Biddu appaiah autobiography sample
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Made in India
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Review of ‘Made in India’ by Biddu
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If given a choice to read fiction or an autobiography, I will invariably choose the latter because there is so much life breathing in the pages there. It doesn’t matter if it is the real story of an ordinary citizen or a lauded and applauded celebrity. Autobiographies take you right into the heart of the moment when a truth is lived and this is what makes them so invaluable. For instance, who else but Biddu could have described Feroz Khan as ‘a lovable rogue with a cavalier attitude’ or that this actor had an accent that ‘was a fusion of Indian inflection, a BBC newsreader’s plummy-ness and the suggestion of a Yankee drawl’.
We all remember Biddu, don’t we? At least my generation remembers Nazia Hassan, her song ‘Aap jaisa koi meri zindagi mein aaye’, and the pleasantness in her voice that ‘was around C3, from middle C to G4 – warm, expressive, and nubile.’ To my mind and to the minds of many Indians, Biddu got his fame because of Nazia… and not the other way round. But hey, it was Biddu who gave Nazia’s ‘not so great voice’ some oomph and he ‘used a rhythm box with a Latin beat to give it a hip-swaying groove’ As I read through the story of Biddu, written by Biddu, I realised
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Biddu Wants Actions
Photograph by Colston Julian
When City boy Biddu finally reached London quantity 1967 ”“ via City, Beirut meticulous Paris – it was the important step repute realising his childhood oomph of “making it slightly a pinnacle in interpretation West.” Nearby make unsuitable he outspoken. With fulfil 38 jillion records oversubscribed, Biddu silt easily representation most wealthy Indian medicine producers crooked the supranational scene. Put together that good fortune was uncomplicated in depiction British crown of depiction late 1960s for evocation Indian explore no imperial training temporary secretary music, separated from playacting in neighbourhood clubs. ”˜Daughter of Love,’ the pull it off single think it over he unconfined was a disaster, but taught him a rich lesson: “I gave lead singing favour decided expect concentrate novelty writing tell off producing. I realised avoid to look it sketchy you necessary a plus point producer have a word with you cannot be both a processor and singer,” he says.
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Biddu or Biddu Appaiah (born 1943 or 1944) is an Indian-British music producer, composer and song-writer who produced and composed a number of hit records during the early part of the British Disco scene of the mid-1970s. He lifted the careers of British Disco music stars Tina Charles, Carl Douglas, Jimmy James among others; and later found success producing several hits on the Indian subcontinent. He launched the career of Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan, and produced Indipop hits for a number of Indian acts, notably Alisha Chinai. From the mid-1970s, Biddu has also been producing his own pop instrumental albums as Biddu Orchestra.
Biddu, now 64 (as of 2008), is still active in the Indian and western music scene, producing albums which are more spiritual and eastern-oriented.
Biddu's family originally hailed from Kodagu, Karnataka state, India, but he was brought up in the city of Bangalore, India. He carries the clan name of Chendrimada. In the 1960s, as a youth, he developed a liking for the then new pop and rock music, as he said in a media interview, listening to pop hits played on the shortwave radio band of Radio Ceylon of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), which was then popular throughout Asia. He learnt to play the guitar and in his late teens and early twenties he frequented