A Conversation With: Singer Sukhwinder Singh

Jade Group ,Hong KongSukhwinder Singh.

HONG KONG - Sukhwinder Singh has long been considered one of Bollywood's most successful singers, thanks to popular tunes like “Chaiyya Chaiyya,” a 1998 hit that featured Shah Rukh Khan and cast members dancing on top of a moving train. But it was the song “Jai Ho!” that introduced Mr. Singh to a large international audience. The song, written by A.R. Rahman, was used in the 2008 movie “Slumdog Millionaire” and featured shared singing parts by Mr. Singh, Mahalakshmi Ilyer and Vijay Prakash. The song won an Academy Award and a Grammy Award.

Born in Punjab in 1971, Mr. Singh sta rted singing professionally as a child, then took a break during the mid-1990s to travel the world, exposing himself to various musical styles. Upon his return to the music industry, Mr. Singh paired with Mr. Rahman to record “Chaiyya Chaiyya.” He quickly became a household name in India, with hit songs for movies like “Taal,” “Om Shanti Om,” “Dabangg” and “Housefull 2.”

Mr. Singh recently spoke with India Ink by telephone before a concert in Hong Kong. He discussed the turning points in his career and his working relationship with Mr. Rahman.

Q.

You took a break early on in your music career, and left Mumbai to explore music in Western culture. Can you please describe your experience, and how has it shaped who you are today?

A.

Yes, actually, I went on a world tour, in which I visited Russia, three countries in the Middle East, America, Europe, China, Hong Kong and Mexico. I love Russian music, because it's very wide and broad â€" there is a lot of variety. Also, Russian opera is inspirational! But I love Mexican culture and music. Mexican music is definitely one of my favorites.

I wanted to learn more about music from different parts of the world. I strongly believe that learning is very important, especially learning for oneself. I am very passionate about my music, and I wanted to explore and enhance my music, and that is exactly what happened. I do not only love Indian music, but I appreciate music from all parts of the world. In fact, I am going to be releasing an album this January and this will have songs in Hindi, Russian, Mexican and a little bit of everything.

Q.

You and Mr. Rahman have produced several big hits. Why do you think that is?

A.

Rahman always says that when he and I are working together on a song it's like two composers working on one song. He was the one who gave me my chance with “Chaiyya Chaiyya.” He gave me the opportunity. The thing about  Rahman is that he is a very flexible guy, and not at all stubborn, so it makes working with him very easy. We have worked together many times, in groups and as a pair. He has truly been inspirational.

Q.

“Jai Ho!” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2009;  however, you were not at the ceremony or part of the Oscar  performance, which prompted a lot of speculation about your relationship with Mr. Rahman. How are things between you?  Should we be expecting more work from you two?

A.

Yes, that is right, I was not present for the Oscars or the Grammy Awards. There is no conflict or tension between Rahman and I. We have even worked together twice after the Gra mmys, once in a big group, and the second time was with Shreya Ghosal, A. R. Rahman and myself.  Actually, Rahman and I are performing together very soon, right before my concert in Hong Kong.

Basically what happened at the Oscars was, Rahman called me as soon as the nominations were out and said, “Congratulations, Sukhi! Your song has been nominated for an Oscar,” and he told me to perform at the Oscars with him, but I was busy working at the time so I said I would call him back. However, after I called him back, he was unreachable and he was unreachable till the Oscars.

There are no hard feelings regarding my absence, I am “pakka Punjabi” [slang for “proper Punjabi”] like that. But Rahman made one mistake, and it was not that he did not take me to the Oscars with him, but when they were singing “Jai Ho!” a girl sang what should have been my voice, and members of the audience were smiling and that was not right. I don't know why he did that. Tha t was the only mistake. Again, nothing has changed between Rahman and I; people don't know how messy things were for him.

Q.

How has “Jai Ho,” a global hit, affected your music and your career?

A.

“Jai Ho!” was definitely a global hit, but I also had another song before that which made it to Hollywood, “Chaiyya Chaiyya.” It was used in a Hollywood movie, “Inside Man,” directed by Spike Lee, starring actors like Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster. I was very pleased and grateful when “Jai Ho!” became an international sensation, because it is a song about our country, in our language, and by our singers and composers that have had an influence worldwide.

Q.

Even after “Jai Ho!” you have continued to work mainly in Bollywood. Why is that? Are there projects currently lined up with Hollywood producers?

A.

I do not make music for the purpose of winning an Oscar or Grammy award or nominations. When I get signed to do a song, I do not think about whether this song will be for a Hollywood film, Bollywood film or whatever. For me, the quality of the song is my priority. I love music, and I am in love with music, and that is very important for any singer. And even after that, I am attracted to music. For me it is not about winning an Oscar, but it is about getting inspiration and delivering.