Kanika, Ankit set for big gig
Bollywood singers will perform live at the Yas Mega Mela this weekend
The Abu Dhabi stage will light up as Bollywood singers Kanika Kapoor and Ankit Tiwari get set to perform at the Yas Mega Mela over the weekend.
tabloid! chats with them about their upcoming concerts and what fans can expect.
What can we expect from your concert in Abu Dhabi and how do you prepare for something so big?
Kapoor: For the last six months, we have been preparing for a new concert for the public and we are excited to present it at Yas Mega Mela. It is going to be a mixture of the 80s, 90s and 00s. It will be a great mixture of my songs and a mashup of the great songs from the last three decades. Tiwari: The visitors at Yas Mega Mela will experience an amazing musical night. A lot of hard work goes in to preparing for a performance, my team and I have conducted multiple rehearsal sessions for this show.
How has your journey been in Bollywood music scene and how difficult was it to crack the big league?
Kapoor: The journey overall was beautiful and positive.
Yes, it has been a struggle initially as it is for anyone in any job and I have worked very hard and worked my best. I have had some great experiences working through this beautiful journey. There is a lot more in the bag and it is going to be unfolding very soon.
Tiwari: My journey has been outstanding, and it’s certainly not over yet. However, as nothing is easy in life, I did struggle during the early days but it was not that hectic; I enjoyed that phase as well.
Which has been the most challenging song of your career?
Kapoor: Da Da Dasse from Udta Punjab with Amit Trivediji. As easy as it may sound, it was a very difficult and dark song and had to be sung in a certain way as it represented the whole movie.
Tiwari: Every song has a different journey. It takes a lot of effort to create a song and it’s not any less
than a challenge. If I had to pick one, I would say Sunn Raha Hai (Aashiqui 2 )wasa little more challenging for me as it was my debut song in Bollywood. Ankit, Sunn Raha Hai put you on the map. Did you expect it to be such a big hit?
Tiwari: The song became a big hit because the audience loved it and felt the song. They connected with the music and the lyrics of the song. I was pretty confident about my my singing and composition.
For you Kanika, the same thing happened with Baby
Doll put you on the music map. Did you expect it to be such a big hit? Kapoor: When Baby Doll was being created, I certainly didn’t think that it was going to such a big iconic chartbuster. It will be living with me for the rest of my life and generations to come. Yes, when the song came out and I started seeing the people the nation going crazy over it, it was a great deal for me and I feel it was my luck and God looking after.
Do you ever question the lyrics of the songs that you are offered? Chittiyan Kalaiyan was popular but it came under criticism for its racist undertones and propagating India’s obsession with fair skin? Your thoughts?
Kapoor: Chittiyan Kalaiyan was not made with the intention of putting anyone down. It was just a thought and it was a beautiful song too.
Do you analyse your own hits, which song is your favourite and which song would you want to re-do?
Tiwari: Each song that I have sung is like my baby, I don’t think I could pick any one as my favourite. I always like to create fresh and new music.
Kapoor: My favourite is Chittiyan Kaliyan because I love the melody, it does something to me even today when I sing it. No, I would never want to redo it.
What’s your current song – not necessarily sung by you – that’s playing in your head on a loop?
Kapoor: Lamberghini —it is a very cool song and it is
very well put together.
Tiwari: I have so many songs running in my head and mostly it is my new composition.
Whats’s your idea of a perfect song and what do you think are your biggest strengths as a singer? Kapoor: I wouldn’t say just one song, but songs like Do Naina Ek Kahaani from the movie Masoom, Ek Pyaar ka Naghma Hai are complete songs because they have so much emotion and melody. The strength of a singer is to emote a whole idea or a thought and to be able to touch a person.
Tiwari: There isn’t anything like a perfect song. Everyone has a different taste when it comes to music. When the audience feels the song and can relate to the lyrics, they start liking it and that’s what makes it a good song.
What is your advice to the musicians out there?
Kapoor: My advice is to practise more, to spend more time with ourselves, to do more breathing exercises, meditate and stay calm so that we can sing and connect better.
Tiwari: Never give up, miracles do happen.
What’s your biggest pet peeve when recording songs?
Kapoor: The best thing to do before you record a song is to just sleep, sleep for like 10 hours, and not speak and then just do some vocal and breathing practice. Who’s the music composer that you work with beautifully? Kapoor: I loved my collaboration with Amit Trivedi. I love making music with all different music directors. Of course I have my favorites — Meet Brothers, we connect really well. I like working with so many other people, Pritam da would be someone I would love to work more with.
Tiwari: I share a good bond with everyone from the music industry and most of them are now really good friends.
Whose music did you grow up listening to and what was your most memorable concert that you have ever attended?
Kapoor: The concerts that I watched the most was Anup Jalotaji and I loved the way he used to connect with the public and recite a story whilst he was singing. It had a huge impact on me and when I perform today, I do something very similar.