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News |  26 Feb 2009 13:38 |  By AnitaIyer

The unknown voice behind 'Jai Ho'- Vijay Prakash

MUMBAI: The Slumdog Millionaire track �Jai ho' has almost become an anthem in the country with composer A R Rahman picking up many awards for the compositions, the most recent being the coveted Oscar.

Basking in the glory of the song is Vijay Prakash, the singer who has rendered the full throated �Jai Ho' at regular intervals in the track.

Ironically, Vijay Prakash's contribution -the high pitched Jai Ho- to the song, has not been acknowledged at any award function and the song mentions Sukhwiner Singh as the main singer. Says Prakash, I have no regrets as Sukhwinder Singh is a bigger name in the industry and is also the lead vocalist. I am happy that I was a part of the track that has won international accolades and I am getting noticed now that it has reached great heights....

Reminiscing about the, he says, While recording the song, we didn't have the slightest premonition that it would be the track to catapult Rahman into international recognition. The term �Jai ho' has a lot of positivity and power to it and Rahman instantly developed a liking for the word....

It was a long due recognition and Rahman should have received an award for any song from his library. It is a great thing as an Oscar is recognised all over the world it matters a lot, receiving it makes Rahman a global figure,... says Vijay elatedly.

Many musicians have already made a bridge but with this song, the west would be more curious about Indian music  It would facilitate more collaborations and bring in new sounds that would have a lot of Indian element in it....

Prior to Slumdog Millionaire, Vijay Prakash has sung for Rahman in �Pal Pal Hai Bhari' from Swades and the classical track, �Manmohini' from Yuvvraaj. Narrating the incident when he started working with Rahman, he adds, Rahman usually seeks suggestions for launching new talent from Brij Bhushan, who is a voice over artiste. Brij suggested my name and I ended up rendering my vocals for Swades. The recording of the track took place in a hotel room where Rahman brought his machines and set up a mini studio. It is surprising to know that the same version was printed as a final copy, this incident shows the technical ability of Rahman who create a track in a hotel room!...

Vijay Prakash was nominated for the Stardust awards this year for his song, �Manmohini' from Yuvvraaj. Being a classical track, the song wasn't promoted well, he explains. Companies normally promote commercial numbers for the masses as it works for them but I read some interesting reviews over the net and the song did work for me as a musician....

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