Homing in on Himmat?
?the new Punjabi voice from UK. Himmat Gill is already on a song on the tube with his Ranjha Ranjha, courtesy his debut - Himmat Singh Breakthrough'
You cannot dismiss him as yet another artist from UK (even if the accent keeps ringing familiarity). Of course not when you hear him sing Ranjha Ranjha from his debut album 'Himmat Singh Breakthrough'. 'It's different'. And hear the singer, composer, producer-cum-video director, in the City in Sunday, validate it... “You cannot categorise my video into a genre, it is an amalgamation of various ingredients, a cultural concoction, to sum up. Unlike others, this video is a sincere effort by one man who is out to prove to himself, that he can sing, and that's me!” laughs Himmat. Which means unlike others from his clan, he is not playing for the number one slot? “No,” dismisses, the UK born singer. “Singing is my passion, something I thrive on, it is my destiny, food for soul, how do you expect me to make a game of it? I just love what I am doing, nothing beyond this. If people like my work, it is a bonus but if they don't, this won't deter me from singing. I will sing till my last breath.” Hmm… passion alright. Is it in his genes or he's picked it from somewhere? “From my mother,” comes the reply, “she sings gurbani. Otherwise, ours is a businessmen family. But I couldn't think of anything beyond sur and taal, which is why my elder brother encouraged me to learn the harmonium so that I could get a hang of the nuances of the art. And there I was, performing live at the age of 8. The hangover isn't over, it's just changed form – it's a trance for me, it keeps seeping deeper in my veins.” Has it acquired some shape too? Smiles Himmat, who has virtually grown up on Amitabh Bachchan's cinema, “Ranjha is my kinda' music, soft, subtle and gentle. I enjoy experimenting. Ranjha, for instance, is out and out traditional, soft yet hard-hitting. The song dil dey jaani caters to all Punjabi women who are out to have a good time at a sangeet!” And market surveys, fluctuating and unpredictable, do they bother him? “Hey again, I am not game for this hit and miss business. I am not here to prove anything to anyone. About the market reports, I am certain that my video has something for all age groups, at least one track which you can relate to. So, there is no definite section which I am catering to.” When music is a 24X 7 obsession, when the mind never seems to get enough of it and when you don't want to get remotely away from the word 'music', then? “I would never ever want to get away from music. I am always thinking about it, the way I would like the song to be picturised, the location.” And hey hang on; our man is passionate about yet another thing. Acting! “I'd love to act and I do, in my videos. Given a chance I would want to explore more of it.” Bollywood? “Why not!” he retorts.
