Pakistani ghazal singer Tina Sani, who considers India as her second home, says she would love to collaborate with Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman in future

"I have an endless list of Indian artistes whom I want to work with. But the one I would really like to collaborate with is AR Rahman because his style of singing is similar to mine. His emphasis is on melody and his style is minimalist.

"I am a big fan of him right from his 'Roja'. I don't know how many times I listen to his 'Khwaja Mere Khwaja' (Jodhaa Akbar) in a day. He just does things from his heart and that's why his works are unique every time," Tina told in an interview.

The singer, who bring the magic of Rumi, Ghalib and Faiz's poetry alive through her husky voice, recently performed in the Capital for 'Bazm', an event organised by ICCR and Laksh Consultants.

Tina, who began her musical journey in 1979, is happy to see younger generation taking an interest in ghazals and Urdu poetry.

"Over the years audience have evolved. Younger generation is taking a lot of interest to understand the various nuances of this music," she added.

Tina says when she started her career in singing three decades ago, Pakistan was waking up to the influences of rock and pop culture. Many people asked her to shift her style from sufi to rock and pop.

"For me, music has always been a way through which I connect with god. I took up singing as a career because I was inspired from Faiz and Rumi. But there were times, when my friends asked me to curb classical music and shift towards the pop music to have a lucrative career," said the singer, who loves to read philosophy and history in her spare time.

Talking about the music scenario in Pakistan, Tina said that the country has become a boiling pot for younger talents. "It has become extremely good for young people.

My 16-year-old son Nasir Siddiqui is a guitarist and he performs every fortnight in different parts of the country. Younger generation is tech savvy and they are exposed to world music. There is a lot of Moroccan and Brazilian music too," she said. Tina has avoided singing for films because she feels her classical renditions will not get due recognition in the showbiz.

"I have never sung for films because I have a heavy husky voice and none of the actress can match my level. Moreover, I never wanted to popularise my style by adding unnecessary masala to it and movies won't run without adding that. I want to keep the originality intact," she said.

Tina is currently working for her friend and writer Ameeta Parsuram's next album where she will be singing three ghazals and a poem written by Ameeta.