‘I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT INDIAN MUSIC’
James Blunt talks about visiting India for the first time as a part of his AfterLove tour
British singer James Blunt is quite excited that he’d soon be visiting and performing in India for the first time. “This is the first time that I will play in India. So, it will be a real highlight of my world tour,” the 44-year-old singer says, adding that he will sing all his popular songs during the performance on April 9 in Bengaluru.
“We are just on a tour around the rest of the world, so by the time we get to you guys, the important people in India, it will rock. The whole leg will culminate in Bangalore, and that will be the last night of the tour, so it will be a massive celebration for all of us,” he says. Blunt adds that he has no idea what to expect from this visit, but he has a couple of friends here, who he describes as being “incredibly warm”.
Blunt is most famous for his 2004 single ,You’re Beautiful, widely considered as one of the love anthems of the present generation. However, the singer isn’t at all bitter that he is most wellknown for just that one song. He says, “Every musician would kill for one big song, and without that song, I wouldn’t be coming to Bangalore, would I? I would just be doing a tour in London. To have a huge song is every musician’s dream, but ‘You’re beautiful’ was not the only song in the album; the album had 10 songs and it sold over 12 million copies.”
Blunt shares a warm friendship with singer Elton John, and credits the latter for his success in the music world. “Elton John is the most incredible, generous and kind friend that I have in the music industry. He took me out on tours in South America and in the UK, and he is a great friend to me. Without his, and my senior manager’s help, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities that I got. I will always be incredibly grateful to him,” Blunt says.
When asked about Indian music, Blunt admits that he doesn’t know much about Bollywood music or the subcontinent’s music in general, but he is keen to hear and learn more about it. “I know only a tiny bit about it, and that’s why I am excited to come and hear more and learn more, because I know India to be an incredibly vibrant place,” he says. Ask him if he wants to collaborate with anyone in India, and he says, “Record companies try making it sound competitive, but for me, music has always been about collaboration.”
I only know a little bit about Indian music, and that’s why I am excited to come here and hear more and learn more
JAMES BLUNT SINGER