The show did go on
Despite the infamous car bomb, it can now be said that the Sonu Nigam concert started with a bang and, much to the delight of a frenzied crowd, the evening did not end in a whimper
By Rahma Muhammad
Rising to the occasion
What sort of people buy tickets for Rs 5000 in a country where forty per cent live below the poverty line and traipse off to a concert, ignoring a car on fire, wailing ambulances and tons of police and Rangers right outside the concert venue? Karachiites, of course. The city is by now so immune to the spectre of terrorism that it refuses to let it faze them, determined instead to put the life back into the metropolis once known as the 'city of lights'. On April 10, this is the spirit they showed and they were helped by Sonu Nigam, the gutsy Indian artist who refused to let his fans down because of one potentially horrific bomb blast right outside the venue.
The concert was titled Sur Sey Sur Milao featuring the chocolate-faced Indian playback singer, with a parallel booming pop and the not-so-exciting-acting career. He was the headlining act along with fellow Indian playback artist Sowmya and his sister and debutante Nikkita Nigam. Pakistani pop singer Fariha Pervaz and qawwal Amjad Sabri shared the stage with him, but it was obvious who the star was.
Sonu Nigam was the star act. His repertoire includes evergreen hits like 'Bole Chudiyan' (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham), 'Tanhai' (Dil Chahta Hai), 'Dil Ne Yeh Kaha Hai Dil Se' (Dhadkan), 'Satrangi Re' (Dil Se), 'What is Mobile Number' (Haseena Maan Jayegi), 'Bardaasht Nahin Kar Sakta' (Humraaz), the Ishq Vishk theme, 'Mahi Ve', the theme song of Kal Ho Naa Ho and the brand new, super hit songs of the next Shahrukh Khan movie, the yet to be released Main Hoon Na. And these are just a few of the numbers he has sung. Songs that have been heard and memorised by almost every Urdu and Hindi speaking person in the world. Sonu can pull in the crowds and keep them there till late.
That he went on stage after a car blew up some kilometres behind the security motorcade, speaks volumes for his valiant spirit. The absolutely shaken artists were rushed inside and the area was cordoned off, but there were thousands of people already waiting inside and hundreds still coming in. It was unanimously decided by the artistes, especially Sonu, that despite the obviously lax security, the show must go and the way it did gave a whole new meaning to SAF Games slogan 'Rising Above'.
Sur Sey Sur Milao was one of the events planned for the recently culminated SAF Games in Islamabad, whose slogan points South Asia in the direction of 'Rising Above' their differences. Peace seems to be the buzzword these days, so it was quite ironic that this particular ambassador of peace was a terrorism target. What happened shows that peace is not just about rising above differences, but also above the elements that continue to dog the slowly developing peace between Pakistan and India. A fantastic show notwithstanding, Sonu Nigam and all the artistes rose to the occasion, by giving Karachi's music mad hordes a night to remember.
The show was worth it
Inside it was beautifully breezy but crowded. People had parked their cars far away and taken a shuttle to the arena. People who couldn't find seats were happy to stand listening to a singer from a country that has for too long been projected as Pakistan's biggest enemy. Karachi's spirit can never be put down. Yes, there were rumours about the blast inside, but most people were already safely in. The only concern was 'Is Sonu performing?' As long as that was the reality everything else was bearable.
A lot of homework was done to make this show successful. Technically everything fit into place from the sound system to the stage set to the dancers and the choreography. The show was hosted by Ayeshah Alam and had interesting performances from artists other than Sonu Nigam. He had arrived with his own orchestra and dancing troupe. This event was live in every sense of the word. Along with singing solo hits, both his playback numbers and his album singles, Sonu did duets with Fariha Pervaiz, Sowmya and a qawwali with Amjad Sabri, the son of the late legend Farid Sabri.
Sowmya, a young playback singer with various hits to her name already, started off the concert with a cover of 'Chura Liya'. Sonu came on stage almost twenty minutes after the blast. He kicked off the show with the Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham's (K3G) theme and switched to 'Suraj Hua Madham', driving the crowd mad. He thoroughly entertained the mostly female crowd with Bollywood super hits like Saathiya's theme song, 'Satrangi' from Dil Se, 'You Are My Sohniya' from K3G, 'Meri Duniya Hai' from Vastaav and 'Mujhay Raat Din' from Sangharsh. He was well received by the crowd who enjoyed the performance, the professionalism of the dancing troupe and the orchestra, which was especially flew in from India.
Later in the show, Sonu called Sowmya on stage to do a duet with him. He teased her by saying that he could sing better than her in a girl's voice. To the great pleasure of the audience he went on to prove it, singing a parody of 'Janay Dil Mein Kab Say' from Mujh Say Dosti Karoge, and then commencing to sing the actual song. This is just one example of the crowd-pleasing moments that make a show, and Sonu Nigam is a consummate professional.
