One of India's most versatile singers and pop musicians, Remo Fernandes is not at all excited about the current pop scene in India.

In a market that is dominated by remixes and fast rhythmic beats, Remo rues that no singer is breaking new ground.

"There was a time on the Indian pop scene when I came out with ‘Oh Meri Munni,' there was ‘Dooba Dooba' by Silk Route and of course there was Indian Ocean, Lucky Ali and the Colonial Cousins, but frankly I miss the kind of music and charm that was generated then", says Remo, but he is also quick to add that he is not belittling the current singers entirely, "it is just that the current scene doesn't excite me", adds Remo.

His latest Indi single, ‘Love on sms' whose video is all set to hit the music channel screens may just pep up the Indi pop scene. Remo is keeping his fingers crossed.

It was way back in 1984 that Remo brought forth English pop as one of the genres on the Indian music scene at a time when there was hardly anybody releasing English albums, and the fans who were following the western pop were compelled to notice this unique musician from Goa belting out hit after hit.

Ask him about drawing inspiration from the Hindi film music and he says that he came in touch with it when he came to Bombay to study architecture at the J. J. School. He was not very impressed by the music that was being dished out then. According to him, most of the music was lifted from the western hits and they were done very badly.

"When I was growing up in Goa, there was hardly any Hindi music. It was so cut off from the rest of the country and hence I was more influenced by the Goan and western music" says Remo.

When asked to name his favourite Hindi music director, he is rather categorical, "none" he says. But this has not stopped him from belting out some of the most hummable Hindi film tracks including "Yeh Hai Jalwa", "Humma Humma" "Huya Ho" and "Pyar Tho Hona Hi Tha."

Remo is fond of saying that he likes to do things at his own will and pace and he has proved this time and again. Remo himself recorded and released his first album ‘Goan Crazy' after he failed to convince the music companies that English pop by an Indian could work in India. He resisted himself from making foray into Hindi film music despite the success of ‘Jalwa' in 1986 as he felt that providing music at that time would have compromised his artistic values. He lent his voice only when he felt that he would make a qualitative difference.

Remo was in news some time back when he opposed the Indian International Film Festival in Goa saying that Goa had to first make full progress in fields of education and health instead of spending money on extravagant events. "I take up an issue that affects me. I don't look for an issue, I felt deeply about Goa and hence I opposed the IFFA festival," says the pop icon. This is typical of Remo who has cut albums on issues that have affected him.

In 1992, when India was going through a communal crisis in the aftermath of the Ayodhya incident, the activist in Remo forced him to stand up and give his opinion and the result was an album ‘politicians don't know to rock 'N' roll.' Remo has cut albums on issues like drugs and AIDS also.

Remo has dabbled with various instruments (flute, guitar, synthesizer), languages (English, Hindi, French, Portuguese, and Konkani) and mediums to bring forth his musical creations. He is also a bit of a pioneer when it comes to breaking into new technologies. He became the first Indian to release a single 'Cyber viber' on the Internet some time back, and now he has become the first Indian singer to launch his new video "Love on sms" on a mobile phone.

This extremely amiable pop star is a little cross with the media for not recognising his other forms of music when he is not doing pop or film music.

"I have released an album ‘Symphonic chants experience' containing the gayatri mantra and jai jagadish hare, which was a wonderful and spiritual experience for me, you people probably are not even aware of that," he says.

It's a different matter that the album was floored by the music critics!

Remo's group, ‘Microwave Poppadums' witnessed a tragedy a few years back when three of its members perished in an accident in Kanpur, but Remo has been able to revive the group.

"It is very much alive and it is just that we have not come out with an album in the last four years, but we will do it soon, " signs off the star icon.