Thursday, June 21, 2007

Amey Date is remembered as the boy who shook up the judges.


Amey Date has a musical lineage of his own as his grandfather was part of R.D. Burmans orchestra, his sister a trained classical singer. He himself was trained under the tutelage of Suresh Wadkar. He teaches students in his academy and sings on stage with his guru.

All hell broke loose when Amey Date was voted out of Indian Idol 2. Judges Sonu Nigam, Anu Malik and Farah Khan walked out of the sets, saying they did not have faith in a system that voted out the best singers. A nasty argument broke out between the judges and supporters of Anuj Sharma, who survived the vote-out.
Only one man remained calm in spite of the storm he had raised: Amey, himself. The Mumbai lad refused to take up the judges` offer of a second chance. He walked out into the sunset, saying he believed in playing according to the rules of the game.

A year later, Amey tells that he has no regrets.

Have you watched Indian Idol 3 yet?

I`ve watched only one episode so far. But I`m looking forward to the galas, because that is where you see true talent emerge.

Your comments on the new judges?

I think we have a fantastic combination of judges this year. A lyricist, a music director, a male singer and a female singer. That`s pretty much the whole package. I was very happy to see Javedji on the panel of judges. I respect him a lot. And as a senior lyricist, he would best know what a playback singer should be made of. Alishaji is very sweet, and Anuji, of course, has always been there. I like Uditji because he is never rude, and am sure that would raise the confidence of the contestants.

How has Indian Idol changed your life?

I got fame and recognition, thanks to this show. I`ve been doing a lot of shows the past year. I`ve sung all over India and abroad -- from Nagpur to Nigeria to Ghana to Dubai. People recognise me now, and the show gave a boost to my career. Even within the industry, there are more people willing to sign me on. It made my struggle a little easier.

When do we get to buy an Amey Date album?

You might hear an announcement soon! I don`t want to talk about it now because it`s still in the planning stage. I don`t want to do anything in a hurry. But I can promise you I will make no compromises. It will be a melodious and musical album.

What do you feel when you look back at the day you were voted out?

The judges walked out, the public reacted so strongly...I was prepared to leave any time. In any public voting show, you have to be mentally prepared for the worst every week. I remember being shocked for a fraction of a second after Mini announced that I was out. But after that, I was okay with it. When the judges walked out, when the media supported me, I can`t deny I was happy with the fame that came with it. I thought that though I didn`t win the title, I didn`t lose, either.

Do you regret not taking up the judges` offer to seek a comeback for you?

Not at all. I believe in playing according to the rules of any game. And being voted out did give me a lot of recognition.

Anu Malik offered you a chance to sing..

No, that didn`t happen. And I doubt it will. There are too many singers around, and I don`t believe in being dependent on anyone. If I`ve to struggle a little more for success, so be it.

No playback offers so far?

Not in Hindi. But I`ve been singing jingles, and for a lot of regional albums -- Marathi, Punjabi, Marwadi, etc.

Your favourite memory of your Indian Idol days?

Lots of them... But I remember once when we were returning to our flat from the sets. Another contestant, Yashashree, sat in front of me in the van. There was this boy working on the sets who wanted to get dropped home. He sat next to Yashashree and got off the vehicle when we reached his home. I guess Yashashree had been in her own world all the while. She suddenly woke up and wanted to know what happened to the boy who had sat next to her. I told her there had been no one there. It was all her imagination.... that she could have seen a bhoot. She got so hassled she started crying, getting nervous... and I had to tell her the truth.

1 comment:

sonia said...

hey amey we all r waitng for ur album n ur play back songs please do tell me when u will going to realease ur album we all r waiting for it n did u sing any song in hindi movie aur upcoming movie.....