For his first live show in Hong Kong, tonight, Indian singer KK (real name Krishnakumar Kunnath) plans to rock. One of India’s most versatile singers, he has the distinction of being equally at ease with a soft love song as he is with a rocking Bollywood number.
“I am a really bad example for aspiring singers as I rarely practise, don’t do my riyaaz [rehearsing scales],” he said. “I get the song, just sing it and go home.”
With no aspirations to be a playback singer in Bollywood, he surprised himself with his steady climb to stardom in India. He has been nominated for a best-singer award every year since 1999.
An opponent of the instant fame promised by reality television shows, KK has rejected lucrative offers to be a judge. “The kids want to be famous within the span of a series, make instant money and then, when the hype and dust settles, they don’t know where to go,” he said, adding that he had met many contestants. “I tell them to relax, do the work, build their own repertoire of songs, and then slowly hit the live-show circuits. I understand the lure of the money, but they’ve got to think long term.”
Having shied away from the camera, we wonder how he’s going to face the Hong Kong crowd. (Tues, May 1) “It’s a conundrum. I don’t like it when cameras are on me, but I love performing live on stage. The connect with the audience, that instant reaction, that’s something else.”
KK will perform tonight in the Jockey Club Auditorium at Polytechnic University, tickets HK$450-HK$1,200. For enquiries call Red Peppers Entertainment on 9037 8869 or 9461 3676.
P. Ramakrishnan
(e-mail: ramakrishnanp at hotmail dot com!)
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