"Saree ke fall sa" hitmaker Nakash Aziz says he wants to recreate all the songs of the late Kishore Kumar, known for hits like "Ek ladki bheegi bhagi si" and "Aa dekhen zara".
"I've already recreated two songs of Kishore Da, one was 'Chatur naar' for Abbas-Mustan's 'Machine' and the other was 'Jahan teri yeh nazar hai' which came out as a single," the former "Indian Idol" contestant told IANS in an email interview.
"I would like to recreate all the songs of Kishore Kumar as I am a huge fan. Also my father was known as junior Kishore Kumar in olden days. I have started out with two songs and hope to get an opportunity to sing more and make my father proud," added Nakash, who belongs to a family of singers.
Is it easy for a singer to match up to the original veteran?
"It's easier as we have grown up listening to these songs. So we already know the technical aspects of it. But at the same time, it's difficult in a way... We need to maintain the popularity of that song which is already loved by the listeners," he said.
He feels that it is important for any singer to get into the right essence of the song and treat it as a fresh one while recording it and "give it your own touch".
He isn't the only one who has sung recreated versions of classical songs. What's his take on the trend?
"The recall value of such songs is always great. These are songs that everyone can relate to. Be it the older generation or the younger. If the song suits the films, and if everyone enjoys listening to such tracks, then why not make them? Also as a singer, I personally enjoy singing old songs as they were the songs I grew up listening to," said Nakash.
Retro style seems to be his strength as his latest number "Ye jawaani teri" for the forthcoming movie "Meri Pyaari Bindu" is in that category.
"The song is basically a retro kind of a song and the whole feel of this track is very old. It's full of energy and I am very excited about it. Normally I am associated with 'desi' numbers, but this time this is more in the 'westernised' space.
"Also this is my first time with (composers) Sachin-Jigar. So, yes, it's a special one for me. Retro is one of my favourite musical eras," said the multilingual singer who has sung songs like "Selfie le le re" and "Cutiepie".
Singing in multiple languages like Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati and Telugu seems to be a cakewalk. Any pros and cons?
"Oh, it's fun! I would not say that there are any cons. There are only pros when you sing a song in several languages. We get an opportunity to learn more languages and as a singer it helps me reach out to people in the interiors of our country.
"We get to learn more and more about the culture and the new styles of music, especially in the south. My Telugu and Tamil songs are super hit. I have also got an opportunity to sing for superstars like Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan. I enjoy singing in each and every language," said Nakash.
--IANS
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