The legendary Lata Mangeshkar was recently honoured with a Doctorate of Letters from the Goa University. Even at this age, the Nightingale of India has a passion for music hardly seen nowadays.

Speaking about the endless overnight ‘singers’ that have cropped up courtesy reality shows, she says, “There are very few people focusing on their work. They are more bothered about the way they dress. They want to be known by the way they dress.” She added, “The singers who are by products of such shows do not last forever.” Wonder what the TV channels have to say to that.

Kareena Kapoor is riding on the success of her hot, new look and is flaunting it as much as possible. Take a look at this music video from her single Bedhadak Badhe Nazdeekiyan where she is grooving and trying to have a field day. A hot and spicy video and a must see. Don’t miss it!

Back with a whole new look, Vivek Oberoi will soon appear in a music video directed by cousin Anand Oberoi. Interestingly, a new drink will be launched along with the video —an unexpected move by the usually endorsement-shy Oberoi. The ad for the drink will subsequently feature the same song.

Speaking about his new long-haired look, Vivek says, “It’s for my next film, Mission Istanbul, where I play a Turkish commando.” Vivek will star alongside Suniel Shetty, and much of the film has been shot on location in Istanbul. The actor doesn’t have many other projects in the pipeline. “When I was shooting Omkara,” he says, I decided I would only do one film at a time. Call it being selective or lazy! But I like to work on my scripts; I like to work on the characters, so I take my time and work leisurely on each film.”

Vivek seems to be a unique actor in other ways, too. While most actors don’t hesitate to jump onto the endorsement bandwagon, he selects his products carefully. “I have quite a few personal beliefs and principals, due to which I don’t endorse many products,” he says. Apparently, he has now signed a 3-year contract for the new cold drink. Catch Vivek behind the scenes of the music video, as he shows us his dancing moves and talks about his new ventures.

Two different stages are set for singer Mika Singh and item girl Rakhi Sawant to outdo each other.While Mika is participating in Sony TV’s celebrity dance show “Jhalak Dikhla Jaa”, Rakhi Sawant, with whom he shares a love-hate relationship, features with beau Abhishek Awasthi in a similar programme, “Nach Baliye”, on STAR Plus.

“I don’t have any competition with Rakhi and I wish her luck, my blessings are with her and she can continue getting media attention,” Mika told.

Rakhi had made headlines by accusing Mika of forcibly kissing her.

Mika, who is known for his nasal voice and recently churned out the musical chartbuster “Ae Ganpath”, also believes that composer-singer Himesh Reshammiya copies his singing style.

“I know Himesh copies my style of singing but I don’t mind as I know I sing so well that to gain fame and name he has to copy me,” Mika said.

He is looking forward to Deepak Shivdasani’s “Mr. White Mr. Black” in which he has sung for the first time with legendary signer Asha Bhosle and brother Daler Mehndi. The film starring Suniel Shetty and Arshad Warsi is releasing Oct 5.

“I am really excited as for the first time I am singing with Ashaji and Daler bhai for the film ‘Mr. White Mr. Black’ and I hope to get a positive response,” Mika expressed.

Though he would love to work in an album with his brother Daler and sister-in-law Pinky, he can’t do so as he is bound by a contract.

“Pinky bhabhi, Daler bhai and I have signed a contract with three different music companies and according to the contract we are not allowed to work together in an album. But if a film director wants, it can happen because we are allowed to sing together for films.”

The Punjabi boy is planning to launch his next album in December.

If Punjab’s music is today popular around the world with the Bhangra beats, it’s courtesy the British Asian Sikh musicians like Bally Sagoo who have drawn the world to India’s new-age music with an added flavour of their personal charm.Bally Sagoo, the man who won laurels as a Disc Jockey (DJ) in the club scene and broke into music by revamping old Bollywood hits and fusing with the hip-hop, today needs no introduction.

Born as Baljit Singh Sagoo in Delhi’s Ranjit Nagar, Bally Sagoo grew up in Birmingham, England, in a predominantly Black neighbourhood where he was influenced by disco, rap and Motown music.

Bally Sagoo says: ‘I started learning music at a very young age and grew up in Birmingham, England where I was influenced by disco and rap music. But, my parents were fond of Bollywood and traditional Indian songs, which I disliked.’

Indi pop singer Sagoo is known for taking the new-age Indian music to the heights not many may have imagined ten years ago. Today, he is known for being one of the original pioneers of what is popularly called ‘the modern Indian music’ besides triggering the explosion of modern Bhangra pop music.

He says: ‘I hit upon the idea to bring the two cultures together and make a remix of English and Indian music. It was a completely new idea, which has become a hit. Bollywood, the Indian film industry wants me to do work for them. So, everybody likes this wind of music.’

Punjabi songs are a big hit these days.

Sagoo says: ‘Wherever I go to perform, in clubs or parties, Bhangra is very popular. I have performed in almost all countries and Bhangra is performed everywhere. Be it Hindi or Punjabi, remix add to their popularity.’

This form of new age Indian music has helped in popularising Punjabi and Hindi languages around the world.

‘I don’t just remix Indian music, but all music, including Arabic. It is promotion of the Indian languages. People of different nations are getting known to both Punjabi and Hindi songs. These days, I am also including Qawwali, the songs of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, which the English are very fond of. I have a crossover audience - the young and old, the White and Black.’

The popularity of the new age music has also motivated may youngsters to take it up as a career.

Sagoo says: ‘Many people are looking out for careers in music. They want to be a DJ, a singer or even a musician. Of course, there’s scope and the living proof of that is me. Seeing my success people want to be disc jockeys or producers. I am not only a DJ but also compose and direct music.’

Bally, presently, runs a production company—Ishq Records– that manages several artistes like Bohemia and Gunjan. He has worked twice with the Pakistani pop singer Hadiqa Kiyani.

Internationally, his most famous work featured prominently in Gurinder Chadha’s film Bend It Like Beckham.

Bally has worked with Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan for a musical rendition of Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s poetry and produced Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s album Magic Touch.