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Interviews |  31 Oct 2012 13:21 |  By swapanjari

I am dying to see Rahman's episode on MTV Unplugged: Enrique Iglesias

Enrique who was the talk of town for his three-city India tour, succeeded in sweeping his fans of their feet by delivering his best performances. The ‘Micromax Enrique Iglesias Tour’ organized by ‘Only much Louder’ (OML) also featured Enrique's band comprising of Alex Feder and Emmett O'Malley (guitars), Joe Ayoub (bass), Gilmar Gomes (percussion), Van Seeley (drums), Laura Jones (vocals), Richard Maheux (keyboards) and Braden Wiggins (DJ) on the console.

Rocking the international music scene since 1999, the Grammy-award-winner has sold over 100 million records worldwide (over 70 million albums), making him one of the best selling Spanish language artists of all time. Enrique has registered five Billboard Hot 100 top five singles, including two number-ones, and holds the record for producing 22 number-one Spanish-language singles on the Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks. The Latin superstar has amassed 69 number-one rankings on various Billboard charts.

In a quick t?te-?-t?te with RadioandMusic.com’s Swagata Panjari, Enrique reveals his plans stored for his forthcoming album and divulges the secret of his longevity success and experience in India. The singer also shares his fascination towards Indian sounds and the artistes he wishes to collaborate with.

Excerpts:

You’ve come a long way since your first album. What kept you going?

Music is my passion and all I knew was that I had to find a way where I could sing everyday and somehow make a living of it.

This is your second tour to India. How has your experience been?

I've been looking forward to this trip for years. I was very excited to come to India.  Been trying to come back for a while, and was just waiting for the right opportunity. Besides the show, I was looking forward to the fans that are so amazing and enthusiastic, and also the great Indian food.

Many musicians from the west are fascinated by the Indian sounds. Have you heard much of Indian music? Is there any particular Indian artiste you would like to collaborate with?

I have heard many, and seen many Bollywood videos, and am a fan for sure.  I'm not too familiar with Indian classical music, but would love to learn more. And yes, I'm always willing to try new collaborations. I’ve watched AR Rahman (on TV), and I know he’s doing an MTV Unplugged that’s coming up, because I’ve watched it on TV and I’m dying to see it. It’s just his voice, there’s so much power in his voice. He’s one of my favourite Indian artists.

Are you looking forward for any other Indian artistes’ collaboration for your next album?

I'm open to work with many artistes. Any suggestions from you or the fans

Tell us about your upcoming album.

Right now I have a bunch of songs in the making, 50 per cent of which are in Spanish. Not sure if they will all be released on same album as Euphoria, but I'd like it to be. It was a lot of fun promoting to both English and Spanish speaking world at once...it was kind of like promoting two albums at once!

Can you tell us a little bit about the success of your last album, Euphoria?

Euphoria was an amazing run for me. The world tour was "epic" in a sense from my end and I hope my fans enjoyed the shows as much as I did. I was also fortunate enough to collaborate with some amazing artists such as Pitbull, Juan Luis Guerra, Wisin and Yandel, Nicole Scherzinger, Lil Wayne, Lionel Ritchie, and others. It was a truly incredible experience.

For somebody who has sold over 100 million records, had a cult status in terms of fan following, what is the secret of your longevity?

I think the secret is just staying passionate about what you do. I love singing. I love touring. And I love writing new music. So there is no need for me to take long breaks like some artists do, because it's what I love. I think this helps.

Would you consider acting in a Bollywood film?

Bollywood is absolutely the place to be! I would be honoured to do a male cameo in a Bollywood film.

Games