Singer Krishnakumar Kunnath or KK, as he’s popularly known, is performing tonight at Madinat Jumeirah. Salaam Dubai, presented by Oberoi Middle East, is a premium Asian DSF-2014 event that features the singer along with new Bollywood voices Arijit Singh and Monali Thakur.
tabloid! caught up with the award winner of songs such as Aankhon Mein Teri Ajab Si (Om Shanti Om), Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno) before taking to the stage in Dubai with some of his best numbers.
What’s new in this show?
Well this time I’m bringing some friends along with me. Arijit and Monali, two new kids on the block. I perform depending on the crowd, what they want. I don’t really prepare much. I pick up songs on the go. I will have to perform most of my hits or else people will be disappointed but I will sing new songs too, mainly from my second album.
What is your iPod playing right now?
It’s difficult to pick one or two songs but Vienna by Billy Joel is one of my favourites. Everyone has one or two songs that make them feel good throughout the day. For me this is one of them. I love the lyrics, they go straight to the heart. Then there’s John Farnham’s You’re the Voice. It’s a very old song but I like the energy and it makes me want to do more with my life.
I’m listening to some of my old favourites actually. Joel, Dev Anand — music that I listened to in college.
I like songs that make me think. I love songs with a thehraav (depth) in them.
Kishore Kumar’s Zindagi Ka Safar, Hemant Kumar’s Tum Pukar Lo and Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye Mohammad Rafi’s Chaudvin Ka Chand — these are my all-time favourites. They calm me.
How has the music scene changed in India?
Technologically now we have more downloads from the internet than records, so one needs to think songs differently. Music now is more an amalgamation of world sounds and you get some very good stuff out of that. You have rock, rap, bhangra, hip-hop in Hindi film music. Of course now there is also something called indie or independent music growing in India, which is very heartening because I’ve believed that it always existed but never got a platform.
Who from the new kids on the Bollywood scene do you feel will go a long way?
I’ve known Arijit from Fame Gurukul, where he was a contestant. I always felt he was a sharp and focused guy. I feel very good about where he is today because it’s all about perseverance. You may get a late break but once you go through it, you come out with a clear head. I find his style very fresh and hope he survives that stardom. It’s the same for Monali. She’s an exuberant singer. There are lots of new singers — Benny Dayal, Nitin Mohan — who are bringing some freshness and something new to the music scene.
