Notes

How did Chaiyya Chaiyya happen?

Sukhwinder Singh: I struggled for many years till AR Rahman's Bombay released. I made CDs out of my music and gave it to all his musicians hoping that they would make him hear my voice. Someone did and he called me to Chennai. That day he was also waiting for a writer and he thought I was the writer.

He saw me and said, 'You have come?' He introduced me to Govind Nihalani, who narrated a situation to me. I wrote Mujhe Rang De the song and he was impressed. I then confessed to Rahman that I was actually not a writer, but was a singer and that I would like to sing what I had written for him as against reciting it. He asked me, 'You sing?' I said jokingly, 'Yes, I am Sukhwinder Singh.' I sang just two lines and Rahman held my hand and took me towards the steps of the dargah in his house. His dargah is divine and I later came to know that he offers namaaz there and also sometimes, goes to sleep there on his mother's lap. That night he told me, 'Come and relax here and take rest.' He had found something in me. He asked me to stay there and I sang my childhood Thaiya Thaiya song. He took me to Mani Ratnam in his car and said, 'He is the voice of India and he will sing for your film Dil Se,' and I sang Chaiyya Chaiyya.

What is Rahman like?

Sukhwinder Singh: Rahman set up a studio for me in Mumbai that was financed by Jhamu Sugandh, as Rahman used to compose for all his films. I asked Rahman, 'You consider me a singer, then why are you making this studio?' And he said, 'You are a music director. Whenever I am working with you, I feel that two composers are working on the song.' Rahman is a very genuine person. Jai Ho just created unneccesary conflict. If he did not want to take me to the Oscars, then the day the song got nominated, he would not have called me and congratulated me saying, 'Hi Sukhi, your song has been nominated. We will go and perform together.' After that, I did not get a call and I did not ask and till today I have never asked. But why should I be upset when my Godfather, my guru and my teacher was on stage? I need to be happy. For me, my passion and profession have come together. While the passion came through my dream, Rahman gave me my professional platform. He does not have either jealousy or competition inside him and he is the only one, who will give top breaks to absolutely fresh people. After knowing Rahman for many years, he confided in me in a rare moment that he is blessed and that some divine power follows him all the time. He told me, 'There is a soul that travels with me all the time showering ideas on me.' There are 2-3 hours at night during which you should not even touch Rahman. His sun rises at midnight. After Jai Ho, he became scared of coming in front of the media as he was being questioned and he was not having an answer. Then three years later, his silence broke and he called me one day out of the blue and said, 'Come to Bhopal. We have a show tomorrow.' I said, 'Okay.' I jokingly said I will come in my swimming suit.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/music/news/Sukhwinder-Singh-I-would-like-to-touch-Salmans-feet/articleshow/41101870.cms
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