commercials until he appeared on the popular TV show Sa Re Ga Ma, after which there was no turning back.The format of that show gave him a chance to showcase his singing skills including his later well-known natural charm and audience appeal. Then he sang "Accha Sila Diya" on the album Bewafa Sanam (1995), which established his status as a recognized playback singer. Singing offers poured in thereafter, albeit slowly at first. He rose to fame with the Anu Malik composed song "Sandese Aate Hain," in Border in 1997 and the Nadeem-Shravan composed song "Yeh Dil Deewana" in Pardes in the same year. Since then, he has created a unique style of his own, and has become a role model for emerging vocal talent in India.

Over the years, Sonu has become a major force in the Indian music industry. He has provided playback singing for a large number of Hindi movies and won many awards. His rendition of the title song of the film Kal Ho Na Ho has been highly popular and is considered a modern legend of sorts. He is recognized for his versatile voice as well as excellent emotion range. Sonu has sung with clear pronunciations, in many languages besides Hindi, including Bengali, Oriya, Kannada, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, English, Bhojpuri, Urdu, Nepali and Marathi. He remains particularly popular in Southern India for his Kannada songs and has won a few awards in this particular industry. Sonu has also released a number of pop albums, both in Hindi and in Punjabi. The very recent addition to this list is "Classically Mild".

Stage and Sonu are words which go hand in hand. He has been singing since he was 3 and his energy and zest has only increased with every performance. Sonu has performed not only all over India but almost in every Continent. He has toured America, UK, Europe, South Africa, France, Germany, Pakistan, Dubai, Afghanistan, Africa, Singapore, Bangkok, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, Mauritius, Australia and Egypt. He always performs 'Live' with his band which makes him a class apart. The grandeur of his shows is always compared to star shows as no singer has ever been given such publicity and production value. His shows stretch over 3 and half hours with 2 entries where he alone performs in each segment for over an hour. His excellent rapport with the audience and his energetic acts bowled over the audiences all over the world and the magic continues. Some of his recent memorable and successful tours include the Idea Rocks India Tour in 2006, Simply Sonu Tours in 2006 and 2007 ,The Incredibles tour of North America with Asha Bhonsle, Kunal Ganjawala and Kailash Kher in 2007 and the Rafi Resurrected Tour with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 2008. In 2006, he was also invited to Melbourne to perform at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games along with several other eminent personalities. A huge landmark in Sonu’s career was being invited to perform at the prestigious Harvard University in November 2007 on the momentous occasion of the Installation of Dr.Drew Gilpin Faust as Harvard University’s 28th president. Perhaps one could say history had been made. Not just Harvard history, which it certainly was, as the first ever South Asian, or any ethnic performance for that matter, at such a Harvard ceremony. But in a wider context, 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. Sonu wholeheartedly accepted the honour of the stage realizing the immense potential the combination of his celebrity and this exalted platform held, in launching Indian music into the next orbit. He took Harvard students as his accompanists - a gesture of foresight that was greatly praised by faculty and administrators, and presented Gandhiji’s favourite Bhajan “Vaishnava Jana To” in his own style, transalating it into English as well.

Sonu has done various charity work all over India as well as abroad for Dignity Foundation, Cancer organizations, Leprosy organizations, Blindness organizations, Women's welfare organizations, Kargil war affected families, Earthquake affected families. He also sponsors a child from the organization “Crayon”.

He is often referred to as India's best playback singer and as the Golden Voice of Indipop but he has proved time and again that he is a complete musician and an institution in himself with extra-ordinary talent and a voice to die for. He is a student of music,with a zeal to surpass his own targets and a performer par excellence. Today he is a superstar,an icon to millions of music lovers across the globe. He is a legend approaching the age of 37, and the journey has just begun!


Just visit  http://sonunigamvideos.blogspot.com/  for interesting videos, articles and latest news and gossips of Sonu Nigam.