Sonu Nigam Biography: Indian playback singer, music director, dubbing artist, and actor Sonu Nigam was born on July 30, 1973. The fourth-highest civilian honor in India, the Padma Shri, has been given to Nigam. In addition to singing in Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Odia, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Malayalam, Nepali, Tulu, Chhattisgarhi, Meitei, and other Indian languages, Nigam is most known for her work in Hindi and Kannada language films. In addition to acting in a few Hindi movies, Nigam is the author of several non-film records. The moniker “Modern Rafi” was bestowed upon him in honor of his musical inspiration, Mohammad Rafi.
Sonu Nigam Biography
Sonu Nigam’s journey is a testament to the power of talent, hard work, and perseverance in the world of music. From his humble beginnings to becoming one of the most celebrated singers in the industry, his story is an inspiration to many aspiring artists. Through his soulful voice and versatile singing style, Sonu Nigam has captured the hearts of millions around the world. Exploring his life and musical career not only sheds light on his remarkable achievements but also highlights the passion and dedication required to succeed in the competitive music industry. Sonu Nigam’s biography serves as a reminder that dreams can be turned into reality with unwavering determination and a commitment to excellence.
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Sonu Nigam’s journey in the music industry is a testament to his incredible talent and dedication. From captivating audiences with his soulful voice to establishing himself as one of the most versatile singers in the industry, Sonu Nigam’s biography is a story of passion and perseverance. His personal life, including his family, wife, and children, adds another dimension to his inspiring narrative. Exploring the life of this musical legend not only offers insights into his achievements but also sheds light on the man behind the melodious voice. Sonu Nigam’s biography is a fascinating tale of music, love, and legacy that continues to resonate with fans worldwide.
Who is Sonu Nigam?
Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer, music director, dubbing artist and actor. Nigam is a recipient of Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.
In the Haryanan city of Faridabad, Sonu Kumar Nigam was born on July 30, 1973, to Agam Kumar and Shobha Nigam.Mother was from Garhwal, and father was from Agra. Meenal Nigam, a yoga therapist, and Teesha Nigam, a skilled vocalist, are his two sisters. At four years old, Nigam started singing when he went on stage with his father, Agam Kumar Nigam, to perform the song “Kya Hua Tera Wada” by Mohammed Rafi. Nigam started going along with his father when he sang at gatherings and weddings. At the age of 19, he traveled to Mumbai with his father to start his Bollywood singing career. Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, a Hindustani classical singer, was his teacher. Nigam declares himself to be a Hindu. He wed Madhurima Mishra on February 15, 2002. Son is the child of these two. After adopting the name Sonu Niigaam due to his belief in numerology, Nigam later reverted it back to his given name.
Wife Madhurima Mishra
He married Madhurima Mishra on 15 February 2002. They have a son. Nigam had changed his name to Sonu Niigaam citing numerology beliefs, but later decided to go back to his birth name.
Why is Sonu Nigam famous?
Singing style and influence Nigam is considered as one of the most popular playback singers in Bollywood, and is widely considered to have inspired new singers in the Bollywood industry. He is often compared to Mohammad Rafi for similar voice texture.
Singing and composing work
He has recorded songs that are patriotic, rock, devotional, ghazal, and romantic. To date, he has performed in the following languages: Hindi, Odia, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Kannada, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Tamil, and Telugu.Along with Hindu and Islamic devotional CDs, Nigam has made pop albums in Hindi, Kannada, Odia, Chhattisgarhi, and Punjabi. He has a number of Buddhist albums out. North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia are among the nations in which Nigam has given performances. He went on The Incredibles tour alongside Asha Bhosle, Kunal Ganjawala, and Kailash Kher in May and June 2007. He became the first Indian artist to perform solo in Canada and Germany, doing Simply Sonu concerts from September to October of that year. He traveled around India in April 2008 to promote his Punjabi song “Punjabi.”
Work in Kannada
In 1996, Nigam sang his debut Kannada song for the movie Jeevanadhi. Koti wrote the music and R. N. Jayagopal wrote the lyrics for “Yello Yaro Hego”. Since then, Nigam has performed more than 900 Kannada songs. “Cheluve Yeke Bande” from the movie Majnu, composed by Gurukiran; “Titanic Heroine Nee Nanna Cheluve” from the movie Snehaloka; the title track from the movie Monalisa, composed by Valisha Sandeep; “Hamsave Hamsave” from the movie Gatti Mela, composed by Hamsalekha; “Kannale Kannale” from the movie Aham Premasmi, composed by V. Ravichandran; and “Baaninda Baa Chandira,” from the movie Kanti, composed by Gurukiran. Mungaru Male, released in 2006, was a big hit and broke multiple records, mostly in Karnataka.
