Javed Ali: The most important thing about a song is the soul

Jashn-E-Bahaaraa, Tum Tak, Kun Faya Kun, Srivalli, and Saudebazi have all carried Javed Ali's distinctive voice to listeners throughout languages and generations.

Key points

• Since March, the singer has been travelling throughout countries including the UK, Australia, and Canada, taking his music to audiences far from home.
• Reflecting on his return to the city, he shares, Coming to Hyderabad has always been a fun and exciting experience for me.
• One of his recent challenges came with a demanding classical composition in Bhoot Bangla.
• For the concert, Javed intends to bring together a number of shades of his musical repertoire.
• That same emotional connection guides him inside the recording studio, where he begins by understanding what a song is trying to convey.

Reflecting on his return to the city, he shares, "Coming to Hyderabad has always been a fun and exciting experience for me. I love Hyderabadi biryani and the food of Hyderabad. It's particularly delicious."

For the concert, Javed intends to bring together a number of shades of his musical repertoire. Giving a glimpse into the evening, he notes, "I'll definitely perform some of my Telugu hits. That was a surprise, but I've already broken it. (laughs) I will perform all my hit songs, love songs, and some retro songs. I will additionally be performing songs that I've never performed for the Hyderabad audience."

Since March, the singer has been travelling throughout countries including the UK, Australia, and Canada, taking his music to audiences far from home. Looking back at the experience of touring, he notes, "The biggest compliment I get is that the audience not only listens to the music but also enjoys it."

Notably, the response outside India, he feels, carries a familiar warmth. A memorable performance, he recalls, was at the Sydney Opera House. Reflecting on the milestone, he notes, "I performed a sold-out three-and-a-half-hour concert and sang 'Vande Mataram' there for the first time. It was a particularly proud moment for me. Our concert mostly has more music, and individuals don't know that our songs are connected to each other. I'm not talking regarding medley, but the bridge that connects one song to another is not highly long. Individuals feel that the music is never-ending. In the last show, individuals were not ready to leave the venue. Individuals anticipated more. This was a particularly memorable experience for me."

Explaining the thought he takes with him before stepping on stage, he shares, "Whenever I go on stage, I have a thought that this is the first and last concert of my life, so I have to do my best. I believe our audience should be in a nostalgic environment and keep talking regarding their experience and memories they produced."

That same emotional connection guides him inside the recording studio, where he begins by understanding what a song is trying to convey. Describing his creative process, he explains, "Whenever we go to record a song, I have to understand the lyrics and tune. If you understand the lyrics, you understand the expressions, and when you do so, you learn the tune. But the most significant thing concerning a song is the soul of the song. If the soul is not connecting, there is no point."

One of his recent challenges came with a demanding classical composition in Bhoot Bangla. It pushed him beyond familiar territory. Looking back at that experience, he admits, " O Ri O Sanwariya was a little challenging for me since I have never sung such a hard, full classical song with taan, musical notation, palta (alankar), and singing. When I heard that song, I remarked, 'how will I do this?' But by the grace of God, I did it so well that residents appreciated it. I sang that song on purpose since challenging songs become milestones in your career."

Javed is equally interested in stepping away from expectations and exploring music genres listeners may not immediately associate with him. "I don't like to be typecasted. I feel individuals should produce me sing different songs that are unexpected, like Aashiqon Ki Colony from O'Romeo. Since my expressions were different, I had to modulate my voice, and I want those songs now, " the singer concludes, I want to sing songs that are up-tempo, melodious, and different, like Srivalli from Pushpa: The Rise.

For now, javed Ali: The most important thing about a song is the soul remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.