Sonu Nigam with Television

A major breakthrough in Sonu’s career was being offered to host the singing talent hunt Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee TV. The first episode of Sa Re Ga Ma was aired on May 1st 1995. The show exposed him to many stalwarts in the music industry and gave him a huge learning ground. In addition to that, it made him a familiar face in households and the dignity and poise with which he hosted the show was highly appreciated. His next stint as on Television was for Star Plus’s Celebrity Musical Game Show Kisme Kitna Hai Dum in 2002. The show saw him at his humorous best and became a platform for him to showcase his inborn talent of being a great mimic. He then served as a jury member for seasons 1 and 2 of Sony’s reality hunt Indian Idol from 2004-2006 and his impartial judgements and inspirational guidance won hearts. In October 2007, Sonu came back to the sets of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in a historical moment of sorts, this time as a judge (along with Suresh Wadkar) on the show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs International.

Sonu Nigam as Performer

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 and The Incredibles tour of North America with Asha Bhonsle, Kunal Ganjawala and Kailash Kher in 2007. 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 Nigam :: Indipop

Sonu released his first Indipop album, Sapney Ki Baat in 1997 in collaboration with T-Series which generated an ocean of fame and a remarkable response from the listeners. Following that, In 1998, Magnasound came up with a lucrative offer for Sonu to launch the albums, ‘Kismat’ and ‘Mausam’, both of which contributed to his title as the Golden Voice of Indipop and gave him a boy next door image. The singles ‘Tu’ and ‘Bijuriya’ are still considered to be two of his biggest dance hits. History was made when Sonu launched his album ‘Deewana’ in 1999 with T-Series. It led Sonu to the heights of his singing career and it was estimated that more than ten million copies were sold officially making it the highest selling album over the next few years. His next two albums ‘Jaan’ and ‘Yaad’ in 2000 and 2001 respectively were also with T-Series and both were chart toppers. His devotional album ‘Sanskar’ and his Punjabi Album ‘Kudi Mili Hai Kamaal’ were also highly appreciated by his listeners.In 2005, Sonu launched his next album, ‘Chanda Ki Doli’ with T-Series after a span of four years. This album is very significant in his career because all the tunes in Chanda Ki Doli were composed, programmed, arranged and sung by Sonu himself and each composition in the album was rated a gem by connoisseurs of music. He created history by releasing his single ‘Yeh Rashtra Prem Ki Bhavna’ on Indian Independence Day 2006 on a radio station without a record label. It was a song which he wrote himself to express his love for the country and to arouse the new generation. Rekindling his usual style of constantly challenging himself with something different, Sonu launched his latest album ‘Classically Mild’ with Sa Re Ga Ma HMV on February 11th 2008. This album surpasses all targets and exceeds all expectations and is Sonu’s attempt to convey the importance of being rooted to Indian Classical Music to the youth of today who consider him their Idol. The album is semi-classical with a touch of mainstream commercial music and is skilfully packaged to appeal to connoisseurs and laymen alike. Always a trendsetter, Sonu joined hands with Big 92.7 FM to launch his exclusive pulsating single titled “Punjabi Please” on 3rd March 2008. The song has been composed,written and sung by Sonu himself and is Sonu’s tribute to all his Punjabi fans. BIG FM holds exclusive rights for song play outs including digital rights and physical unit sales. The Company will also be involved in the making of Punjabi Please music video along with promoting the single in the form of mobile ring-tones and digital downloads  Sonu will soon be releasing an album in collaboration with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra as a tribute to Late Mohammed Rafi, his idol and musical father. The album is titled ‘Rafi Resurrected’ and will contain 18 evergreen tracks of the maestro. Also, due to his ever-growing popularity as a singer in the Kannada music industry, he is soon coming up with a Kannada album for all his fans from the south.

Sonu Nigam :: As Play Back Singer

Sonu started at a very early age not only on stage but also in front of the mike. He spent his teenage days singing jingles, cover versions and devotional songs.

Once he shifted base to Mumbai to start his struggle in the music industry, it did not take him too long to get his first song from the film ‘Aaja Meri Jaan’ at the age of 20.

The late bigwig Gulshan Kumar (owner of T-Series, Music Company) heard Sonu and invited him to work with them. The song, which led him to fame was ‘Accha Sila Diya Tune’ from the film ‘Bewafa Sanam.

Sonu tasted real success in playback singing when he was invited to sing the song, ‘Yeh Dil Deewana’ for Subhash Ghai’s film ‘Pardes’. This song made Sonu the real superstar, a heartthrob of Bollywood.

He changed his style of singing and adapted the modern nuances of the western style of singing merging it with our own Indian classical influences. Since then there has been no looking back for Sonu.

Today he is among the highest-paid singers of Bollywood and is in heavy demand because his voice suits every hero.

Shah Rukh Khan once commented “I grant a lot of my success to Sonu.’ Sonu has become the safest choice for any music director to do justice to their composition and as rightly said by one of them “Sonu’s singing is immaculate because he immerses himself completely in it.

He comes to the recording studio, writes the song, learns it, sings it and leaves in nothing more than 30 minutes.I think no one can ever match his caliber”.

He has sung countless songs not only in Hindi but in almost all the regional languages of India.

His songs from films like ‘Pardes’, ‘Dil Se’, ‘Border’, ‘Refugee’, ‘Sarfarosh’, ‘Taal’, ‘One Two Ka Four’,’Pukar’, ‘Bunty aur Babli’,’Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai’, ‘Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya’,’Lucky’, ‘Paheli’, ‘Parineeta’,’Dil Chahta Hai’, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’, ‘Saathiya’, ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’, ‘Main Hoon Na’, ‘Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna’, ‘The Legend Of Bhagat Singh’,’Fanaa’ and ’Om Shanti Om’ are among a few milestones in his singing career and have helped him establish himself as one of the most versatile, soulful and multi-talented singers in India.

He also appealed to connoisseurs of music with renditions from films like ‘Dev’,’Baabul’, ’Saawan’, ’Meenaxi’,’Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’ and ‘Dharm’.

He recently became a sensation in the Kannada music industry when his songs from the film ‘Mungaru Male’ became chartbusters in the south and earned him a lot of recognition.

Films Culture !

Sonu’s tremendous popularity as a playback singer, his good looks, charming personality and successful musical videos in which he featured himself fetched him several acting offers.

He had worked as a child actor in several films like Pyaara Dushman, Kaamchor, Ustaadi Ustad Ke, Hum se hai Zamaana, Taqdeer and Betaab between 1980 and 1983.

He made his debut on the big screen with the multistarrer flick ‘Jaani Dushman’. He further played the lead protagonist in Kash Aap Hamare Hote and Love in Nepal.