Interview by Farhana Nazir and introduction by Hemisha Morarji.
Having enjoyed over two decades of musical success, the Coventry-born ‘Prince of Cross-Over Music’ is now marking his territory in Bollywood.
Tarsame Singh Saini is better known as Taz these days, the lead singer of pop band Stereo Nation, who exploded onto the Brit Asian scene in 1996 with their experimental blend of R’n’B, Soul, Dance and Bollywood.
But for those who are unaware of the local lyrist and composer’s track record, Taz made his name in the late 80s, when he released his debut solo album, ‘Hit the Deck’ under the name Johnny Zee.
The record was such a hit, that it spent thirty-six weeks at the number one spot, becoming one of the biggest selling Asian fusion releases of all time.
But long spells at the top of the charts wasn’t what made this album one of the most talked about records in 1989. Best described as a hybrid of traditional Asia fused with Western pop sensibility, his creation rightly earned him the title of the ‘Pioneer of Pop Fusion.’
Citing the likes of George Michael, Prince, Gurdas Maan and Kuldip Manak as some of his influences, Taz went on to enjoy two more gold platinum albums, before setting up Stereo Nation.
The group released their first single in the new millennium, ‘I’ve Been Waiting’, which became a number one smash hit throughoutAsia.
With a global fan base stretching across the Far East, Asia, Australia, Africa, USA and Canada, Taz broke into Bollywood by contributing to the soundtracks for films ‘Tum Bin’, ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ and ‘Race’, to name a few.
With future plans that include an acting stint in ‘Dil Diyan Chitiyan’ and a new album with the Stero Nation crew, the future will only be burning bright.
Asian World caught up with Taz and as we talk, he discusses music directing, how promoting is ‘bloody hard work’ and how social networking isn’t enough to break into the back breaking world of Bollywood.
So, Taz, tell us what you’ve been up to?
I kind of live between here and Mumbai these days. I recently music directed two songs for a movie by the name of ‘Diary of a Butterfly’ and I am also featured in the film singing it. The song went straight in at Number 1 in the Bollywood Trade Magazine charts…so I am truly over the moon. I have just finished an 8-city tour across Indiapromoting the movie.
I have also music directed a lead song for a film called ‘Chal Jhoote’ and will be featuring in the movie too. Aside from that I have also music directed a lead song for a movie called ‘Band of Maharaja’s’ in which I am featured and for the same film I have collaborated on a song with Hans Raj Hans, Mika and Daler Mehndi & Navraj Hans.
Another movie coming out later this year that I have music directed is ‘Mr Bhatti on Chotti’ in which I get to shake a leg on stage with actor & legend Mr Anupam Kher and a special guest appearance with the one and only Mr Amitabh Bachchan in the promotional song of the movie.
You are currently on tour in Mumbai, how’s it going?
Being on tour may sound very glamorous to people, but believe me it’s bloody hard work! I am completely exhausted mentally and physically and totally deprived of sleep. Moving from city to city, being at airports at silly hours of the morning like 4am with delays! It’s easy to create something but the most important thing of all is to promote it, which decides the destiny of the product. Getting onto how it’s going? It’s been a huge success and the fans have come out in there thousands and shown their love and support.
Your music has featured in several big-name Bollywood blockbusters, including Koi Mil Gaya and Race. What’s the experience been like for you lending your musical talents to such a lucrative industry?
It’s certainly been a back breaker of an industry to break and convince, especially when you’re from the West.
For me, Bollywood is our mainstream market and the biggest selling and most prestigious medium platform for any artist. Therefore the attraction of establishing an affiliation and having success with my music in Movies is far greater than any other.
Gaining the respect of the Bollywood fraternity and greats such as Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and the Kapoor family to name but a few, is the greatest reward for an Artist. It’s always a great feeling to be the pioneer of something so close to my heart and it proves that the struggles, trials and tribulations have paid off in the end. Becoming a Bollywood Music Director is a fantastic achievement and feeling, but the move does test me as a father of three and as a husband to my beautiful wife. It can be very straining on anyone’s relationship being away so much so it’s a good job my wife is the angel she is… that puts up with me.
You’re set to star in forthcoming film, Dil Diyan Chitiyan; what inspired you to enter the world of acting? Is it something you always wanted to do, alongside music?
I have actually declined the role of recent as I have been offered a bigger film banner in the movie ‘Band of Maharajah’s’ directed by Mr Girish Malik for Claptem Films. However I have still Music Directed all the songs on ‘Dil Diyan Chitiyan’ and am still involved in the production side of the film. I must admit that I have never thought of myself as an actor but for some reason unknown to me I have been getting a lot of offers.
Your real name is Tarsame Singh; how did ‘Taz’ come about?
Taz became a nickname given to me by my friends for being the person that I am ‘party animal to the max like the Tazmanian Devil’. It just Stuck!
What struggles do you think budding Asian music artists face entering this industry at present?
There’s no doubt that we have artists that are creating some great music, but when it comes to Bollywood, what matters is lyrics and melody. Musically the compositions and arrangements are very intricate, un-like the regular pop song as we know it. The other problem is the language barrier singing in Hindi is not as easy at the best of times and pronunciation is of paramount importance. Mastering the art of making music for film is an art in itself i.e. learning how your composition has to complement and interact with the situation on screen to storyline etc.
The competition is immense and in order to stand out of the crowd you have to come with something fresh to be noticed. Having a few hits on social networking sites alone is not enough to claim or think that you have made it in the industry. You have to be able to perform live if you are to succeed and more over be noticed by the big boys that make things happen.
What can fans look forward to from STEREO NATION in the coming year?
My fans can look forward to the new album ‘Desi and You Know It’ and also seeing a lot more of me on the big silver screen with a lot of film projects due for release throughout the year. I am also planning a world tour towards the end of the year.
