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No one is really certain what accounts for Raja's meteoric rise to fame. There is no doubt, however, that he has a mass appeal that most singers in the pop arena would kill for. His brand of singing is fresh, he has a trained voice, his music is hummable and his lyrics simple. Yet he looks odd among the conventional pop stars.
Raja is the most stunning surprise the country and its currently sluggish music industry has had in recent times. His album Tum To Thehre Pardesi is reported to have sold over four million copies. This, according to the music trade, makes it the biggest non-film grosser by any artist.
Born to little known qawwals Rani Roop Lata and Ibrahim Iqbal, Raja accompanied his parents for shows all over the country. His parents were acutely conscious of the need for a sound education. By the time he was 20, Raja was singing Muslim devotional songs in true Sufi tradition at public functions. In 1996, Raja recorded his first commercial album. Venus released it as Panga Le Liya. But it was Tum To Thehre Pardesi that made waves. But Raja was surprisingly modest about the success of the album. "It is the melody. If you sing from your heart, it in itself is ibadat (sincere prayers)."
In the wake of the success of the album, Venus spun out two more discs - a devotional one called Maiyya Meri Jholi Bhar De released during Navratri, and another on Sai Baba.
Raja's latest album is Dil Ke Tukde Hazaar Hue, which showcases his varies influences, and had a good run on the charts. This album is proof of the fact that Raja's popularity remains intact.
Bollywood came knocking on his doors pretty soon. It is said that Aamir Khan wanted Tum To Thehre Pardesi for his film Sarfarosh. In Shapath, Raja not only got to sing, but also starred with Jackie Shroff and Mithun Chakraborty.
What is Raja’s philosophy in life? He believes, "I have just begun. Success and failure are divided by a thin line drawn by God. I think I have been lucky in my struggle. I don't think I am a great singer. I still have a lot to learn."
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