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KAMAAL KHAN

Listen to your Heart
Kamaal Khan, the O Oh jaane jana singer, is back with another eight song set for HMV. And unlike the adage that nothing is as constant as change, Kamaal Khan prefers to treat his fans to the familar and the tried.

For someone as popular as he is, and therefore used to the limelight and the pressures of meeting with people, Kamaal Khan actually seems ill-at-ease, even a little shy, when it comes to giving interviews. But once you have broken the ice - with some banter about music - he is more than eager to chat up with you on his forthcoming album, Suno To Diwana Dil, a eight-song set from HMV.

This sophomore effort comes two years after Kamaal hit the headlines and became a rage with the hip-set with the gay O oh jaane jana. The song first appeared in its album format, but really took off only when Salman Khan did a bare-bodied version of it in Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya. Salman, of course, had young maidens swooning. Sales of the film soundtrack took-off, and Kamaal’s association with the song resulted in healthy sales for his pop-set as well.

Kamaal, however, is averse to believing that the success of the album was because the song was used in the film. “Using the song in the film may well have helped the album, but couldn’t it also be true that its sales were limited because the song was used in the album,” he contends. His contention: Had the song not been used in the film, perhaps more people would have bought the album. However, somewhere between the “ifs” and “buts” of the argument Kamaal established himself as a saleable artist.

While O oh jaane jana was more like a shot in the dark - something that Kamaal admits to - he says that the follow-up is a more assured work both in terms of the music and lyrics. “With O oh ..., I had no clue about the tastes and preferences of the people, so I was playing it by the ear. But with Suno To..., I know what people like, and therefore the album is a more focussed effort,” he says.

And what Kamaal “knows” is that the Indian listeners like peppy, upbeat numbers and ballads that don’t sound like clones of film songs. “These are the most requested songs when I play live,” he explains. The album, therefore, comes packed with upbeat goddies and mushy ballads. “This is a more fulfilling album. Although the songs were formed after a lot of trail and error, this is a album that’s closer to my heart,” says Kamaal.

Kamaal has a busy schedule ahead of him once the album is released. First, it is off on a gruelling 15-city, 22-concert tour that takes him all over India. Then he is heading home to London to visit his family who he hasn’t seen in the last four months. He returns from London, in November, before heading off to the U.S.A and Canada to do some private promotions for the album. On his return he plans to do some original film songs, before heading off back to London and begin work on his next album.

The next album, when this one isn’t out, yet. “Yeah, I like to work ahead. It takes me anywhere between a year to 18 months to get an album full of songs ready, so I’ll have to begin work ASAP,” he says. (Kamaal, incidentally, has a five-album deal with HMV). Doesn’t he find all this activity taxing. “Yes, but if have to be successful, you have to work at it constantly,” he says. “And, it is not like I’m doing a boringly repetitive job. I’m doing what I like best, singing and creating new songs. So, its not all that bad, either,” he says.

And what does he do during off hours, if he has any, that is? Well, he has discovered a new plaything; a lap-top that comes loaded with all the latest gizmos including a DVD player. He catches up with “action films” on it. Otherwise, he is plugged into his Discman on which he is wont to listen to the Corrs or the Savage Garden.

Suno To Diwana Dil is currently out in musis stores. Check it out if you can.