His other duet partner of the night was Fariha with whom he sang 'Ye Ada Ye Naaz Ye Andaz Ap Ka', and then they did an excellent rendition of 'Jogi' from the Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani starring Shahrukh and Juhi. Shahrukh-obsessed housewives and housewives-to-be were swaying to sizzling Bollywood numbers, absolutely charmed by the boyish looks and the oh-so-sweet sense of humour of the melodious crooner.
The qawwali by Amjad Sabri was well received by the audience, who were excited to see the son of the late master on stage. Soon after the qawwali, the crowd got a bit unruly and Sonu stepped off stage after trying unsuccessfully to pacify them. There were minutes of tension when Sonu decided to go backstage with some girls who were being harassed in front of the stage. People were afraid that that the night was officially over, but Sonu returned to enthrall them with the night's most requested and anxiously awaited theme song from the recent run away hit Kal Ho Naa Ho. After the song was over, he saw it fit to reprimand the crowd for their behaviour, and was treated with chants of 'sorry sorry' from the crowd, who, despite his apparent disgust treated it all very much as a joke.
Sonu's instant impact reinforced the view that popular Indian artists are more famous and loved than our own, because one can't think of many local artists who would be able to attract a capacity packed crowd who'd pay such an amount for show that everyone knew would be chaotic. Sonu Nigam concerts are not normal happenings in a Pakistani city.
Each and every song that he performed was well received and the audience crooned along. And he must have sung at least twenty songs. One of the perks of being a playback singer one might say, but even his own singles are quite popular, as 'Bijuriya' and 'Deewana' drove the crowd crazy, especially the young ones. Sonu Nigam's spontaneity as a live performer and the effortless rendition of one hit after another made the show, a real treat.
The fantastic performer
Not only did Sonu win hearts because of the bravery he showed when he refused to let the blast be an issue and decided to go on, he managed to control the Karachi crowd. He did this by keeping them on their toes guessing songs and took them along with him by encouraging them to sing along. He even took requests that the crowd kept screaming out to him and made them laugh by singing parodies of his own songs.
Sonu excellently employed his five-year experience of being the much-loved host of India's favourite music show, Saregama, which he quit four years back to concentrate on his playback and solo music career. His communication with the audience was quite frank. He managed to keep the crowd dancing up front disciplined for much of the show, by solacing them singing one-liners, acknowledging individual salutations and all this while being quite firm. He also made it a point to mention that his first single and hit song, kick starting his solo career was originally a Pakistani number. Originally sung by Ataullah Khan Esa Khelvi, 'Achcha Sila Diya Tune Mere Pyar Ka' from Bewafa Sanam was an instant hit, launching Sonu as a voice to reckon with.
Discovered by the late business tycoon Gulshan Kumar, young Sonu did not have it easy. He came to Mumbai from Delhi at the age of eighteen to do playback singing and has become, instead, one of India's most popular pop artistes today. He started off with Tu, which was moderately successful but his last albums Deewana and Jaan were smash hits and his latest, has had unprecedented sales already.
Though Sonu is not formally trained in music, he grew up in the shadow of his father Agam Kumar Nigam, a man with a passion for singing, who never became a renowned singer. Sonu has sung for Amitabh, Shahrukh, Sunny, Bobby, Hrithik, Govinda, Abhishek, Dharmendra, and so many others. He can modulate his voice according to the song situation in a manner that sits well on the person on whom the song is being picturised and as a singer this versatility is his plus point. He has sung songs as diverse as 'What Is Mobile Number' and 'Sandese Atay Hain' and has been at ease in all genres that have emerged in the classic filmi geet.
The transition to acting hasn't been that easy though, as his movies haven't been as successful as his music. From wanting to be a scientist when he was young, to fulfilling his dad's dream of being a successful playback singer, Sonu has come a long way. He is India's top playback singer and pop artist, anchor of its most-watched music show and an aspiring movie star. Now, he is also the only Indian celebrity among the scores who travelled to Pakistan recently, to have escaped a terrorist attack and most importantly, coming out on top by living up to the expectations of his Pakistani fans despite the potential threat to his life.
The concert menace
Nothing is that perfect in this city, especially concerts. Whether it's just good 'ol Junoon or Sonu Nigam's first show here, a five hundred rupee ticket or one that sets you back five grand, a central venue or an isolated one, Rangers for security or private security guards, there will be rowdy gate crashers that always harass women. This breed of the Karachi male is proving to be more of a nuisance than ever. They cheer the artist, sing with him, clap for him, share jokes with him, dance with him and then they manhandle the women who have been unfortunate or stupid enough to be near them. The organisers of such large events should seriously consider training and hiring bouncers who have the muscle and the authority to kick troublemakers out. Also, tickets should not be oversold as they often are to make an extra buck. There should be no room for spoilsports when people have fun. And fun is exactly what the doctor has ordered for Karachi.
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