Educational
Experience
I took up music professionally at the early
age of 15. I began playing keyboards and went
on to programme entire songs by myself. Having
acquired my early musical knowledge in light
Indian and Western music through different
experienced teachers, I later studied "Music
Production & Performance" in East Berkshire
College in the UK.
Professional
Experience
The
major break: Having developed
skills in singing, music composition and direction,
I first came to India in January 1999. Quick
to realise that Bhangra being the flavour
of the youth, my core audience, I signed on
to T-Series to release my debut Punjabi pop
album Solva Saal to break into the
Indian market.
This extremely successful 'Platinum' album,
was completely written, composed & arranged
by me all by myself. MTV chose me as their
Ubharta Sitarain July 1999. This was
followed by a series of live performances
all over India, which showcased my complete
personality and I was accepted by audiences
all-over as a 100 per cent entertainer.
Spurred
by the success of 'Solva Saal', I teamed up
with ace music director Jaidev & lyricist
Dev Kohli to release another bhangra album
Kudi Tu India Di on T-series music
label in early 2001. With a video shot by
the famous Anubhav Sinha Productions, this
album too was well accepted and appreciated
by the media and masses alike.
Latest
album-New Avataar:
Though my 'roots' are in Bhangra-Pop I did
not want to limit myself but instead use my
skills as a complete musician to the fullest.
With this in mind, I decided to completely
self-arrange and produce my third album, where
I pay homage to some of my favourite evergreen
Hindi classics, which I grew up on.
I have reworked on giving them a contemporary
flavor and vibrancy that would appeal to the
sensibilities of the new generation. Besides,
having sung in 10 different languages in the
past, I decided to sing these songs in the
language of today's youth 'Hinglish', which
would also help me connect with Indian youths
world-wide and help spread my wings into the
international market! The album, released
by Crescendo Music in January 2003 titled
My Heart Is Beating has already received
a great response at music shops across India
besides being No 1 on the Channel [V] charts.
The
video on the title track has been directed
by Anant Mahadevan, the famous TV actor and
now film director (Dil Vil Pyar Vyar).
The other reworked gems on the album are Ek
Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi si, Pucho na yaar
kya hua, Mere Saamne Wali Khidki Mein,
Sanam Teri Kasam, Jahan Teri Yeh Nazar
Hai, Chandni Raatein. This refreshing
album promises to be a sure-fire hit which
will make everyone listen to it again and
again because of its simple emphatic lyrics
and new wave of dance rhythms.
My
experimentative streak coupled with my ability
to reinvent myself and to understand the pulse
of the youth will ensure that my new album
will appeal to my core audience. Leading music
channel B4U Music had chosen me as Singer
of the Nation for the month of January
2003.
Live
act:
I gave my first live performance at the tender
age of 19 and since then have performed in
several countries including UK, Spain, Portugal,
Germany, UAE, Tanzania and Uganda. Once popular
as a one-man band (playing three keyboards,
two drum machines, two sequencers and of course,
my vocal chords simultaneously), I earned
the sobriquet of being a stylish, young performer,
famous for getting the audiences totally 'involved'
in my shows - by occasionally breaking the
"security code" and getting into the audience
area and dancing with them or even bringing
the audiences onstage to dance with me. I
have my roots in Jullandhar, also have the
widest range of songs for live shows, a glimpse
of which is shown below:
Popular
new Hindi film songs such as Na, Na, Na
Re (Mrityudaata), Sona Sona
(Major Saab), Tera Rang Balle
Balle (Soldier), Tote Tote (Bichoo)
and Kudiyan Sheher Diyan (Arjun
Pandit).
At shows, my most popular songs from hit albums
include Solva Saal, My Heart Is Beating,
Mere Saamne Wali Khidki Mein and Kudi
Tu India Di.
Not
forgetting my roots, I also sing some traditional
Punjabi hits such as Tutak Tutak, Gur Nal
Ishq Mitha, Rail Gaddi. I also entertain
audiences with Punjabi hits of my contemporaries
such as Daler Mehndi's Bolo Tara Rara,
Dardi Rab Rab, Ho Jayegi Balle Balle,
Harbhajan Maan's Oye Hoye, Hansraj
Hans' Dil Chori Sada, Sukhbir's Gal
Ban Gayee & Ishq. I also sing non-Punjabi
numbers, including Hindi Pop (Lift Kara
De), Old Hindi Film hits (Roop Tera
Mastana), International hits (Nari
Nari & Habibi) & New Hindi film hits (You
Are My Sohniya & Le Gayi Le Gayi)
depending on the target audience.
Job
Profile
Singer/musician who has been proclaimed as
"ubartha hua sitara" by MTV, Channel [V] and
B4U. (Sukhdev, a teenage prodigy, also has
two major achievements to his name, one that
of performing in ten different languages (including
Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili and Arabic) and
the other of having performed at a New Year's
eve concert for over eight hours!).
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Five
years from now
I believe that Indian music will become global
and western musicians will imbibe Indian influences.
Fusion will play an important role and several
Indianised tunes are becoming popular in UK's
clubs. I see a lot of Indian artistes using
English lyrics to make their mark globally.
Ricky Martin used English lyrics despite having
won acclaim in his home country. AR Rahman
is working with Michael Jackson and Shania
Twain will working with Hari Prasad Chaurasia.
I myself will be in the thick of intense activity
- always experimenting and producing great
sounds.
Hobbies
Apart from music, I love watching movies and
comedy shows on TV. I love fast cars, enjoy
playing pool and snooker. I also love traveling
to different places and countries. In India,
I remember going to Benares and was fascinated
by eight year old boys who have become yogis
and sadhus. I am also fascinated by the response
of people in interiors such as Kandwa and
Ratlam to artistes like me.