During her fecund phase in those glorious days in the 1980s Alisha Chinai sang some terrific chartbusters: Kate nahin kart-te in Mr India and Kajra re in Bunty Aur Babli being in the forefront. But there was much more to Alisha’s playback singing career. Zooby zooby (Dance Dance), Raat bhar jaam se jaam(Tridev), Sexy sexy mujhe log bolen(Khuddar, changed by the prudes to Baby Baby….), Ruk ruk ruk(Vijaypath), Tinka tinka(Karam), Aaj ki raat(Don), Bebo(Kambakht Ishq), Ticket To Hollywood(Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom).
Then at her peak, Alisha quit. She didn’t like the idea of ghost-voicing. “My voice another face, not fair.”
Alisha does her own thing now. “I have been there done that and I’m semi-retired and blissfully happy .To the new singers my advice…. you don’t need record companies any more!!! Start your own YouTube channel showcase your work and get your shows on your own merit!Priyanka Chopra is India’s global icon .The music scene in India is suffering badly. They don’t recognise real artistes!!I record my songs mostly in English and put them on Youtube since that’s the best place to expose your talents without fear of intrusion. There is no money in the music industry and playback singing is more or less dead.”
Alisha feels playback singing has no future. “Artists are uninspired and unmotivated in India there is no honest collection-bureau for singers royalties.Singers and music producers are all wary as there’s so much corruption in the music business. It’s almost like a music mafia here!!! Singers don’t get their dues at all and most of the new singers work for free nowadays!! I stopped singing for Bollywood long ago!! Detached myself !Good artists just languishing here!! There is no money period!! Best for Recording Artists now to put up a website on YouTube channel of their own and showcase themselves .And you can survive on reality shows that’s where the moolah is!!”
Alisha laments the lack of real non-film music in India. “There are no credible composer producers for the pop dance genre either.They can only give us cheesy Bollywood sound nothing International so whom do I sing for??!! My Made in India became a global hit because of my Collaboration with Biddu!!!! No one here who understands POP!!”
