Tata Young & Gregg
'I handled Tata Young with caution' Sandeep Chowta talks to BT about his experience of recording with the pop star. She’s the Top of the Eurasian Pops, and she's come down to India to record a song with distinctive desi flavours. And the man she's been seeing — albeit only in the studios — is music director Sandeep Chowta. He's just finished the recording, and she's flown back to Thailand — fortunately before the rains hit Mumbai. Chowta's not been as lucky. Stuck in knee deep water en route to his studio, he gets to a dry spot for a conversation with BT. It was no ad hoc process by which he was chosen to be part of Tata's international album, he says. \"I was asked to send my demos, but had no idea I was part of such a big race. She picked one of my tunes,” he says. It took him a while to realise he was the only Asian producer in the all-star line up which included Adam Anders, producer for the Backstreet Boys, 'N' Sync and Enrique, and Gregg Alexander, producer of Santana's Game of Love. The track's in English, but they wanted some Hindi nuances. \"I've redone my track to enhance the Indian flavour,” he says. As for Tata herself, \"She's a thorough professional. She was here to do a job, and that's what she did,” he says admiringly. \"She's just like her image — with a sexy voice — just perfect for the song. In Thailand she's bigger than any film star.\" He handled her with the caution a star demands, he adds. \"I was wary of pointing out mistakes, but she was a pro, 'No problem, I'll sing till I drop dead,' she said, 'You take what you want.' She gave me respect as the producer. We re-did some parts till we nailed it.\" Any nakhras, tantrums or shopping demands? \"Not at all! She just wanted to do one thing — visit the Siddhi Vinayak temple, which she did.\" So how about her comments about the casting couch being okay? He laughs, \"She's a star and she doesn't care. Rockstars and musicians aren't expected to be the nicest people in the world in terms of attitude. There's no denying she's the biggest thing out of Asia now. And that's why I'm getting calls from New York today.\" All this will help in the long run, he says, helping take Indian talent international. \"Tomorrow when they're looking for someone to collaborate with, my name will pop up. The West is so blown by Indian voices like Sonu Kakkar's. This pop foray of mine can end up being a big deal for Indian music.\"8ninja