Practising��Rafi songs can��make a singer��versatile

Masti Ki Paathshaala

singer Mohammed Aslam

speaks about how Rafi shaped the singer in him, his Kerala roots, collaborating with A R Rahman and more!


Singer Mohammed Aslam, best known for his foot-tapping tracks Masti Ki Paathshaala and Khalbali, from Rang De Basanti is a familiar name in the Indian music industry. The Bangalore-based singer, who was the voice behind Ponmagal Vandaal… is popular for his stage shows titled Aslam Nite, a music show dedicated to legendary singer Mohammed Rafi. The artiste having roots in Kerala was in the capital city recently for a music event. Aslam, who was also part of AR Rahman's world tour, speaks to us about his music journey, experience of working with Rahman and more…


How did it all start?

From childhood, I was a great admirer of renowned singers like Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh and Talat Mahmood. I used to sing their songs during my teens and was asked to perform them for weddings and other celebrations. I am a self-taught musician and growing up singing

Rafi songs

moulded the singer in me. I have performed the golden hits of legendary musicians in more than 2000 national and international stages and it gave me huge recognition. In fact, this paved the way for my playback singing. I debuted in playback singing with the Tamil song Naan Oravukaaran from the film Naattamai, directed by K S Ravikumar in 1994. My other songs, Anandham Anandham…, En Pennendru… Kettenna… and Ilamai… are all quite popular numbers. I also tried a hand at Telugu film music. I was also blessed to be part of a few songs composed by A R Rahman.

You have sung a wide range of songs in multiple languages. How do you balance them?

Singing in stage shows for over 20 years provided me an opportunity to polish my music skills. My audience keep asking for songs ranging from peppy numbers to gazhal tracks. Entertaining them for hours through my songs had given me confidence to try out every type of songs. According to me, every song has a soul and one has to approach it after understanding the feel of the lyrics. Rafi songs are rich in expressions and drama and I consider it as the best vocal practice. If one practises his songs, he will become a versatile singer. Language is not a barrier for a singer if he/she understands the feel of the song.

Your experience of working with AR Rahman?

It was producer R B Choudary, who introduced me to AR sir who was the music composer for his film, Mr Romeo. I missed the chance to work with him because of some technical glitches. But later, after a long wait, I got a call from AR sir to sing Kettenaa… for the film Desam which is the Tamil dubbed version of the Hindi film Swades. Apart from the tracks in Rang De Basanti, the song, Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah from Jodhaa Akbar has become a signature track for me. We started composing for the song at 7 am and it went on till 9 pm. The pallavi was my contribution and AR sir appreciated it. I was on cloud nine when he said, “the pallavi has a punch, and we are taking it”. He is a great musician who gives space for singers’ creativity.

What about the present generation of singers?

I grew up listening to SPB, Janaki amma, Yesudas sir apart from Rafi and Mukesh. Their renditions are very soulful and one can identify the singers from their voices. However, the new generation singers lacks expressions and the element of feel is missing in their voices. They all sound similar to me. The airy voices are not soothing to the ears. Some try to imitate styles and end up killing their individuality.
Tell us about your Kerala connection…

Kerala is close to me in many ways. While mother is from Nadakkavu, near Kozhikode, my wife Jesreene is from Trivandrum. I am a great fan of late Raveedran master, Janaki amma and Yesudas sir. Their evergreen duet track, Akale Akale Neelakasham… is one of my favourites. Recently, I made my Malayalam debut with the song, Meri Asha in Monsoon Mangoes. I am also blessed to have a friend circle here that includes Vijay Yesudas and M Jayachandran. Jayachandran has expressed his wish to work with me for a Malayalam project. So I am waiting for his call.