Focussed to make massive impression in India in next few years: Jay Sean

Jay Sean, the popular British singer of Indian heritage, says he has had a loyal fan base in India for the past 15 years. He is currently focussing on making a "massive" impression in the country.

"I am very focused over the next few years to make a massive impression in India, and have already started the process. I wanted to do it right, and at the right time, the right way, being cautious not to simply tap into potential or jump on a hot bandwagon - it had to be the right time," Sean, who was born as Kamaljit Singh Jhooti in London, told IANS in an e-mail interview.

"India has been one of my most loyal fan bases and biggest fan bases globally for the last 15 years. The love and pride that I feel from my Indian fan base makes every new performance in India unique and special.

"Even though I have performed there many times during my career, I look forward to every time I get to be in front of my Indian audience since they have knowledge of 15 years of my work, so performing to a crowd who knows every word of every song is hard to beat," he added.

The singer is performing live once again in India on September 11 at Lord of the Drinks, Kamala Mills, Mumbai and on September 12 in Delhi.

Talking about his plans for this trip, he said: "Unfortunately, as with many of my shows, it will be a very short but sweet trip spending only one night in the city.

"The great thing is I have very close friends who live in Mumbai and Delhi who I don't get to see very often, so I will probably be having a lovely dinner and catch up with them while I'm there."

In his view, India is one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- markets for entertainment.

"The sheer volume of movies that are made each year and the new stars that are created regularly that go on to become the next generation of superstars... There is a population of over a billion people, let alone the huge population of the global Indian diaspora... So the fan base is enormous," said Sean.

In the past, there have been many incredible moments for the singer in India.

"From sharing the stage with the likes of Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh to my first ever real performance at the India VMA awards 15 years ago when I first came out with 'Nachna Tere Naal', there are many moments. Singing together with the legendary Lata Mangeshkar on the red carpet to beatboxing with Sonu Nigam while he sang 'Kal ho naa ho', adds to the list," he said.

Sean is also working on something "very exciting", and is likely to launch it in the new year.

What does he like most about the Indian music scene right now?

"I feel like everything evolves and must. We can't stay stuck in the past. Life moves on, as we must do in music and in film, in the style of shooting, the dialogues, the soundtracks, the plot... It all has to represent the generation now. Today's culture. Today's youth. Today's reality. I love that I am seeing that in a big way," he said.

(Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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