*'Rahman is one of my favourites'* *http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1107895* ** *She's worked with Liam Howlett and AR Rahman, but for Shahin Badar, this is just the beginning *
She hooked us with her alaaps on alternative rock band Prodigy's 'Smack My Bitch Up' and became a favourite guest artiste on the band's subsequently projects. Her peculiar Arabic infused Indian style of vocals has attracted a number of top musicians to collaborate with her - Shahin Badar is an established name in the music industry today. Based in UK, this Indian singer-songwriter eased into spaces other Indian artistes haven't been able to. "I was brought up in Kuwait and lived in a multi-cultural society; so I was accustomed to listening to Arabic music. I've always liked the blend of contemporary sounds with Sufi, electronica, dance and big beat," says Shahin who is currently working on her new album. Though her big break, she confesses, came from her collaboration with Prodigy, her voice has been picked up for many Hollywood soundtracks. "Prodigy is out of this world - working with Liam Howlett (frontman) is just indescribable. He's a legend and we have a great bond. I was also invited by Liam to perform 'Smack My Bitch Up' live at the BBC Radio1. We worked on it together and he totally respected my ideas. The girls who had just come down to watch us kept screaming excitedly and kept trying to imitate my chant. I had a wonderful time," she recalls, adding that those chants were featured in award-winning Hollywood movies such as 'Closer' and 'Charlies Angels'. Shahin has also had a brush with Bollywood - her vocals were used in 'Zubeida' and 'Yuva'. "It was great to work with AR Rahman, one of my favourites. I'd love to work with him again. My favourite with Rahman was a track called 'Azizi' from the Hollywood film 'Thief of Baghdad'. The song is beautiful, but it's a shame that it never got released," she says. Quiz her about her future plans and she smiles saying, "married with a child." [EMAIL PROTECTED] Go to: dnaindia.com <http://www.dnaindia.com/>
