The singing sensation talks about Indian movies, men, her sex appeal and lending her voice for Barack Obama, in a candid chat with Prithwish Ganguly
International music labels and musicians are running after Indian musicians to cut albums with them, and we have none other than eleven-time Grammy Awards-winner Alicia Keys vouching for the fact.
“Indian music is all over now. Singers here (USA) and in Britain are clubbing with the Indian singers to cut an album with the feel of that soothing music. And yeah, people are liking this West-East collaboration,” Alicia told After Hrs in an interview.
Keys seem to have become fonder of Indian men, who according to her, have become ‘tougher’.
“Indian men are getting a tough image now. They are handsome, romantic. In recent days, I find them wearing a hard image too. They are very talented, actually. They can also dance well,” Alicia adds.
Has this singer (she specialises in R&B, soul and the neo-soul genre of music) seen any Bollywood films or heard its music?
“Oh yeah! Films like Provoked, which are in English is what I prefer watching as I can understand the language. I also saw Bride and the Prejudice which talked about India and the crew was Indian too. I know many actors like Ash (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), Mr Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), Mr Om Puri. Your (country’s) music juveniles one’s self,” she says.
The 27-year-old singer recently created history by becoming the first singer to record a duet for the title track (Another Way To Die) for the recently released James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.
“In a long queue of artists, who would have got a chance for singing the title song for the next James Bond film, may be, I fortunately was the lucky one to have been selected. Yes, it is something new in the Bond league as it is the first duet in Bond soundtrack history.”
A sex symbol herself, we asked Alicia on what she thought was her sex appeal. “My voice. My voice communicates my feelings, and I love it when people recognise me as a Singer first. See I believe my voice is my identity,” she answers.
The 27-year-old singer — who burst into the international music scene in 2001 with her record Songs in A Minor, that sold over 10 million copies — was part of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign as she recorded the theme song for him.
“I was approached by the presidential nominee and I immediately said ‘yes’ because I believed in Obama. I have only tried to dedicate the song to him and I am honoured to be part of his campaign. I am happy that the song served as a theme song for his campaign,” she says.
g_prithwish@dnaindia.net
