I'm being offered sub-standard songs

By Ruchika Kher

One of Bollywood's most talented playback singers Sonu Niigaam is hardly heard these days. He says that he has cut down his work because he doesn't want to sing sub-standard songs.

"There are two-three reasons because of which I decided to cut down on my projects. First was that not many songs offered to me today appeal to me. This is because composers have started singing themselves," Sonu told in an interview.

"Most of the times, composers make songs that are apt for their voices. It's all business. I don't hold it against them because everyone has a right to safeguard their interests.

"Music composers have realised that concerts are money spinners. So they make songs that they can sing. I don't want to be part of this craziness where I am given sub-standard songs and the best are taken by the composers themselves. I'm pretty content with what I'm doing," he added.

The singer, who enthralled music buffs with hit numbers like "Suraj hua madham", "Saathiya" and "Kal ho na ho" among others, says he misses good music.

"I miss good music in totality today. There are hardly any great songs that have come up in the last three to four years. The songs that sounds great instantly, disappear after two-three months... those songs don't stay with the listeners," said Sonu who has a huge fan following not only in India but abroad also.

The 36-year-old singer has been working in the industry for more than 17 years and says that he wanted to give himself a break.

"I wanted to reduce my work. There were days when I had sung 11 songs in a day. I used to keep running from one studio to another and in that process I lost myself. So I stopped doing songs which were not very good. I made my work qualitative," informed Sonu who recently became the brand ambassador of 92.7 Big FM.

"I couldn't enjoy life for many years because of work. So now I want to do only quality work. I rather say no to trash. I don't want to spoil my repertoire and that's why you will hear less of me in future. But whatever you hear, you will never say that 'oh that was a trash song'," added the singer.

The versatile singer recently sang the song "Chiggy wiggy" for "Blue" and international pop star Kylie Minogue too lent her voice for the same, but they didn't get to meet each other.

"I gave my nod to 'Chiggy wiggy' because of A.R. Rahman. I didn't even know that Kylie will be singing the song too. I never met Kylie. She was in London when I sang the song in Mumbai. Then when she came here, I was out of India."

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