As a host and celebrity judge
From 1995 until 1999, Nigam hosted the Sa Re Ga Ma music program, which helped make him a household celebrity. In October of 2007, he made a comeback as a judge on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs International alongside Suresh Wadkar. On December 12, 2009, Nigam served as a celebrity judge during the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Mega Challenge grand finals. In 2002, Nigam was the host of Kisme Kitna Hai Dum on Star Plus. In addition to serving as a judge in seasons 1 (October 2004–March 2005) and 2 (November 2005–April 2006) of Indian Idol, he also served as a celebrity judge in seasons 3 (17 August 2007) and 4 (16 January 2009 and 6 February 2009). Nigam and Sonu Nigaam hosted Life Ki Dhun in 2006.
Singing style and influence
Nigam, one of Bollywood’s most well-known playback singers, is credited for inspiring many upcoming singers in the genre. Because of the similarity in voice quality, he is frequently likened to Mohammad Rafi. “Sonu Nigam is my favorite contemporary signer,” Lata Mangeshkar remarked about him. He sings confidently, is proficient in classical music, and takes his music seriously.”He is a big inspiration to singer Armaan Malik. Nigam is mentioned by musician and singer Ankit Tiwari as an influence in his music. Sonu is Shreya Ghoshal’s favorite modern singer.Sonu Nigam was dubbed the most gifted singer in Bollywood by Palash Sen of Euphoria. He was also commended for his singing by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam.
Awards and honours
Nigam has won multiple accolades, including the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honor in India, one national award, two Filmfare Awards, and two Filmfare Awards South. He has been nominated 17 times for Filmfare’s Best Playback Singer, 10 times for Filmfare Awards South, and has won the IIFA Award for Best Male Playback Singer a record four times (9 nominations). In 2014, he was nominated for an Oscar for the soundtrack of Jal, which was co-composed by Sonu Nigam and Bickram Ghosh. Twice in September and October of 2013, he was the top artist on the US Billboard Uncharted charts.
Bio
Profession(s)
Singer, Music Director
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)
in centimeters- 170 cm
in meters- 1.70 m
in Feet Inches- 5’ 7”
Eye Colour
Dark Brown
Hair Colour
Black
Personal Details
Date of Birth
30 July 1973 (Monday)
Age
51 Years
Birthplace
Faridabad, Haryana, India
Zodiac sign
Leo
Nationality
Indian
Hometown
Delhi, India
School
J.D. Tyler School, Delhi
College
University of Delhi, New Delhi
Educational Qualification
Graduate
Debut
Singing: Bewafa Sanam (1995, Bollywood)
Album: Rafi Ki Yaadein Vol 10-20 (1993)
Music Direction: Sooper Se Ooper (2013)
Film Actor: Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani (2002)
National Film Award
• Best Male Playback Singer, for the song “Kal Ho Naa Ho”, from the film Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003); at the 51st National Film Awards
Filmfare Awards
• Best Male Playback Award, for the song “Saathiya”, from the film Saathiya (2002)
• Best Male Playback Singer, for the song “Kal Ho Naa Ho”, from the film Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)
Others
• Haryana Gaurav Samman by the Haryana Government
• Padma Shri (Art) 2022
Controversies
• A huge controversy arose in 2015 after he supported Radhe Maa by saying- “Just my 2 pence. Kaali Maa is depicted in lesser clothes than Radhey Maa. Interesting that this country wants to sue a woman for her clothes.”
• He had some heated arguments with Babul Supriyo at the Hotel Sun-n-Sand in Juhu over the issue of royalty earned on songs.
• In April 2017, he landed himself in trouble after he posted a series of tweets regarding the sound of Azaan that he termed it as “forced religiousness.”
• After his tweets on the use of loudspeakers at mosques, a West Bengal cleric’s issued a fatwa by which he will pay INR 10 lakhs to shave off Sonu’s head. In response, Sonu invited a hairstylist Aalim Hakim to cut his hair.
• After the release of the film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) in which Anushka Sharma mocked Mohammed Rafi by saying “Wo Gaate Kam Rote Zyada The,” Sonu Nigam, being a huge fan of Rafi, lashed out at the filmmaker Karan Johar.
• At the Agenda Aaj Tak Summit in December 2018, he made a controversial statement by digging at the adoration that Pakistani singers enjoy in India. “Sometimes, I feel as if it would have been better if I were from Pakistan. At least I would get offers from India.”
• Following the suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput, Sonu Nigam posted a video on Instagram on 18 June 2020, accusing two music companies in India of diminishing his image and having full control over the entire music industry in India. On 22 June 2020, he posted another video in which he explicitly accused Bhushan Kumar of damaging his image and not promoting new talents in the industry. Later, Bhushan Kumar’s wife, Divya Khosla Kumar also posted a video and responded to Sonu Nigam’s allegations.
