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Reggie Benjamin
(Photo, as it appears on www.reggiebenjamin.com) |
Chicago (IANS): Pop singer Reggie Benjamin, the first Indian American
to win a Hollywood deal, is all set to perform at the Grammy Awards next
month.
Benjamin, who has also filmed a music video in Hugh
Heffner's fabulous Playboy Mansion, said his success was a lucky
coincidence, coming as it did with an increasing American interest in
Bollywood.
"Suddenly, it is cool to be Indian," Benjamin, who
hails from Andhra Pradesh, told Indo-Asian News Service.
To become a Hollywood pop singer was an unusual
career choice for Benjamin who was studying to be a chemical engineer.
His persistence paid off when he was signed on by music industry mogul
Kerry Gordy.
But the path to success has been long and arduous. In
the initial years, no one wanted to even listen to him, said Benjamin.
"After Sept. 11, Hollywood stereotyped Indian
Americans in the category 'Middle Eastern.' It was very hard," said the
singer who has knocked on Hollywood doors since 1998.
"Earlier they did not even give a chance. Finally, I
tried to trick them - I stopped sending my pictures along with my
portfolios. It worked because my name does not give a clue to my Indian
ancestry," he said.
Benjamin, the son of immigrants from Andhra Pradesh,
studied music, business and chemical engineering. But his talent for
show business set him on a trajectory to become a pop star.
Benjamin's choice of vocation could not have been
more unconventional. His father was a Christian pastor who was
especially fond of Elvis Presley's gospel songs, to which Benjamin
attributes his interest in music.
"My parents always listened to Elvis' gospel music
and watched his movies," recalled Benjamin. He began doing Elvis
impersonations when he was eight. "I was performing live for relatives
and friends for money."
On a visit to Washington, he got all his cousins
together and charged them a dollar admission fee. It was his first paid
performance.
Benjamin quickly graduated to performing at music
concerts and at major Hollywood events. Now, he is all set to perform at
the Grammy Awards red carpet event on Feb. 8.
Over the years, Benjamin has won several distinctions
in pop music. He was the first Indian to make it to the Billboard charts
and has had 10 hits in a row in more than 25 countries.
But perhaps Benjamin's most spectacular coup was the
shooting of his video 'Hurry Up' at Hugh Heffner's Playboy Mansion.
Benjamin was looking for something controversial for his new video and
thought shooting at the Mansion would be sensational enough.
"I rang up Heffner's office every day for four months
to seek permission to shoot. When they denied me permission to shoot
inside the mansion, I asked if I could shoot outside the gates or on the
driveway. The answer was a firm no.
"Finally, one day when I called, I heard Heffner's
assistant telling him, 'It is that kid again' and Heffner's reply in the
background, 'Let the kid shoot his video inside the mansion.'
Unexpectedly, he also allowed me to use five Playmates in the video."
On the shoot, Benjamin said: "It was quite an
experience. Playboy Mansion is beautiful. One has this preconception of
a house filled with girls. But when I went there for the first time
there were no girls but monkeys, flamingos and parrots in the backyard,
and a huge swimming pool."
Benjamin subsequently took his parents to meet
Heffner.
"He was very nice," said Benjamin. "Although on the
trip home, my mother kept asking me 'What exactly is Playboy'?"
The success of 'Hurry up' paved the way for his
second single, 'Ride,' which was quickly ranked number four in the
Billboard Breakout Dance Charts.
Another of his albums, 'Chandamama,' turned out to be
hugely popular with the younger generation. "It is an album anyone from
eight to eighty can relate to," he said.
In Bollywood, Benjamin likes the late playback singer
Kishore Kumar.
"But Hariharan is my favorite," he said.
He said he was negotiating with Bollywood superstar
Amitabh Bachchan to feature the actor in one of his music videos.
How did his parents react to his choice of career?
"Initially, they were skeptical and very worried.
Like all Indian American parents, they wanted me to become a doctor,
engineer or a lawyer. But they saw me on television with the likes of
Stevie Wonder - that is a sure sign that you have made it. And then
money started coming in. That makes all the difference."
