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Our girl makes it to Bollywood

Sowmya Raoh of "Laila Laila" fame releases her own compilation album

MUSICAL FUTURE Sowmya Raoh: `Be versatile and blow your own trumpet'

She is known in Bollywood as the 2003 Stardust Award winner for Best New Singer for the sultry "Laila Laila" from the movie, Samay, and in Karnataka as folk and devotional singer B.K Sumitra's daughter.

She is Sowmya Raoh, who has lent her voice to blockbuster tracks like Leslie Lewis' remix of "Hai Re Hai Tera Goongta", besides numerous Bollywood numbers, has just released her own self-titled compilation album. MetroPlus speaks to her on her music and more.

You have chosen to release a pop album after trying your hand at playback singing. What is the idea?

I would ideally define the album as a compilation of my own songs, which include a few tracks taken from the soundtracks I have sung for, along with original numbers. The initial idea was to release "Pyar Hai" as a single. But, when I sat down and discussed with my music label, I realised that I have enough tracks in my kitty to make a nine-track album out of it.

Till a few months back, Indipop churned out nothing but mediocre remixes. Do you feel this is changing with more original talent coming in?

I have decided to release my album at a very dicey point of time, when nothing except cheap remixes, and Himesh Reshamiya seems to work. But I truly believe, it will come a full circle, and the golden age of Indipop will surely come back. The key is to promote new, younger singers who are experimental and willing to bring in that twist to their music.

How was your experience working with someone like Tauseef Akhtar, a relative newcomer in music direction?

Though the listeners wouldn't have heard of him before, Tauseef is a popular name in the music circuit. He has assisted Nadeem-Shravan, and my association with him began with a track called "Aye Dil-e-Nadan", which he casually composed, and wanted to see how it sounds with vocals. But when I sang it, I fell in love with the track and decided to include it in the album.

In today's day and age, what makes a successful singer?

Versatility, and going a step further in blowing your own trumpet about your versatility. I am lucky to be blessed with this versatility, but it would go unnoticed had I not incorporated tracks that reveal different vocal ranges, and moods in my album. There is a track named "Nazar Na Lagey" which brings back the '80s Bollywood music feel, while "Pyar Hai" is more breezy and sweet.

A. VISHNU

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