Indomitable duo

The presence of young talent in Bollywood has not dimmed the popularity of playback singers Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. Abdulla Mahmood finds the secret of their longevity.

Fresh voices have invaded Bollywood's music industry and reality television shows keep discovering new talent. Amidst all this, two of India's most popular playback singers Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan continue to rule the roost. Nothing seems to shake the effect they have on people.

Narayan and Yagnik have contributed some memorable Bollywood numbers in a career spanning over two decades and it is indeed amazing to hear them belt out hit tracks despite the presence of younger singers.

Soothing Voice

Yagnik ruled the Bollywood playback singing scene in the 90s with innumerable hits and has recently slowed down to concentrate on limited, but quality work.

This seems to have paid off as Yagnik has managed to sing
one of last year's best tracks Tu Muskura from Subhash Ghai's Yuvvraaj composed by maestro A.R. Rahman.

"When Subhash Ghai calls me to sing a song for his film, I know it is going to be special. When Rahman made me hear the tune of Tu Muskura, I knew that the song would have a soothing effect on listeners. Rahman has the ability to make me sound better and this was proved in my earlier collaborations with him in Taal, Zubeida and Lagaan," says Yagnik.

What about critics who panned her recent tracks saying her voice has aged? "There will be few with different opinions about my singing style or voice, but I am not bothered about such critics. I see that I do my daily riyaaz (vocal training) and I do not overuse or abuse my voice by doing concerts. This ensures my voice remains crisp," says Yagnik.

Striking pair

Yagnik has always shared a special chemistry with Narayan as they delivered some evergreen romantic numbers for leading Bollywood couples.

"Alka is a very good human being and loves to give her best, which makes it always special recording a song with her. I think she is still the top playback singer," says Narayan.

Despite the existence of young and talented male singers like Shaan, Sonu Nigam and Kunal Ganjawala, Narayan still gets to sing popular dance numbers like title tracks from Partner, Deewangi from Om Shanti Om and Dance Mare from Tashan.

When asked about the secret of his longevity, Narayan says,"I have sung for all the top stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. If these songs have worked or continue to work I am thankful to my music directors, fans and God. I just want to continue singing till I live and I am busy singing regional songs. I may not be busy singing too many Bollywood numbers but I am happy to be still surviving."