10 BAHANE FOR A PARTY

Some folks have it, others don't - stage presence that is. Some can get on stage and get the audience jumping and jiving in minutes. Think A R Rahman (that was a surprise, but the man did it in Singapore), think Kailash Kher - the man packs punch for someone his size, think Shankar Mahadevan and Hariharan.

So when two of India's hottest voices got together to rock Singapore at a stage that has been brought alive by the likes of 'Queen' - the Australian version, there sure was reason to party.

It was KK teaming up with none other than the crooner of the moment - Sunidhi Chauhan.

Between the two of them, they have hits like 'Dhoom Machale', 'Aa bhi ja', 'Kaisi Paheli Zindagani', 'Sajna ve Sajna' - Sunidhi.
'Dus Bahane', 'Tu Aashiqui Hai', 'It's the time to Disco', 'Chodh aaye hum woh galiyan' - K K.

With a list like that, there was reason to have audience tearing their lungs, hair and clothes.

That's just what they did when KK took centre-stage. His band was good. Even when he hit the expected high notes, the music didn't drown the sound. And like 'Queen' did before him, he proved The Esplanade is not just a venue that appears to be seemingly perfect for the opera.

He had the audience on their feet, swaying to his beat, one Aunty even presenting her dupatta while jiving to the best of KK including the stunning number from Iqbal.

In a moment that evoked visions of Shah Rukh in his 'Kal Ho Na Ho' just chill, chill moments, KK even got an usher who was doing his best to keep the dancing feet off the stage to 'SMILE'. With his sizzling, high energy foot tapping numbers, he had set the stage on fire. All Sunidhi needed to do was maintain that tempo.

Being a child prodigy, all of 22 now, the expectations were expectedly high. Somehow, Sunidhi simply failed to capitalise and take the show to the next level.

Her song selection appeared a bit strange. After all that dancing, no one wants to be lulled back into their seats. Guess, it would have been alright, if one were to hear her voice only, but it kept getting lost in the medley of her band. She tried her best to get the audience on their toes, forgetting that's something that comes from within.

You give the rocking music, the dancing sure will follow. While I love Sunidhi's voice, particularly that soulful number in Fanaa, I feel she still has
some time to go, before taking to the stage solo.

KK, though is quite another story. Teaming him up with the other KK - Kailash Kher - now that would be something and you wouldn't even need 10 good reasons to party.