10 December,2009 09:20 AM IST | | Urmimala Banerjee
Whether it's the timeless Allah Ke Bande to the soulful Chaandan Mein, singer Kailash Kher's voice has always had the trademark spiritual quality. The singer who began his playback journey from 2003 has also made a name for himself on the global music scene. He talks to CS about his journey so far:
WHO: Kailash Kher
WHAT: On connecting with God through his music
WHERE: At his residence
Starting from Sa...
Honestly, when I first came to Mumbai, I didn't expect to sing in films. Melodious voices were the order of the day, and my voice is earthy and rustic. I was performing with my band, and one day music duo Salim-Sulaiman called me to sing jingles for ads. When I was working on a number of jingles, Shashanka Ghosh called me one day to sing for his film Waisa Bhi Hota Hai IIu00a0-- 'Allah Ke Bande' was a rage and the rest followed....
Search for spirituality
I believe that a person can truly excel in what he or she actually believes in. Spiritual songs suit me, as I am a spiritual person. I like songs that have universal themes or talk about the love for God. For me, every action in life is a desire to unite with God. So you will find a sense of madness, devotion and sacrifice in most of my numbers.u00a0
Live act
Though I enjoy both, giving a live performance is a different experience altogether. It's more challenging and audience is like God in front of you. There are no judges, no retakes just pure public response. It takes you to another world. I performed in the US last month, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We did gigs in places like Philmont Club, San Francisco and Hollywood Bowl. It was a great experience for me, as we had more than 20,000 people at every venue. And the crowd was mostly foreigners. The sight of so many people dancing in unison to my music was terrific.u00a0
Off tune
I listen to a lot of classical vocalists like Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Madhoop Mudgal, Gokulutsav Maharaj, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Hridayanath Mangeshkar and so on. Besides, I also like to read devotional poetry of Kabir, Sant Eknath, Baba Farid, Aamir Khusro and Baba Buleshah.
