DESI SPOTTING: Udi Sampat on "American Idol"
That's Udgeet "Udi" Sampat, a financial analyst in Horsham, PA, in the photo above. He was a contestant on the season premiere of "American Idol" earlier tonight on Fox. He sang Frank Sinatra's "My Way," without much success and was promptly eliminated (he'd told the judges some people had told him he sounds like Sinatra and Barry Manilow).
The departure of Sampat - who seemed to be a combination of Sanjaya Malakar and Kashif Memon, last year's talent show stars - means no South Asian has made it to the next round (so far). More photos below.
I watched the show with my 4.5-year-old twins, who kept asking, "where is Sanjaya?" - after being smitten by him last year.
Post your comments below.
Earlier on SAJAforum:
- Coverage of Sanjaya Malakar on "American Idol"
- Coverage of Kashif Memon on "America's Got Talent"
I am sure my friend UDI, a tour guide in tel aviv, who speaks hebrew and pidgin english, would render Frank Sinatra's I DID IT MY WAY far more easily than the wannabe IDOL, UDI, the Sampat, whose Travolta dance steps and a quasi Johny Cash attire fell way short of an entertainer's personality, which must of necessity come with a singing voice that has a range of at least one full octave. He was off-key and even screwed up the melody of this easy 'ol blue eyes, swoonatra song.
Sanjaya Malaka's IDOL was great by comparison. even a pungent simon cowell at one time conceded to him "you almost sang that well" referring to Sanjaya's 'cover' of italian singer andrea boccelli's spanish song, besame mucho. Poor Sanjaya is an accomplished singer who was up against some other great IDOL singers.
moral: if UDI sampat ever gets married he should try to forget the fact that he is a singer. Poor wife...the captive audience.
Posted by: exsqueeze me | January 16, 2008 at 09:53 AM
Where Udi Sampat (Gujarati I take it) failed, perhaps Udi Sampath (Tamil) with probable knowledge of Carnatic music could triumph. Not to stir up any regional rivalry... just saying........
Posted by: Srinivasa Raghavan | January 16, 2008 at 12:44 PM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uUzwJVTlxLo
for the youtube video.. i saw it last night and could not stop laughing.. is the guy for REAL?
Posted by: chick pea | January 16, 2008 at 02:12 PM
Answer - sanjaya is in a place singing for people who have no ears.
Posted by: R | January 16, 2008 at 10:50 PM
Is this some kind of a stunt for media attention, because clearly he does not know anything about music...
Maybe not! Maybe its just the nature of reality tv which brings out the many colors of the human mind...
Posted by: Jyoti | January 17, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Is this some kind of a stunt for media attention, because clearly he does not know anything about music...
Maybe not! Maybe its just the nature of reality tv which brings out the many colors of the human mind...
Posted by: Jyoti | January 17, 2008 at 10:35 AM
To whomever made the comment about udi being married...he is married to a lovely woman and he is a great husband.
Posted by: ojas | January 18, 2008 at 07:07 PM