Jashn-E-Bahaaraa, Tum Tak, Kun Faya Kun, Srivalli, and Saudebazi have all carried Javed Ali’s distinctive voice to listeners across languages and generations. From romantic melodies to classical compositions and energetic numbers, the playback singer has built a career on versatility. As he returns to Hyderabad for his concert at Quake Arena, Gachibowli on August 22, Javed Ali reflects on his connection with Hyderabad, his creative process, and the musical choices that continue to shape his journey.
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 very delicious.”
For the concert, Javed plans to bring together several shades of his musical repertoire. Giving a glimpse into the evening, he says, “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 also be performing songs that I’ve never performed for the Hyderabad audience.”
Since March, the singer has been travelling across 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.”
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 says, “I performed a sold-out three-and-a-half-hour concert and sang ‘Vande Mataram’ there for the first time. It was a very proud moment for me. Our concert mostly has more music, and people don’t know that our songs are connected to each other. I’m not talking about medley, but the bridge that connects one song to another is not very long. People feel that the music is never-ending. In the last show, people were not ready to leave the venue. People expected more. This was a very 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 about their experience and memories they made.”
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 important thing about 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, which pushed him beyond familiar territory. Looking back at that experience, he admits, “O Ri O Sanwariya was a little challenging for me because I have never sung such a hard, full classical song with taan, musical notation, palta (alankar), and singing. When I heard that song, I said, ‘how will I do this?’ But by the grace of God, I did it so well that people appreciated it. I sang that song on purpose because difficult 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 people should make me sing different songs that are unexpected, like Aashiqon Ki Colony from O’Romeo. I want to sing songs that are up-tempo, melodious, and different, like Srivalli from Pushpa: The Rise, because my expressions were different, I had to modulate my voice, and I want those songs now,” the singer concludes.
Rapid Fire with Javed Ali:
One song you can never get tired of singing?
Kun Faya Kun
Singers you would love to collaborate with again?
Atif Aslam, Arijit Singh, and Shreya Ghoshal
Studio recording or live concert?
Definitely a live concert, because studio recording is different. You can do multiple takes until you get the best, but on stage, you have to sing in one take
One city where you love performing the most?
Pune
If you could keep only one song from your entire career, which one would it be?
Jashn-E-Bahaaraa
