by Anita Chatterjee, Editor-in-Chief

Sonu Niigaam's concert tour made a stop at the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago this past weekend and I was one of the lucky people in the front row for this sold out show.  I wanted to give our readers an inside look at Sonu's 2009 US tour. It was Sonu's birthday the night before and everyone was celebrating.

Sonu Niigaam has put together an impressive line up on this tour. He's an icon and he decided to share his stage with some young, edgy talent.  Sunidhi Chauhan performed before Sonu's first set.  She wore red and gold in her Indo-western style and got everyone into the show.

Sonu then came on for his first of two sets of the night. He looked stylish in jeans, a silver tie and a black jacket.  The crowd roared and he went into his classic Bollywood hits.  He sang Soniyo, from "Raaz," followed by "Aaja Soniye" from the film, "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi".

Hard Kaur followed wearing a green hoodie over her gold sleeveless top. She pleased everyone in the audience when she sang, "Ek Glassy."  Well, almost everyone.  At one point she yelled from the stage, "Hey Uncle, you're sleeping!" at a man in the crowd.  I guess it's hard to please everyone.

Sonu Niigaam with Anita Chatterjee

Hard Kaur is touring with her partner from "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa ," Savio. He  is on stage with her as one of her backup dancers.  Next was Gunjan who sang the Pussycat Dolls version of "Jai Ho." Sonu then followed with his second set.

Sonu is an international icon and you feel it in his performance.  He started his second set with a tribute to Michael Jackson.  He sang Billie Jean and moon walked across the stage while the crowd begged for more.  Sonu was reflective of the iconic images before him tonight.  Along with Michael Jackson, he mentioned Mohammed Rafi, a Bollywood playback singer who died 29 years ago this same weekend.  Sonu then sang his classics including Dekha Yeh.

The night ended with Sonu introducing all the artists while they shared the stage.  It was riveting to see this young, exciting show with so much life and energy all in one place.

After the concert, I paid a visit to Sonu backstage.  Fans swarmed him asking for pictures, wishing him a happy birthday and just wanting to appreciate and be near him. He was humble, taking pictures and truly appreciating all the love and support. 

Bollywood tends to love actors and it's good to see Sonu receive this attention as a musician.  Sonu Niigaam has created an original, stylish show with some edge.  This tour is history being made --- if you are lucky enough to go see the show or have ever seen Sonu live, share your experience with the music icon below.