Top 25 Sonu Nigam Quotes

I was the first judge in the ‘Indian Idol’ format. The biggest risk when you adapt a format from a country in the West is how to make it your own, so I remember at the press conference for Indian ‘X Factor,’ the press would ask, ‘Who is Simon Cowell?’ And I said ‘Why don’t you ask Simon Cowell, ‘Who is Sonu Nigam?’

I know my destiny is moksh or liberation. I will not die for money or success. I am satisfied living the life I am leading, and I will die with dignity.

If I stop practising, I will be an average singer. There are a lot of singers I know who hardly practise, yet sing well.

My son is an integral part of my life; the fact of life is that parents and children need you; wife doesn’t really need you.

There are a lot of singers who cannot sing to save their lives. We have to accept it, but thank God there is such a thing as live shows. It’s only when people are faced with live shows that the world gets to know how good or how bad they are.

My prayer is to learn new things, imbibe fresh insights. You must not take life too seriously. You must enjoy the process of living.

For me, learning is a continuous process and an all-inclusive one – reading a book, learning a musical instrument or learning the martial art called taekwondo. Teach myself something new – that’s my prayer.

My son is an inspired child, a very positive and happy child. The year he was born, he travelled 13 countries with us. I still remember he was so well behaved that the flight attendants used to thank him!

Change is the only constant, whether it’s in music, culture, dance or fashion.

When I started, I faced a lot of hardships. People used to call me a Rafi clone because I used to sing my favourite singer’s songs. Then ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ happened. It gave me a good break.

If there is reincarnation, I would like to be born as Sonu Niigaam.

I was a topper till class tenth and wanted to initially be a scientist.

My mother taught me my first bhajan. My mother, Shobha Nigam, was a very religious woman. From her only I learnt ‘Om Jai Jagdish’ song and used to do puja along with her.

I was born in Faridabad and I spent a major part of my growing up years in Delhi before shifting to Mumbai. Delhi-NCR is still very special to me.

Everything in my life boils down to my mother. A tradition, which a lot of people do not know of, is that while I’d give my father the money I earned, anything that was special to me – like an award or an album – would be given to my mother.

I only watch National Geographic Channel, and also I have the app on my phone. I’m into astronomy and love to learn about new facts.

Social media gives one a family to share one’s life with.

Before every show, I would call my mother and say, ‘Mummy, I don’t know how I will sing today.’ But that would change as soon as I went on stage and would merge with my music. She is my best ally, and I don’t want to lose her. Nobody other than her would be concerned if I had eaten or had oiled my hair. She is my queen.

Since music is a reflection of our mindset and our culture, it is bound to change with time. I am glad that India is such a receiving country and is always open to all kinds of music. Our composers, singers and writers are open to experimenting.

There is a conception about me that I am a playback singer and I sing for albums or for films only, but my roots are in bhajans. Even when I was in school, I used to win competitions for ghazals and bhajans.

I’d say music runs in my blood. My parents are exceptionally talented singers, so even before I was born, it was a known fact to them that I’d become a singer. Thanks to my genes, I started off at the age of three and since then, music has meant everything to me.

You don’t have to be the sexiest girl or the most talented person to have the X factor. X factor is something you are born with that is your own. And the moment that you realize how to tap into that quality that you have within, and how to bring that individuality out of yourself, that is when you discover the X factor.

There are many singers who have got an exceptional talent, but spend their lives singing in local trains or hotels. Does the country even know who they are? Music in India is restricted only to Bollywood. Whoever manages to make a mark there is remembered. The ones who fail to reach and make it big there are forgotten.

See, I have to do my best because I am not as glamorous or as well-equipped like a Beyonce Knowles or Michael Jackson, where their band members are close to 100-150 people. They even have great equipment which is flown along with the artists. They have a budget of around $5 million pumped in to make their concerts a hit.

My fans are my critics, and I respect their feedback and constructive criticism, but they should not try to own me. Don’t they experiment with their looks, too? If they are my real fans, then they will accept me how I am.