'Hindi is a beautiful melodic language'
Says Grammy Award-winning singer Imogen Heap who was recently in the country, as she gushes about chatting with Indian crowds in Hindi and wearing a saree on stage
There has been a lot of buzz about the Grammy award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter, Imogen Heap, but you realise there is so much more to her than just her aura, when you meet her. Excerpts from her conversation with After Hrs, as she talks about connecting with the India crowds at her concert in Pune...
You performed at the NH7 Weekender amidst a huge crowd of about 10,000 people in Pune. How was the entire experience?
I was wonderfully surprised by how many people knew the lyrics. I was a bit nervous before I stepped out on stage to do a song called Just For Now as it involves total audience participation and singing very loudly, but as soon as I walked onto stage and I sang The Walk and I realised people were singing along, which isn't even the most popular song, I knew I was going to do it. So I was really very happy with them, and they sang beautifully and there was a really special moment, as I was singing, that I felt — this is the beginning of many shows here.
You also wore a saree to the event. How comfortable are you in Indian clothes?
I hadn't got any clothes with me, as I just came off a trek from the Himalayas. So I only had my hiking boots and my wet weather gear... I didn't have anything glamourous to wear, so I knew I'd have to go shop anyway. I went to Phoenix Mills and I wanted to find something that I can't find anywhere else, for me. I asked if there was anything from Indian designers here (saree). I've never worn a dress on stage before because it's quite hard to run around in a dress up there, but when in Rome, when in India… I wanted to find something that was very 'me', and the pattern was very me; it was kind of like what I might wear on stage if it wasn't a saree.
You have also sung a few lines in Hindi in Minds without fear and of course conversed with the crowds in Hindi.
Well, I wouldn't go as far to say I picked up the language. I like to say a few things with every country that I go into, to say hello and goodbye and thank you, that kind of thing. As far as learning the diction right, with Vishal (Dadlani), that was quite difficult, because there's lots of sounds that we don't use. But it's such a beautiful melodic language. I've got a good ear, and I can kind of mimic quite well, but I've got a terrible memory and I can't remember languages?
Says Grammy Award-winning singer Imogen Heap who was recently in the country, as she gushes about chatting with Indian crowds in Hindi and wearing a saree on stage
There has been a lot of buzz about the Grammy award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter, Imogen Heap, but you realise there is so much more to her than just her aura, when you meet her. Excerpts from her conversation with After Hrs, as she talks about connecting with the India crowds at her concert in Pune...
You performed at the NH7 Weekender amidst a huge crowd of about 10,000 people in Pune. How was the entire experience?
I was wonderfully surprised by how many people knew the lyrics. I was a bit nervous before I stepped out on stage to do a song called Just For Now as it involves total audience participation and singing very loudly, but as soon as I walked onto stage and I sang The Walk and I realised people were singing along, which isn't even the most popular song, I knew I was going to do it. So I was really very happy with them, and they sang beautifully and there was a really special moment, as I was singing, that I felt — this is the beginning of many shows here.
You also wore a saree to the event. How comfortable are you in Indian clothes?
I hadn't got any clothes with me, as I just came off a trek from the Himalayas. So I only had my hiking boots and my wet weather gear... I didn't have anything glamourous to wear, so I knew I'd have to go shop anyway. I went to Phoenix Mills and I wanted to find something that I can't find anywhere else, for me. I asked if there was anything from Indian designers here (saree). I've never worn a dress on stage before because it's quite hard to run around in a dress up there, but when in Rome, when in India… I wanted to find something that was very 'me', and the pattern was very me; it was kind of like what I might wear on stage if it wasn't a saree.
You have also sung a few lines in Hindi in Minds without fear and of course conversed with the crowds in Hindi.
Well, I wouldn't go as far to say I picked up the language. I like to say a few things with every country that I go into, to say hello and goodbye and thank you, that kind of thing. As far as learning the diction right, with Vishal (Dadlani), that was quite difficult, because there's lots of sounds that we don't use. But it's such a beautiful melodic language. I've got a good ear, and I can kind of mimic quite well, but I've got a terrible memory and I can't remember languages?
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