Introduction
A well-known singer in India, Sonu Nigam first gained recognition for her playback vocals in Bollywood and other regional movies. Sonu Nigam, who has an incredibly melodic voice and remarkable versatility, is one of the greatest vocalists of our day. From an early age, Sonu has demonstrated proficiency not just as a playback vocalist but also in experimenting with many genres with ease. He has performed around 2000 songs in roughly 10 different languages so far. In 2006, Sonu—then the highest-paid male playback singer in Bollywood—announced that he would reduce his workload to focus more on stage shows and personal endeavors.
Early Life and Education
On July 30, 1973, Sonu was born in the Haryana town of Faridabad to Agam Kumar and Shobha Nigam. Meenal and Nikita are his sisters. He attended Delhi's J. D. Tytler School for his education before pursuing his degree at Delhi University. His goal upon moving to Mumbai in 1990 was to become a playback singer. Madhurima Banerjee and Sonu Nigam tied the knot on February 15, 2002. Neevan, the couple's son, was born on July 27, 2007.
Musical Career
It's stated that certain fortunate people have a natural affinity for music. Sonu Nigam appears to be in the same situation as well. Agam Kumar Nigam, Sonu's father, was a theatrical actor. Sonu's passion for music began when he was little and went to his father's performances. He had a tantrum at one of the concerts when he was four years old, claiming he wanted to sing. He performed the famous song "Early Morning" by Sonu Nigam from the film "Chashme Baddoor". That was the start of what has ended up being an incredible musical career.
Sonu started his training at home. His father taught him the subtleties of music when he was growing up. He followed music with unwavering dedication and love, putting it above all other interests. He participated in and won the majority of local and national music competitions while still a youngster. That's when the idea of becoming a well-known Bollywood playback singer entered his mind. When he was eighteen, he decided to move to Mumbai with his father in tow. While he was looking for chances, he kept up his musical studies under the guidance of the renowned master of classical music, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.
Playback Singer
In 1990 Sonu received his big break as a playback singer in the film Janam, sadly, the film was never released. Having placed a great deal of trust in the T-series contact he was disappointed to see his song turned down in favor of S.P Balasubramanian. Gulshan Kumar, the proprietor of T-series, was impressed by his talent and extended an offer to sing for his next movie, "Bewafa Sanam." After the song "Achha Sila Diya Tune" became a big hit, people began to pay attention to this gifted singer.
He had difficulty in his early days in Mumbai since he was not given many opportunities for playback. He performed in a few radio spots. His primary source of income came from performing as a voice double for Mohammed Rafi on stage. In addition, he contributed some forgettable playback work to the following movies: Ram Jaane (1995), Shabnam (1993), Aag (1994), Khuddar (1994), Hulchul (1994), Aaja Meri Jaan (1992), and Stuntman (1994).
When he performed back-to-back songs like "Sandese Aate Hain" in the 1997 movie "Border," for which he was honored with a Zed Cine Award, his career took off. With songs like "YehDil" from the 1999 film "Pardes" at one end and the title track from the 2004 film "Kal Ho Na Ho" at the other, he alternated between different musical genres and styles. Over time, he emerged as the most avant-garde vocalist in the Bollywood playback scene, pursuing distinctive collaborations with leading composers like A.R. Rahman on "Sathiyaa." His incredible variety and ability were showcased in collaborations with contemporary composers such as the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio for the song "Tanhayee" from the wildly popular film "Dil Chahta Hai." With his gentle, romantic interpretations of songs like "Suraj Hua Madhyam" from the film "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham" and the poignant "Dheere Jalna" from the film "Paheli,"
Music Album
His album "Rafi Ki Yaadein," which featured versions of well-known Mohammed Rafi songs, was published in 1992. Another compilation of Rafi songs, "Kal Aaj Aur Kal," was released by him in 2007 and had over 100 tracks on six discs. In 2008, he also published the two-disc album "Rafi Resurrected," which featured a selection of Rafi tunes.
Over the years, he put out multiple CDs featuring his compositions. His 1999 album "Deewana," which was released under the T-series label, was an enormous hit. Chanda Ki Doli and Janan, two of his other original albums, were released in 2005 and 2000, respectively.
Other notable albums he has released include "Classically Mild" (2008) and "The Music Room" (2014), both of which he co-wrote with percussionist Bickram Ghosh.
