Sonu Nigam Biography: Sonu Nigam is a prominent Indian singer who ascended to prominence through his work in Bollywood and other regional films. Sonu Nigam is arguably one of the finest vocalists of the twenty-first century, as he possesses an incredibly melodic voice and a remarkable range of skills. Sonu has not only excelled as a playback singer from an early age, but has also experimented with diverse genres with ease. He has performed over 2000 tunes in approximately 10 languages. In 2006, at the height of his career as the highest-paid male playback vocalist in Bollywood, Sonu announced his intention to focus more on personal projects and stage performances.
Sonu Nigam Biography:
Childhood and Education
Sonu was born on July 30, 1973 in Faridabad, Haryana, to Agam Kumar and Shobha Nigam. His sisters are Meenal and Nikita. He attended J. D. Tytler School in Delhi and earned his bachelor’s degree from Delhi University. In 1990, he relocated to Mumbai in pursuit of a career as a playback singer. Sonu Nigam and Madhurima Banerjee were married on February 15, 2002. Neevan, the couple’s firstborn, was born on July 27, 2007.
Musical Instruction
It is said that certain fortunate individuals have music in their veins. This also appears to be the case with Sonu Nigam. Agam Kumar Nigam, the father of Sonu, used to perform on stage. Sonu used to accompany his father to his performances, which sparked his interest in music. At the age of four, he launched a tantrum in one of the performances, claiming he wanted to sing. He sang Mohammed Rafi’s megahit “Kya Hua Tera Wada” from the film “Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi.” That marked the beginning of what has become a remarkable musical voyage.
Sonu began his training at home. His father taught him the nuances of music as he grew up. In Delhi, he received classical music instruction from Ustad Maha Kanjar Naveed. His love for music superseded all other interests, and he pursued it with single-minded determination. As an adolescent, he participated in and won the majority of regional and national music competitions. The idea of becoming a prominent playback singer in Bollywood occurred to him at that moment. At age 18, he decided to migrate to Mumbai, accompanied by his father. While pursuing opportunities, he maintained his musical training under the tutelage of the legendary classical music maestro Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.
Sonu asserts that music is an endless voyage. One must invest a great deal of soul and never cease learning. Maintaining humility and reverence is essential to being a good disciple and gaining the most knowledge possible.
Career
Reproduced Singing
Sonu received his first opportunity for playback singing in the 1990 film Janam, but the film was never released. When his songs were declined in favour of S. P. Balasubramaniam, he was disappointed because he had placed a lot of faith in his contract with T-series. The proprietor of T-series, Gulshan Kumar, was so impressed by his talent that he offered him a singing contract for his upcoming project “Bewafa Sanam.” The song ‘Achha Sila Diya Tune’ became an enormous success, and people began to take note of this talented singer.
During his early days in Mumbai, he laboured due to a lack of playback opportunities. He produced radio advertisements. His primary source of income was stage performances as a voice double for Mohammed Rafi. In films such as ‘Aaja Meri Jaan’ (1992), ‘Shabnam’ (1993), ‘Aag’ (1994), ‘Khuddar’ (1994), ‘Hulchul’ (1994), ‘Stuntman’ (1994), and ‘Ram Jaane’ (1995), he also provided forgettable playback singing.
His career took off after he sang consecutive songs such as “Sandese Aate Hain” in the 1997 film “Border,” for which he received the Zed Cine Award. Songs such as ‘YehDil’ from the 1999 film ‘Pardes’ and ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ from the 2004 film ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ demonstrate his use of a wide variety of musical genres and techniques. Over time, he became the most experimental singer in the Bollywood playback industry, collaborating on one-of-a-kind projects with all the leading composers, including A.R. Rahman for ‘Sathiyaa’. Collaborations with contemporary composers such as the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio for the song ‘Tanhayee’ in the wildly successful ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ demonstrated his remarkable versatility and range. His romantic renditions of songs such as ‘Suraj Hua Madhyam’ from the film ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’ and ‘Dheere Jalna’ from ‘Paheli’ earned him two Zed Cine Awards for Best Male Playback Singer.
Music Recordings
In 1992, he released the album ‘Rafi Ki Yaadein’, which featured renditions of well-known Mohammed Rafi melodies. In 2007, he released ‘Kal Aaj aurKal’, a six-disc collection of more than one hundred Rafi compositions. In 2008, he also released ‘Rafi Resurrected,’ a double-disc collection of Rafi compositions.
Over the years, he has released numerous albums with original compositions. The 1999 release of his album titled ‘Deewana’ on the T-series label was a tremendous success. Other original albums such as ‘Jaan’ and ‘Chanda Ki Doli’ were released in 2000 and 2005, respectively.
‘Classically Mild’ was released in 2008, and ‘The Music Room’ was released in 2014 in collaboration with percussionist Bickram Ghosh.
Collaborations
Numerous collaborations with internationally acclaimed musicians have resulted from his aptitude. Sonu contributed a song to the tribute album ‘The Beat of Our Hearts’, which also featured Judith Hill, Mike Thompson, and Quincy Patrick, following the passing of the legendary singer Michael Jackson. He sang with the Harvard College Sangeet at the Inauguration Ceremony of the 28th President of Harvard University. In 2008, he toured the United Kingdom with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), performing Mohammed Rafi compositions that would later be released on the album Rafi Resurrected. Sonu worked with Britney Spears in 2011 on a rendition of her song ‘I Wanna Go’. In 2012, he was featured on the DJ Avicii-produced album ‘Indian Levels’.
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Acting
In addition to possessing a beautiful voice, Sonu is also endowed with exquisite good features. His filmography includes ‘Jaani Dushman: EkAnokhiKahani’ (2002), ‘Kash Aap Hamare Hote’ (2003), and ‘Love in Nepal’ (2004). These films performed poorly at the box office, and Sonu subsequently abandoned his acting career.
Broadcasting and Radio
In 1995, Sonu launched his career by hosting the singing competition programme ‘Sa Re Ga Ma’, which made him a household name. Since then, he has appeared as a judge on numerous reality television programmes. He has appeared on Indian Idol (1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 seasons), Amul STAR Voice of India (1 and 2 seasons), Chhote Ustaad, and X-Factor India.
Sonu Nigam also appeared on Radio City 91 FM’s ‘Life Ki Dhun’ radio programme.
Awards
Sonu Nigam has received 29 nominations and won 15 awards to date. He has won prestigious accolades such as the Film Fare, Zed Cine, and National Film accolades. He won the most accolades for Best Male Playback Singer for the title track of the film ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’. You can view a list of his nominations and honours at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0631415/awards.
Controversies
As a result of his outspokenness on issues such as Singer’s Right and Copyright Act, the Bollywood music industry retaliated harshly. Sonu and his wife vehemently refuted rumours of marital problems that had circulated in the media, and their union remains strong.
