MOHAMMED Shaan’s voice was very popular on the airwaves of Hindi radio stations in the late 1980s and would pack a hall if he were performing.
Now the veteran singer resides in the US. Among the things which he has taken to that country is his passion for music. He believes the Fiji music industry can go a long way if the step is taken in the right direction.
Shaan released his first album in 1988 with two original compositions Satao Humme Gulbadan Dhire Dhire and Aaja Teri Mohabbat Badnaam Ho Raha Hai.
Satao Humme Gulbadan Dhire Dhire became very popular and was played daily on Radio Fiji.
Shaan is the only local Indian artist whose original composition, Satao Humme Gulbadan Dhire Dhire, was nominated in The Fiji Hit Parade with other Bollywood songs. It was in The Fiji Hit Parade for nine weeks and was voted number one for three weeks.
His original Girmit song is also very popular.
So far, Mohammed Shaan has released 18 albums.
“I have been singing from the early ’70s in various bands and also performing on classical instruments,” said Shaan.
“It was not hard to carry on with my passion for music in USA because a lot of people I knew were here and they helped me out. They organised a few shows for me and soon I found some good musicians and started a group here.
“I was born at the Methodist Mission Hospital in Ba.
“My biggest influence in music have been my parents, brothers and sisters, my wife and children.”
Shaan performed to full houses in the 1980s when local music and artists were popular.
He even made guest appearances at weddings where his original composition, Satao Humme Gulbadan Dhire Dhire, was also the most wanted song.
Recently, Shaan performed at a three-hour show at the Mehraan Restaurant in California where the audience were captivated by what this man from Fiji could do.
The Ba man sang with his heart and the Hindi music loving audience watched and listened in awe.
“I received a plaque from Haji Aiyub Ali president of the Fiji Muslim Sports Association USA for the wonderful performance at a musical night at Mehraan Restaurant last month,” Mr Shaan said.
“The program organised by FMSA USA was a great success. The audience enjoyed the mixture of qawalis, old and new movie songs, ghazals, duets and Punjabi songs. The audience kept on clapping and cheering during the three-hour program.
“I was accompanied by famous female Bollywood singer Meera Ramakrishnan, well-known tabla and naal player Dalip Kumar, table player Alvin Kumar and Divya Kumar on tambourine.”
Shaan said he was very proud to represent Fiji in the musical shows he did in the US.
Shaan said he wanted pay tribute to Shri Chand Rai, one of the greatest musicians he knew who passed away on January 15 in Fiji.
“Shri Chand Rai was from Drasa Lautoka and was a multitalented artiste. He had been together with me in a musical group for 16 years from 1987 to 2002 before I migrated to the US,” Shaan said.
“The other two members of the group were Anubha Chanda and Vijay Singh. He did a lot of stage shows together with me and the group in Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
“He also did multitrack recordings with me in most of my albums. He is a big loss to the local music scene because there is no substitute for experience.”
Shaan said he was really sad to lose a great musician and a wonderful human being.
As for the man himself, Shaan said as long as he kept on breathing he would keep on singing.