Asha unhappy with India release of Grammy

"The less said about my experiences with music companies the better. My 'Kronos Quarter' album was released by an inexperienced company (Virgin). But it's been greatly appreciated abroad. I am asked to perform my 'Kronos Quartet' songs at concerts all over the world. In fact, I'll be at Carnegie Hall (New York City) on April 9. Then I might go to China and Japan with Pancham's songs. I love the experience of singing live on stage."

This isn't the first time one of her albums has got a raw deal.

"I had collaborated for a ghazal album of Pakistani compositions. That got submerged in politics. Main politics mein ghiri hui aurat hoon (I am surrounded by politics). I had done an album of ghazals written by Mahadevi Varma with composer Jaidev in the late 1970s. It disappeared from the market.

"Then I did an album of ghazals with Ghulam Ali (Pakistani ghazal singer). Even that didn't get the push it deserved. Later, I collaborated with Hariharan for a ghazal album called 'Abshaar-e-Ghazal'. That too got lost."

But all this hasn't dampened her mood.

She is very pleased with her Grammy nomination.

"This is my second Grammy nomination. I don't know whether I should attend the event. Everyone says I should go. Let's see."

She isn't sure about her next international move.

"I don't know what other plans Kronos Quartet have. Maybe they'll go to China or Japan for their next album. If they ask me to work with them again I'd be more than happy. It was such a pleasure reliving Pancham's songs in such a unique way.

"Besides film songs like 'Piya tu ab to aaja' and 'Dum maro dum' they also selected Pancham's Bengali songs and selections from his non-film album 'Dil Padosi Hai'. They called Pancham the Mozart of popular music. They said Pancham's arrangements couldn't be done by anyone except Mozart."