Song is king

So you think you are tuned in to Bollywood music, eh? Then try answering this. Who���s the singer of the Saawariya track? Whose voice did Billo Rani groove to in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal? And finally, which crooner helped Imran Khan cheer up his Aditi in Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na?
Feeling out of tune? Well, let us put your curiosity to rest. This playback list boasts of Shail Hada, Richa Sharma and Rashid Ali respectively.At a time when songs are turning into chartbusters, why are singers of the same numbers fading into oblivion?
However, Udit Narayan���s Pehla nasha or Abhijeet���s Chand taare and even Shaan���s Koi kahe are still known by the singer who rendered the number. So, with B-town spoilt for choice, are signature voices losing their merit? To this, Abhijeet, synonymous with SRK���s musical self, rues, ���There���s nothing called playback singing any more, any singer can lend his voice to any actor. Today composers don���t consider which actor lip-syncs the number. The attitude is aa chal gaa de!���
Speaking more on this, singer Babul Supriyo cites the instance of Music and Lyrics where Hugh Grant had sung the numbers. ���When asked why he never thought of cutting an album, Grant had said that even if one goes and barks in front of the computer, he could be made to sound like a nightingale in an hour���s time. The point is, today, sur can be achieved with the help of softwares like Melodyne and Antares,��� he says.
While Babul confirms that the prestige and fame that come with being a good singer will always be there, today���s music industry is more about having a decent expressive voice. ���Earlier, to be famous, you needed to be a singer first. Today, that isn���t essential.���
Essentially then, the true-blue singers who started early, continue to make a tuneful mark. Take apna Mika for example. If his trademark nasal tone was obvious in Saawan main lag gayi aag, very few know that he is also the voice behind Mauja hi mauja. ���Now, I have at least 10 voices,��� boasts Mika while continuing that he took to experimenting when people started emulating his nasal tone. Chak De to that! Sukhwinder Singh���s Tashan, in the meantime, rages on. While his voice had found a suitable place in SRK���s Dard-e disco, the same had scored brownie points with Saif���s Dil hara. ���These days, we are singing for all the actors but yes, people do say that my voice can be recognised,��� stresses Singh.
Clearly then, all���s not lost even if one tries a little voice modulation to suit different individuals. And as for the fresh voices finding a place in the listener���s heart, Band Metro singer Suhail, who didn���t know who had sung Aditi, but did find out who sung Billo Rani, says, ���It���s great if a singer has a signature voice. But that doesn���t mean only one singer would be able to justify the voice of that actor. There���s always a need for freshness in music. If one singer keeps rendering certain numbers, then there will be common features.���
So how difficult is it for an up and coming talent to carve a niche in the music industry? To this Suhail opines, ���I don���t believe in short-term publicity. He has to have a spate of hits under his belt. Last year, three of my songs got me noticed. Luck too plays a part. After all, the music director, who you���ve worked with might not repeat you as he���s spoilt for choice. It���s about being at the right place at the right time.���
Maybe, Rashid Ali���s being at the right place at the right time, got him Kabhi kabhi Aditi. But, with the song becoming more popular than the voice, isn���t the singer affected? Ali answers, ���I believe that if a singer���s voice stands out, it is natural for people to notice the voice behind the song. I am also confident that with time, they will yearn for that voice again. This is how a singer gains popularity.��� But why then is the Indian audience not taking note of the newcomers in the music industry? ���Granted, the audience takes more interest in the song, when they come across a catchy tune, but if the voice has originality, it does get noticed.��� And how different is the scene in UK, where the singer is based? ���The scene is quite different. A hit pushes a singer to the forefront, but it takes time to a create a brand name,��� he quips. All ears, eh?