Javed Ali

Guwahati, Feb. 14: You have pumped up the volume every time he celebrated Jashn-e-Bahaar, done an impromptu bhangra with his Nagada Nagada and gyrated with his Kajraa re at your best friend's wedding.

Now here's a chance to catch him - live.

In another 20 days, on March 4 to be precise, Javed Ali, the mellifluous voice behind these chartbusters will perform at the 15th International Guwahati Trade Fair at the Assam Engineering Institute Ground at Chandmari.

And if you thought he only had Hindi and Punjabi numbers in his resume, hold your breath. Ali has lent his voice to a peppy number in an Assamese album - Prithibir Rong - which will hit the music stores in the state tomorrow.

Ali's show will be sponsored by the Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (ITFAA), the organisers of the fair, which starts on February 29.

'I am eagerly looking forward to performing at the trade fair. I accepted the offer because the Industries and Trade Fair Association of India had played a big role in promoting talents like Debojit Saha and Amit Paul,' Mumbai-based Ali said.

This will be Ali's third visit to the city but the first after shooting to fame. 'I have found the Guwahati crowd very appreciative. I am really excited about the visit. I will also sing the Assamese number and get to taste Assam tea which I am very fond of,' he said.

If Ali is excited, so are the organisers of the trade fair, which has the distinction of bringing some of the finest emerging musical talent to Guwahati. Shaan, Vinod Rathod, Raageswari, Mika, Kamal Khan, Zubeen Garg, Debojit Saha and Rahul Vaidya have all performed at concerts sponsored by the Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam.

'He is an emerging star. His songs have been a huge hit and is a favourite of A.R. Rahman. He can strike a chord with the youngsters for whom the show is specially targeted. By March 4, all major matric papers will be over. Only the practicals will remain. At the concert, they can make up for missing out on the Valentine's Day fun. It will be a real treat, as his show will come close on the heels of the release of Jodhaa Akbar, since Jashn-e-Bahaare is already a big hit,' Rajesh Das, an official of the Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam.

Alaap Dudul, the Mumbai-based music director of the Assamese album, is all praise for Ali. 'The crowd will love him. He is a versatile singer and a good human being,' Dadul, who hails from Jorhat, said, adding that the album would be marketed from tomorrow. 'We had a ceremonial release on Tuesday,' he said.