| JVPD Scheme resident Raju Singh first picked up a guitar at the age of five and by the time he was in Class 10, his career as a musician had begun.
"The day after I finished my Class 10 board exams, Uttam Singh, my teacher, gave me my first break and I started working as a musician," he says.
Ten years down the line, Raju (35) has played the guitar for all the big names in the industry, including RD Burman, Anand-Milind and Jatin-Lalit. He attributes his interest in music to his genes and says that being a musician was always his dream.
"My father, Charan Jeet Singh, who was a musician himself, influenced me and I would stand in front of the mirror with my guitar pretending to be RD Burman. Today, I feel privileged to have played for him," says Singh.
Having actualised his dream at a young age, he decided to change his focus. He explains, "Like my father, I cannot keep doing the same thing for too long and so I started composing."
Raju started off with composing music for TV serials like Dekh Bhai Dekh, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, Hum 2 Hain Na, Aahat, LOC, Shakalaka Boom Boom, etc. Next, he composed logo music for Sony TV, Zee TV, Channel 9, SABe TV, SET MAX and B4U.
He also created ad jingles for Mother Dairy's Doodh Doodh, Bharat Petroleum and Cell One among others. He also composed music for the National Games 2002.
Raju also composed music for the finalists of Indian Idol. He has guided and trained them in song style and presentation. He also composed the music for Aapka Abhijeet.
Speaking about Idol, he says, "Sonu Nigam rightly pointed out that the show gave singers a certain foothold and respect that had been lacking all these years. Also the contestants knew all the original compositions, which was impressive considering that all we hear are remixes now."
Raju says he is now concentrating on composing songs for films. He has already worked on the background score for Page 3, Zeher, Nazar and Jaane Hoga Kya.
Raju has composed music for Yeh Dhuan (Charas) and remixes Roop Tera Mastana and Afreen for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Tera Chehra for Jagjit Singh. "I want to compose happy songs and am trying to prove I can," he says. |
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
