From Bollywood with love

More than 20,000 Afghans waited patiently last year in the Kabul stadium, which had been used by the Taliban to perform executions a few short years earlier.

This time, the crowd gathered for a performance by Sonu Nigam, one of India's most popular singers.

"It was an experience beyond imagination," Nigam said of his 2005 performance in the capital of Afghanistan. He was one of the first major Indian entertainers to perform in Kabul since the rise and fall of the Taliban.

But the show was cut short after six songs when the stage collapsed.

"I was singing 'Saathiya' when it happened, and the most shocking thing is that I predicted this before the show," he said, noting that there were simply too many people on stage.

"The people were very nice," Nigam said. "They were so civil even after the stage collapsed and the show ended. They patiently and quietly left the venue."

Nigam is now on a headline tour in the United States. He'll be at Raleigh's RBC Center tonight.

The 33-year-old's wide-ranging vocal delivery has made him a superstar in the Hindi film industry, known as Bollywood. He has been a "playback" singer, who sings the songs that actors then mouth the words to. He also has acted in films, hosted TV and radio shows, and judged TV talent shows.

Commercial Hindi cinema consists of three-hour films replete with melodrama, elaborate dance numbers and songs. Most films depend on their musical numbers to succeed, and singers such as Nigam thrive on creating memorable songs.

Nigam rose to prominence singing classic songs of the legendary, late Bollywood singer Mohammed Rafi. Now, Nigam has so many hits of his own that his current U.S. and Canadian tour will consist mostly of originals and a short requests segment.

"It will totally depend on the mood of the evening," he said.

The stylish young singer attracts throngs of screaming young females -- most of whom were born in the United States but love their Bollywood films and Indian heritage.

Nigam has partnered with the U.S.-based entertainment company Bridgeline Entertainment for this tour, and he hopes to connect with his American fans on a higher plane.

"There are so many shows that come to America [from India] that people now want real music, real stuff, rather than just dance numbers set to soundtracks," Nigam said.

Like most Indian singers, Nigam records hundreds of songs each year for films. But he also releases original pop albums. He is planning to record his first semi-classical album, as well as his first English-language album, after he returns to India from the tour.

In 2004, Nigam and his family narrowly escaped death in Karachi, Pakistan, when the bus they were riding to a show was bombed. The show, intended as a peace concert, went on, with an undeterred Nigam performing to a huge crowd.

He doesn't blame anyone, saying the bombing was the result of a few people whom he labeled "miscreants." In Pakistan, Bollywood films are very popular even though they are banned. Actors and singers are household names via pirated copies of films and music.

"The people in Pakistan were very loving, and the show was a success," he said. "I received a standing ovation when I entered the stage."