Pecker is a key witness in the case against the former US president, who is accused of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payment
Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan has been roped in to sing a track in Atkan Chatkan. The song Daata Shakti De, written by Sivamani's wife Runa, is a soulful track where Bachchan's voice asks God to give strength to deal with tough times. Sivamani said, "I was wondering how to reach out to Bachchan ji, then a mutual friend, Dr Bhujang Pai, helped me and I sent him an email requesting him to sing the song. I was thrilled when he wrote back and said 'Please send the track'. He told me he liked it very much and would like to sing the track. When I asked his manager how much I would have to pay him, he said Bachchan ji would get very angry if I ever suggested anything like that. He told me the actor sang the song purely because he respected me as a musician."
Sivamani has been performing for four decades and relishes the experience of sharing the stage with some top artistes. "There are a few performances in my career that I treasure most. The first one was in 1990 in Rang Bhavan, Mumbai. I was playing alongside the legendary American drummer Billy Cobham, Ustad Alla Rakha, Ustad Zakir Husain and the renowned ghatam player TH Vikku Vinayakram. Sharing the stage with these legends was an unforgettable experience. The second one was on Robben Island when I was invited to play at the inauguration ceremony when the Robben Island prison where being converted into a museum by the late South African President Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years as an inmate there. I had requested his managers and security guards to allow me to meet him, but the permission was refused. After the concert we were all waiting outside where Mandela was supposed to board a helicopter. On the way, he was waving out to everybody, suddenly he started walking towards me. He came over and shook my hands saying, 'you played very well'. I introduced myself and told him I'm from India and he replied, 'I have learnt a lot from Gandhi.' I felt so proud at that moment. Another beautiful memory I want to recollect is from the NAMM festival in Los Angeles. I happened to be performing at the event, and I didn't now that Stevie Wonder was around. He heard me and told me that he wanted to jam with me. That was quite an experience. I also had an amazing moment at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi. We were playing for a concert where the late Indian President Abdul Kalam was present. Suddenly, in middle of the performance, Kalam got up, came on stage and started playing on my drum kit. He said he couldn't control himself sitting there and watching me play. 'I want to learn from you' he told me and I will never forget that moment in my life."
Pecker is a key witness in the case against the former US president, who is accused of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payment
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