Nakash Aziz: I was living the song for quite some time

Nakash Aziz talks about singing Selfie Le Le Re for Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
How did Selfie Le Le Re happen?
It was the first draft. Pritam wanted to record a scratch for presentation. I was singing all the options, the new versions, the song was in the developing stage. I was singing the scratches for him till the point where they completed the song. The second or third time I dubbed the song, I got to know it is for Salman Khan.We had a lot of jam sessions and dubs till they locked the version and then got Vishal Dadlani to sing on it too. He has done an awesome job. Pritam really gets into the detail of every song. We tend to think that commercial music is easy but when you go to the studio, you realise all the work he puts into it. I was living the song for quite a long time. Even after the shoot, we tried perfecting it in bits and parts. With Pritamda, till the song actually releases, there’s constant work happening.
How was it singing for Salman?
I was tensed. The opportunity just becomes very big. When you know that it is for Salman Khan, you just want to give it your best. I tried to deliver to my best potential. I try to sing songs in a way that they stay fresh, because the recording is how people will remember them.
READ: ​Nakash Aziz: A R Rahman has powerful aura around him
Tell us about your association with Pritam?
He’s a mentor, friend, guide and advisor. My first song with him was Pungi (Agent Vinod). It was my big song where I got into playback singing. As an individual who was trying to make it into Bollywood, it was a huge break. Immediately after that, Second Hand Jawaani (Cocktail) was out a few months later. I wasn’t singing much then. I was doing scratches for music directors like AR Rahman and Pritamda and getting to know the requirements of a playback singer.
What are the challenges for a singer?
You need to stand out. You need to discover your own individuality. When we start off as singers we try to follow a few famous people like Rafi saab, Kishore Kumar, Sonu Nigam but then once you are in playback, you need to come out of that shell. The challenge is understanding a song and delivering it according to the requirements, since it’s part of a film and the singer needs to fill the gap in that story.
Tell us about your association with Pritam.
Pritamda is a mentor, friend, guide and advisor. He’s the person I call when I am confused about a life issue. He composed Sari Ke Fall Sa (R… Rajkumar) which is the biggest point in my life till date. A lot of things changed after that. It was also special since it was a duet with Antara Mitra, who was also on the same reality singing show I started off with.
How did you get into singing?
I was born in Moodabidri, which is about 40 km away from Mangalore. My mother is a homemaker and my father used to work for a bank. He got transferred to Aurangabad. He’s also a stage singer. He used to do shows since his college days, and after moving to Aurangabad, he would keep travelling with his brothers for shows. They had a band called Rema Roses that was regular on the Mangalore circuit. He used to sing Kishore Kumar’s songs while his brother would sing Mukesh’s songs. So, singing was part of the atmosphere at home. I would listen to Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Chandni all day. I sang Papa Kehte Hain in 1988 when I was three years old for my school. That was my first encounter with the stage. My father was learning classical singing so he would teach me what he knew. I would do the basic riyaaz. He got me a harmonium and keyboard. I didn’t take any formal training till I realised it was important. I used to do shows till Class 7 with a band called Bachchon Ki Duniya. That’s my first experience with touring in other cities. When I came to degree college, I started participating in competitions and then was in two reality singing shows. I learnt classical singing for eight years but I have been the worst student. It is slower and more difficult than the western style of singing which I am learning now. I started programming and also composed jingles and devotional albums with a friend for a while before getting into playback singing.
Who would you like to work with?
My dream of working with Rahman came true with Hollywood film The Hundred-Foot Journey. I’d love to work with Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Vishal-Shekhar. Although our voices feature on Selfie Le Le Re, I’ve actually never met Vishal. He sets a good example for all the people who follow him. He’s intelligent, outspoken and not afraid to speak his mind.
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