He ain’t called Mr Lover Lover for nothing! Jamaican dancehall artist Orville Richard Burrell aka Shaggy says he’s filled with love as he prepares for his three-city India tour (in Mumbai, Pune and Goa) from October 21-23.
Why not Delhi, we ask? “I don’t know. That is a good question for a promoter. They’re doing these shows to test the waters. We’ll be back with a much bigger tour,” he says, giving Delhiites some hope.
Did you know the singer got the name Shaggy in kindergarten in Jamaica? Before we ask why, he tells us, “It was because I wore my hair like Shaggy Dog”. As a kid, too, he was equally fond of music. “I am not from a musical family. I came to the Unites States and realised I had a knack for coming up with rhymes, and lyrics.” Thank God, right? Or else we wouldn’t have gotten to hear his peppy tracks.
Coming back to his India tour, the 47-year-old says he’s really looking forward to it. “India is a great place. I’ve always wanted to come to just sightsee and enjoy,” says Shaggy, who wanted to visit the Taj Mahal, but his tight schedule doesn’t permit that.
The singer has been here earlier as well, but for a performance at a cricket match. “My first visit was in 1995 during the time of Boombastic. I’m sure a lot has changed… I have been to Mumbai before, but never to Pune and Goa. I am really excited to feel the energy of the people. There re so many different parts of India, and I have always wanted to come here,” he says, counting days for the tour to begin.
Gorging on Indian food, watching Bollywood films, learning a few words of Hindi and exploring the cities, the singer has a lot on his plate during his visit here, and since his birthday on October 22 coincides with his concert in India, he shares, “I am definitely going to have extra fun.”
In his performances, fans can expect to hear his classics, Oh Carolina, It Wasn’t Me, Angel, and also new numbers. “I know how enthusiastic the Indian crowd is, they are energetic and always upbeat and positive. I’m just going to roll out all the songs. I want to see how the crowd reacts and which songs people connect with. I’ll play a lot of songs to see what people know and what they don’t. I am going to do some research by asking Club and Radio DJ’s about the popular numbers here,” says Shaggy, who also plans to research about the best restaurants to relish Indian food.
“I love Indian food. Apart from performing at the concert, I want to experience the culture , and food being a major part of it. I have friends over here from years ago. My favourite (from Indian food) is garlic naan. The butter chicken is to die for, so is the chicken tikka masala,” says the singer, who also mentioned his interest in Bollywood during the chat.
SOURCE: www.hindustantimes.com
