Birth: August 23rd
Birthplace: Trichur, Kerala
Profession: Playback Singer, Bollywood.
Family: wife Jyoti and two children
From the whimsical 'Awarapan Banjarapan' number in Jism to the frisky Ding Dong song in Kucch To Hai, Krishna Kumar Menon or KK (as he is popularly known) has proved he can bring a wide and diverse variety of moods and emotions into his vocals.
Krishan Kumar Menon dearly called as Kay Kay was born on 23rd of August at Trichur , Kerala.He did his primary education in Mt Saint Mary , Delhi.Starting out early at school,he went on to win accolades at every annual event. Like any other kid of his generation, growing up meant being surrounded with sound influences of the times. Pink Floyd, Extreme, Sting, Billy Joel, Guns 'N' Roses, Deep Purple and Jethro Tull were some of his earliest influencers. At different stages, KK took to singing with different bands He was the lead vocalist for three different college bands. He sang everything from "Everything I Do, I Do It For You ..."to Mr Big's "Just Take My Heart". And the rest is history. KK's charisma worked with the music enthusiasts.
After graduating from Kirori Mal College Delhi University, KK dabbled with a few "normal" 9 to 5 jobs. He was quick to realise that this was not his "scene." It had to be singing or nothing. His soul was music. Soon, KK began participating in various forums where he could showcase his singing abilities. Be it Quiz Time of 1992 or the Ravi Bajaj fashion show.After a while, it dawned on him that to have a lucrative singing career one had to be in the thick of things--where the action is. That is how KK landed up to the place where the industry really moves--the city of Mumbai. The Mecca of advertising, Mumbai, opened up new vistas for KK. The ad fraternity did not lose time in recognising talent.
However, the road to success has not been a smooth one for this Delhi-based singer who came to Mumbai a few years ago. He started singing on stage when I was two years old. Later, he was part of my college rock band in Delhi after which I started singing jingles.The first few years in Mumbai were frustrating as he drew a blank in all my attempts to break into the filmi circuit. Finally, he got a call to sing a one-minute jingle for Leslie Lewis for UTV which kickstarted his career. Till date KK has recorded in 8 Indian languages. Some of his wellknown and memorable jingles include Monte Carlo, Sunny Bajaj, TVS Scooty, Asian Paints, Coca Cola, Jumpin', Yo Frooti, Colgate Gel, CloseUp, Cinthol, Amul Cheese , Pepsi 'Yeh Dil Mange More' and many more. And thats what he grew famous for prior to his national Indipop release.
Once KK had established himself in the ad circuit, commercial films weren't far behind. He got lucky breaks with stalwarts like A R Rahman, Gulzar and Shekar Kapur.KK has recorded some breathtaking tracks for films. Title tracks for a few TV serials like Just Mohabbat and Hip Hip Hurray have also been sung by him.
KK's forte is pop and rock ballads and is known for his live performances. He genuinely feels that there is a lot of interactive energy that flows when the audience reacts to his music and singing--altogether another "high", so to say. He hopes to do many live concerts in the future with his four member band . His greatest dream of cutting his own album also came true with Pal. It was the result of many months of painstaking effort and studio time. The album was produced by Lezz, who also happens to be KK's friend, philosopher and guide; and Mehboob penned the lyrics. All the tracks have been sung by KK. Pal is what KK is made of and what he firmly believes in.
Pal holds a very special place for KK as it was his first album. Released by Sony Music, the album was also the first Indian solo artist debut album from the company. The album was arranged, composed and produced by Lezz (Leslie Lewis) of Colonial Cousins. The lyrics have been written by Mehboob, who has also written lyrics for music directors like A R Rahman. KK is assisted by a band that comprise Karl Peters on bass, Kalyan Baruah on lead guitar and harmonica, Kurt Peters on drums and Rinku Rajput on keyboards.
Today, KK is one of the hottest names in the ad world. He has sung over 3,500 jingles including Monte Carlo, TVS Scooty, Amul, Britannia and Pepsi's Yeh Dil Maange More in a span of four years.Contrary to popular opinion, he finds singing jingles is a major challenge. KK's dream to sing for a Bollywood movie materialised when Vishal Bharadwaj asked him to sing ' Chhod Aaye Hum Vo Galiyaan'Chod Aaye Hum' in Gulzar's Maachis. But what catapulted him into the big league was the wildly popular 'Tadap Tadap' in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. "It was one of the biggest hits of my career. When I performed at shows in the US, I always chose this song for the grand finale and it never failed to bring the house down," reveals this singer who has had no formal training in music.
He claims he isn't part of the jet-set-mustsee brigade ,No discos,no parties. KK loves to chill out in his cosy apartment at Yari Road with wife Jyoti and his two kids. "Jyoti is a pillar of strength and the sunshine factor in my life," he says. Low-profile he certainly is. And down-to earth too. He still speaks in chaste Malayalam, remembers the sights and sounds of downtown Kerala and believes the best way to draw inspiration for emotions is to look at the poverty and people around us. It's an attitude that's certainly paying rich dividends on the work front. Shows, albums and of course, playback singing — it's all happening for him.
Best Of K. K.:
Song Movie
Pyaar Ke Pal Pal
O humdum Saathiya
Awaarapan Banjarapan Jism
Gori Gori.. Main hoon na
Sampoorna
Bindi
Hindi TV Shows
