I WANT TO CONQUER UK, AMERICA & CANADA - DALER MEHNDI
Singer Chats With Puja Vedi

Daler Mehndi has been run off his feet promoting his new album, ‘Nach Ni Shaam Kaure’. He explained how tired he was after giving over 20 interviews in one day, summing it up as, “meri tha band bajgaye!” But despite this, the man famous for his flamboyant costumes and mischievous, lively music was incredibly bubbly, friendly and eager to talk to Radiosargam ….

How is your latest album ‘Nach Ni Shaam Kaure’ different from your previous music?
Like the previous one, most of the tracks are dance numbers, but with an edge. I worked very hard to make it fresh and innovative and there is a lot of stuff on it that has never been done before, like fusions of Arabic, reggae, African and heavy metal influences.

Heavy metal? That IS different! What gave you the idea to use that kind of music?
It’s just something that has never been done before with Punjabi music and I thought it would be fun to experiment with it. I used it in the beginning of the song ‘Suna Suna Veda’ and then it blends in with some classical Indian.

Reggae is something that has been used in Punjabi music quite a lot in the West, what makes your usage different?
I think it’s all in the mixing and how I fused it with other types of music like classical Indian and trance. In fact Apache Indian heard one of the reggae influenced songs and he loved it.

Why are you using so much Western influence and veering away from more traditional bhangra?
I feel like I should be moving forward with the times and I want to target a wider audience with this album. I’m also hoping to gain more popularity in Europe, Canada and America and I think this album is something that people from all ages and backgrounds can enjoy and appreciate.

I heard the album and it sounds like you used some influences from around India as well.
Yes, I sang part of the song ‘Joge’ in Malayalam to appeal to the Southern market and it’s proven to be very popular there already. There is also a song that we produced with a strong rhythm and catchy tune which we thought would be perfect for Gujarati people for Dandia dancing.

What has been the overall response to your new album?
With Gods grace, it’s been very good. It released in India 3 days ago we’ve already sold 2 lakhs copies in the North alone and 5 lakhs copies nationwide. I’m very excited about the worldwide release to see how people abroad respond to it.

You had a bit of controversy with your last album ‘Nabi Buba Nabi’ because the Islamic group, Sunni Muslim Raza Academy found some of the lyrics and the video offensive. What was your reaction to these allegations?
It was odd, because the album was a huge hit in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, which are predominantly Islamic countries and no one had any objections there, but in India a big fuss was being made over what seemed like nothing. It was very stressful and we went to court over it, but thanks to the grace of God everything worked out in the end.

What do you think of the Western style of bhangra from foreign groups like B21, Sahara and RDB as opposed to more traditional bhangra like yourself, Malkit Singh and Gurdas Maan produce?
I’m not too familiar with these modern groups, so I can’t really comment. I do however, think the older groups like Safri Boys, Alaap and Heera were very good and had a great influence in popularising and making Punjabi music more universally known.

How do you feel about your growth as a singer?
I feel very fortunate to have come as far as I have. I am very popular in the Asian and Far Eastern markets, but I really want to be able to conquer the markets in Europe, Canada and America and only then will I feel truly successful.

You’ve worked with top music directors and Bollywood stars like Amitabh, Raveena and Karishma, who would you like to work with in the future?
(Smiling) I’d love to work with Aishwariya Rai simply because she is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen and she is an amazing dancer. I would love to dance alongside her. Also Kareena Kapoor because she is also a good performer and I think it would be fun.

Your Baadshah of Bhangra tour last year was a huge success; do you have any plans for upcoming tours or concerts?
I am planning another tour around America, Canada and Europe, but right now I’m so busy with the launch of my new album, nothing has been organised yet.

What are your future ventures?
I just want to produce more innovative and mazedaar music for my fans and work on the success of my production company DM Music Company.

Singing and performing aside, you’re also involved in humanitarian causes and have established the Daler Mehndi Green Drive to spread awareness for a cleaner, greener environment in Delhi. How has your organisation helped?
Well unfortunately the government bodies here aren’t too concerned about the pollution, which is why I felt it was important for me to step in. Since launching this organisation, I have increased the greenery and decreased pollution in Delhi considerably.

What other charity work have you done?
I have done quite a bit, but am definitely going to do more. So far I have donated 85 lakhs to the green drive, 12 lakhs to the Cargyle charities and I built 16 houses in Gujarat after the earthquake tragedy.

You have achieved so much in your career, what other goals have you set for yourself?
The Indian music industry today is so corrupt and there is a lot of money collecting from royalties, so artistes hardly get anything from the songs that they have worked so hard to make. I really want to end the corruption here and make this industry a more just place to work in.

Finally, do you consider yourself to be a sex symbol?
(Giggles cheekily) I’m not sure about that one, I’m just grateful to my fans for their undying loyalty, love and support.