Like fashion, food habits or even the weather for that matter, music keeps changing, whichever part of the world you are in. It all depends on what people are ready to listen to at that particular time and that depends on the trend that is predominant then - drums and bass or trance or hip-hop. I believe, there's good music and there's bad music. Technically, there was a stage in the '80s when the music was terrible.

The industry was besieged by lyrics with double meanings and cheap dance sequences. We are still suffering the results of that phase. There was such bad music in Bollywood that people lost faith in Hindi film music. We are now trying to repair what can only be described as a smashed car. Now people have become more aware. There is easier access to international music. On radio and TV, suddenly your song will be played after Sting's. I am talking about talented musicians who want to make a difference, who want to maintain the melodic aspect of Indian music.

Which brings us to the singers. In today's age of experimental and young, open music minds, playback singing is much more accessible than it was in the yesteryears. Learned singers are going to prosper. Singers who are trained and can sing in 'sur'. When I mean learned, I don't mean experienced. There are many experienced singers who've made it big with one hit but sing like they're searching in the dark, not knowing what they're doing. They are the real strugglers, because they struggle in the studio, where it takes them hours to get in a line. We listen to every single demo that comes to us. We encourage new talent. Yes, the stakes are high. We have to fight to convince the producers and directors to trust us when we put forth a new voice. But now after 'Dil Chahta Hai' and 'Kal Ho Na Ho', we have credibility. I believe that a fresh voice adds freshness to the melody. You know, in 'Lakshya', the chorus in 'Mein aisa kyun hoon', is sung by our studio engineers and technicians. It's a mad song... and it demanded a note of madness. I say, listen to all kinds of sounds. Today's young playback singers should listen to music other than from Bollywood. They should learn to listen and adapt the best of all sounds. Every sound is music. Listening is today's guru.

Shankar Mahadevan

The New Divas On The International Scene

Folklore' was like coming home, says Nelly Furtado Claim to fame: Huge! Started with critically acclaimed album, 'Whoa Nelly' and came back with the immensely popular 'Folklore'.

I've always felt music to be my ally: Whenever I am writing my songs or getting into making music, I feel that I am extracting from my soul. I feel about music on a very spiritual level. It's a path to connecting with a higher power.

I grew up after 'Whoa Nelly': I finished my first album at a very young age and everything was happening so fast. It was my first record and it was such a huge success... it was an exciting time and I felt like my dreams were coming true but everything was suddenly different. My lifestyle was so much more hectic. And then I thought to myself, 'Well, this is my life' and I have to get used to the changes. Now there's so much more in my life... I've found love,

I have a daughter now. For a while I had run away from who I was. I was traditionally this simple, working class girl and I had travelled away to see the world. But I realised that that was the most special part of me... the part that I had left behind. So 'Folklore' is like returning to that place... I came home with 'Folklore'. Fame is hard, but you get used to it. It's a price one pays. When you start on this path of fame, there's no going back to that time of innocence. I was talking to my daughter's father the other day about how I would feel if she grew up to hate my music!

I usually draw from my life's experiences when I write my music: It's like meditating on your life and the world. There is a song in 'Folklore', which talks about immigration. It's a lot to do with my father's experience. See, this is what I always want to do. To be more honest with my lyrics. When I am on stage, I feel so terribly lucky to be able to be honest about my experiences so I can connect with my audience and be able to share all my emotions through my music. I've always felt different from the others. A bit of an outsider.

I've never been to India: But I have a lot of friends in Canada who have always encouraged me to listen to Indian music. I don't know why I feel this connection with India and its music; it reflects a lot of my kind of sound. I've heard lots of Indian stuff. There's the remix of 'I am like a bird' and now 'Josh' is featured in 'Folklore'. I would love to come to India.

I was so nervous about 'Forca': To be part of the Euro 2004 theme song for football. It is a Portuguese folk melody. In Portuguese, people use it as a kind of slang. It literally means 'strength to you' or 'keep going'. When I was there, my friends would say to me, 'Forca Nelly' when they said bye.

I am someone who lives in the moment and that's what 'Forca' is about. It celebrates the moment that so many people come together to cheer the game. There's so much positive energy in that song!

Dido

Debut : 'No Angel' with the record-breaking follow up album 'Life for Rent'.

Dido shot to fame when she appeared in rap king Eminem's 'Stan' with excerpts from her award-winning 'Thank you' playing in the background. Her lyrics set her apart - refreshing, simple and deep.

Like so: 'This land is mine, but I'll let you rule, Let you navigate and demand. So find your home and settle in, I'm ready to let you in, as long as you know this land is mine...' from 'This land is mine' from 'Life For Rent'.

Norah Jones

A sell-out debut : 'Come away with me', following it up with the popular 'Inspiration'. She may be Ravi Shankar's daughter to Indians, but Norah Jones is an international celebrity in her own right. When she said, 'Come away with me', she meant it - her music literally carries you away. In the age of the in-your-face attitude generation singers, she stands apart with her meaningful lyrics, her effortless style and her soft-spoken elegance. She's given 'cool' a new meaning.