Sonu Nigam Says Jingle Work Helped Him Master Multiple Indian Languages
MUMBAI — Singer Sonu Nigam has reflected on his early years in the music industry, saying his experience recording as many as 16 to 17 jingles a day helped him become comfortable singing in a wide range of Indian languages.
Nigam said he began working professionally at a young age and recorded jingles in Delhi before moving to Mumbai.
“I started very early, so I got a chance to sing in different languages when I was still in Delhi. I was doing jingles at that point. I hadn’t come to Bombay yet, and I was recording in Delhi. I used to record 16-17 jingles in different voices every day,” Nigam said.
He said the work exposed him to languages from across India, including Kashmiri, Haryanvi, Rajasthani, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Manipuri and Assamese.
“So, I got a chance to become acquainted with different languages of India,” he said.
Nigam added that his long career has allowed him to continue expanding his linguistic and musical range.
“I have sung in Odia, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Marathi, Haryanavi, Khasi, Manipuri, Konkani, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Kashmiri, Dogri, and many, many more,” he said. “Because it has been such a long career, I have had lots of opportunities to learn newer styles and sing in different languages.”
Nigam recently returned to Haryanavi music with his latest track, “Chunni,” which features vocals by Renuka Panwar. The song was written and composed by Aamin Barodi, while Charmee Zaveri appears in the music video.
Nigam has previously said Haryana holds a special place in his life because of his family connections to the state. He spent part of his childhood there, while his father and sister also grew up in Haryana.
Over the course of his career, Nigam has recorded more than 6,000 songs in more than 32 languages, including Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi and Marathi. He has also performed in languages outside India, including English, Latin and Dutch. (Source: IANS)
