Zubin Garg plays anti-poacher in Kaziranga

An interview with Zubeen Garg

By IndiaFM News Bureau

Zubeen Garg - the name might not sound unfamiliar post Ya Ali. But this singer isn't a new entrant in Bollywood. He has been singing since the past six years and even has songs like Jaane Kya Hoga Rama Re (Kaante) to his credit. The talented singer also has a penchant for composing music.

After singing in 40 languages, composing for 26 Assamese films and winning a National award, Zubeen is all set to mark his debut as a music director in Bollywood with Sanjay Jha's offbeat film Strings.

In an exclusive conversation with IndiaFM, Zubeen speaks about his journey from a singer to music director and life after Ya Ali.

You began as a singer and now turned music director. How did the transition happen?

Actually I always wanted to be a music director. I started as a singer in 1992. I did a lot of music albums and then I started composing music for films. Later I sang for different languages. In north east there are around 40 different tribal languages and I am the first singer who sang in all these different languages out there. I kept experimenting on all those folk elements and then I came to music direction. I gave music for 26 films. I have experience and now I want to do Hindi films too.

You have been singing in Hindi films since around 5-6 years now. But you got recognition only off late. Why was it late in coming?

I don't know. I sang Mere Vatan from Fiza and then Jaane Kya Hoga Rama Re from the Kaante. But I didn't get the focus. With Ya Ali in Gangster, I got good scope. It's a very good song by Pritam. I want to thanks Vishesh Films. After Ya Ali everything is happening now.

Has life changed after Ya Ali?

Yes it seems so, because I am singing for different directors and banners. Its quite fun and I am enjoying it now.

Tell us something about your latest work, Strings.

Strings is a crossover film. It's half English and half Hindi movie on the backdrop of Kumbh Mela. It has been shot in Nasik and it was a fantastic experience. I have acted in two songs as a model. The film is about a British guy and a Purohit's daughter. It's about how they accept our philosophy and our culture. It's a bonding of western and Indian culture.

This is your first Hindi movie as a music director. Weren't you apprehensive?

This maybe my first Hindi film as a music director but I have done more than 25 films in Assam as a music director and also acted in films. I got a national award last year for a film called Dinabandhu. I was the executive producer, music director and actor of that film.

Sanjay Jha (director of Strings) is a very open minded person and he gave me a lot of freedom to work. I got an opportunity to experiment with my work. I worked for around 12 years in north east and Assam. I have used my folk elements here in this film so I think people will like it.

Tell us something about the music of Strings.

It has a folk base music with modern implementation and westernized orchestration. The songs are from north east. It's a virgin land and nobody knows about it. This is the first time I am using it. This has been released in Assam and Bengal and I am getting good feedback from them.

How different is the music of Strings? How will you define your style?

It's different because it's not a typical Hindi movie. This movie has a different attitude and a different goal, basically. I have not tried the common element. There's a 600 year old Assami prarthana (prayer) that I converted in Hindi. It is a first song of the film. I think people will like it. There is one more song, a poem from Baba Nagarjun. He is a Hindi poet. He was sent to prison for that poem in 1969, so there is a rebel in that poem. It's a satire that depicts all the drawbacks of our democracy. The poem was published that time and then it was banned. We managed to make it as a song. I think people will like it.

Which is your favorite song in Strings?

There are six songs in the movie and I like the prarthana and the Om song. There is one more song called Piya Milan Ko Jana by Pankaj Mallik. It's a very famous song. People don't even remember that song. I reworked on the same and used only Piya Milan Ko Jana while the lyric is different. But the tune was same.

What are the forthcoming films that you are working on?

I am singing for the movie Pyar Ke Side Effects. It's a PNC production. I think it's a wonderful song by Pritam again. I am singing for Anurag's forthcoming film Woh Lamhe. The next project will be Dekho Mil Gaya. I am also singing a song for Vishal-Shekhar which is Arjun Rampal's production.

