Moulin Rouge: Urmila, Nicole and Alka Yagnik
An email I received from my big sis, V, from NYC, here�s the latest breaking news on the cinema circuit involving the use of Hindi vocals (this seems to be the newest �rage� in America;only God knows why�perhaps it�s the exotic richness of the sitar, the goat skin drums and the pounding Bhangra like bass lines. Dearest Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Neptunes and Rocwilda (some of my favorite producers) please move over for�
-----Original Message-----
From: VA
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2002 10:32 AM
To: M(E-mail)
Subject: Moulin Rouge: Urmila, Nicole and Alka Yagnik
All of Bollywood knows now that Hollywood�s Nicole Kidman will be dancing to the tune of China Gate�s "Chamma Chamma" in this Summer 2001 flick directed by Baz Luhrmann.
The English flick�s soundtrack just recently released, and for those interested the revamped version of the original song appears titled as "Hindi Sad Diamonds", remixed with the voices of Nicole Kidman, John Leguizamo and Alka Yagnik together. What you don�t know is that is was yours truly who was first contacted by one of the film�s music directors, Marius De Vries, about the song last winter.
He was quite interested in who the sumptuous voice was in this song which had director Luhrmann entranced for days. Marius and Baz actually thought the gorgeous vocals belonged to the physically sumptuous Urmila Matondkar, but I had to correct them and explain the concept of playback singing in Hindi films.
Nonetheless, after informing them that the voice belonged to Alka Yagnik and that they should get in contact with her, Tips (the music rights� holders) and Rajkumar Santoshi (China Gate�s director), we now end up with a Hollywood starlet redoing a Bollywood starlet�s act on stage.
Ask me though and I�ll bet you Urmila�s danceathon was a bigger crowd pleaser than Kidman�s can ever aspire to be. (Even though China Gate�s box office pickings weren�t that great.).
In my books, Indian film babes have a slight edge over the American ones, you see.
On a different but somewhat related note, American rappers are keeping it gangsta and gully, they should be advised that the Hindi songs they have chosen (ala Truth Hurts �Contagious�, Red & Erik Sermon�s �React� etc.) while attempts are made at �keeping it real� wholly using Hindi LOVE SONGS, is laughable to the Hindi community; whilst Americans of all races bump and grind to these �hits� in clubs and dancehalls alike. Alka and Mongishkar are already starlets and hit makers in my motherland. True irony�keeping it real & gangsta & gully with the likes of Alka and Ms. Mongishkar�s love & romance lyrics. I must admit that I enjoy the grooves being hammered out by rap mixing with Hindi beats and lyrics; I see the humor in it as well.