Wah Taj! Play it again Sami

Taking time off from a monumental concert in Agra to commemorate 350 years of the Taj Mahal, Adnan Sami tells us about the man behind the music...
Adnan Sami is unconventional. "I studied law, secured a bachelor's degree in journalism, and ended up being a signer!" As a kid, Adnan was naughty.
"Or else why would I have three professions lined up: singer ��� to be famous; lawyer ��� to sue those who wouldn't help me become a singer; and journalist ��� to write against those who wouldn't give me my first break! The song Lift Kare De reflects me.I used to think 'why him and not me?' when I saw people stepping out of swanky cars. I really needed that lift and, thankfully, I've got it!"
On stage, Adnan is a bagful of energy. "Now you know why I eat so much!" He's nervous too. "I keep thanking God for all that adrenalin."On stage, he's not a singer but a musician. "I don't like detaching myself from my guitarist or drummer since I'm primarily a pianist. On stage, I'm a combo of jugalbandi and pangebaazi."
Adnan wants to give critics who say all his songs sound the same a pat on the back. "What more can I ask for than a signature style as long as the signature is mine? Don't people listen to a song and say it sounds like the Beatles? I'm glad people have given my music a personality."
Adnan's muse is his pain. "When I compose a song, I think of a past experience and the pain it gave me... the rest follows. Rumour has it that my muse is a woman. It could be a person but it could also be an event."
He's just performed at the closing ceremony commemorating 350 years of the Taj. "All I'll say is that I'm honoured... I will carry the aura of the Taj with me forever.
Though this wasn't my best performance it surely was a memorable one, atleast for the setting." Adnan's regret ��� he couldn't fulfil his dream of touching the Taj because his health doesn't permit him to walk long distances.
The Taj "could"well be the theme of Adnan's next album. "While rehearsing at the Taj, I hummed something my musicians couldn't understand! As for the leading lady, that will come after I decide on what I want in the video."