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http://www.zubeen.com/

Assamese singer captures nation's imagination

Photo: Zubeen Garg

By Peter Alex Todd, Guwahati : Northeast has a tremendous talent pool. What they are looking for is a platform to showcase these talents. Zubeen Garg from Assam has proved this. He has captured the imagination of the nation through his melodious voice.

Zubeen Garg is a popular name in Assam. This popular Assamese singer is now a rage all over the country with his latest song “Ya Ali” in the film “Gangster”. Lately the Assamese young icon was in Guwahati to promote the music of his upcoming film “Strings.”

The young and dashing and the singing sensation of Assam, Zubeen Garg, released the songs of his latest movie “String”. For the young icon launching the song from his home state had a special meaning. It's now more than a decade since this lad from Janji in the Sivsagar district of Assam has been at the musical horizon of the Bollywood. With his hard work twenty eight year old Zubeen has now come to represent a new stream in the Indian music. The film “String” has special meaning for him.

“String is a film about love affection and bonding between the Indian culture and the western culture the philosophies of Indian and western cultures. So this music is different from other stuffs. I have used lot of Assamese and North East folk in my film. There are six songs and one song is special from Baba Nagarjunhe, who is a big poet from Hindi literature,” said Zubeen Garg, musician and singer from Assam.

“String” is a movie directed by a young director Sanjay Jha. The movie is about younger generation. This is not for the first time Zubeen has scored music and sung for a movie. Way back in 1992 he released an album “Anamika”. He has sung in the films like, Fiza, Kante, Mudda among others.

The Assamese lad wants to promote the rich cultural heritage of India's northeast.

“Its time to go for Hollywood also because submission people are also making there in Holland. There is very much a potential and we are very rich in our culture. The virgin culture nobody knows about it,” said Zubeen.

Zubeen's recent success has been his song in the latest film 'Gangster'. The song “Ya Ali” has captured the popular imagination of the country and made Zubeen an all India name.

Like Zubeen, Debojit from Assam has also made a name in the musical world of the country. Recently he released an album in Hindi.

Indo-Asian News Service

Port-of-Spain, February 19, 2008

Well-known Bollywood singer Zubeen Garg, who hails from Assam, enthralled an overflowing audience at the Trinidad & Tobago capital with his latest hits, Ya Ali and Subah Subah.

The talented musician, who plays several instruments and is also an accomplished singer, had the crowd swaying to his numbers at the Centre of Excellence here Saturday in a delayed Valentine's Day soiree. Zubeen shared the stage with the heartthrob of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), Raymond Ramnarine.

The concert, over the weekend, was organised and coordinated by international Indian cultural activist, promoter and commentator, Rafi Mohammed, son of former T&T deputy prime minister Kamaluddin Mohammed.

Zubeen is billed as the first Indian entertainer from Assam to perform here. He was supported by Ramnarine's Dil-e-Dan, one of the oldest Indian bands in T&T, which has been in the entertainment business for the past 40 years. Zubeen also used his own sound track for the show.

Zubeen had the young-at-heart couples dancing along with senior citizens as he belted out some of his hits like Ya Ali, Subah Subah, Jag Lal, Ek Din and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. He even played the drum with one of his renditions.

Zubeen has more than 7,000 songs in his repertoire and over 40 albums to his credit.

Zubeen said he had looked forward to coming to T&T and was "extremely happy to play for the much-talked-about T&T audience".

Raymond, in an interview, said he wanted to share stage with Zubeen Garg. "I could not wait to meet this great singer. His songs are topping the charts in local frequencies as people throughout the land are requesting for his hits, Ya Ali and Subah Subah, on the local radio," he said.

Zubeen, also an actor and director, has premiered in his own Assamese movie, Tumi Mor Matho Mor, and acted in several other movies. He is now working on his latest venture, Chakra.

Over the past four decades, T&T has hosted several well-known Indian performers from Bollywood like Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar, her sister Asha Bhonsle, Hemant Kumar, Kumar Sanu and recently Shah Rukh Khan.