18 minute read
Music Room: Salim – Sulaiman
Salim and Sulaiman Merchant with their magical compositions and amazing versatility are undoubtedly the undisputed musical maestros of Bollywood. A force to be reckoned with in the music industry, they also believe in championing new talent and have collaborated with numerous emerging and established artists. From love ballads and pop rock to motivational and devotional tracks - their discography is brilliantly versatile. This year 2021 has been no different despite the lockdown. Read on as Salim and Sulaiman Merchant talk about their newest launch Bhoomi 2021, their music, politics in the music industry and more.
Advertisement
You had a grand launch with Bhoomi 2020 and now you have Bhoomi 2021 on a mega scale too. Please tell us about this project.
Bhoomi 2021 is a continuation of the movement of “Bhoomi” that Salim-Sulaiman started twenty years ago and last year, we did Bhoomi 2020 very successfully. This time, we have had the vision to not just keep the languages of North India but also go South. We’ve gone East and West as well.
Bhoomi 2021, as the name suggests, is about the musical influences in terms of styles, melodies, and lyrics across our own “Bhoomi”. So, working with different musicians from the length and breadth of our country brings another layer of authenticity to the concept. Bhoomi is not just a project which expresses musically and it’s not just about our culture but about our tradition, history, our environment and also our faith. Bhoomi 2021 is a movement. It’s the culmination of a journey. …A journey where we have worked and re-worked on unique ideas, concepts, styles, genres, and melodies for the last twenty years. Bhoomi is getting bigger and bigger each year as we have participation from so many incredible artists from India. We are truly excited about this project coming to life from 18th October onwards.
In spite of so many hurdles due to Covid limitations, you have put this album together. Was it challenging to bring together a team of leading artists and build this project?
It was really a very, very tough task and we can’t believe we did all of this in two months. First of all we did not expect that we were going to get into the second wave of Covid that really pushed us. Some of our key people in our studio were down with Covid and we didn’t know if we will be able to finish Bhoomi 2021 on time. But as they say ‘no pain no gain’, Covid has taught us to be innovative and we have been able to get stuff done without physically meeting anyone. For the first half of the project, we worked from home constantly transferring files and ideas between us and then sending scratch ideas to singers to send us the vocal files. It was tedious but the creative juices started to roll. After the vaccination, things changed. We got bored of staying at home and started going to the studio with few core people meeting and making music at the studio.
Bhoomi 2021 has ten songs and we will release one song every week so if we hadn’t released it in October, we wouldn’t finish it in 2021. Hence it was important to finish dubbing and shooting by September in order to be ready for the release on time. Recording musicians, doing rehearsals, getting singers to the studio… was all very tough. But the adrenaline was so high that we were able to focus and complete the project as planned.
Bhoomi 2021 has 10 songs and 25 artists. Tell us about some of the most memorable and most challenging collaborations.
Bhoomi 2021 has ten mesmerising and vastly different tracks featuring the biggest vocal talents in the country. The music captures India’s traditional folk, classical raagas and instruments in a way that’s never been heard before. “Ja Ja Re” featuring Vishal Dadlani, Sattar Khan and The Manganiyars
is a modern interpretation of a 300-year-old traditional classical Bandish from the time of the Mughals by Sadarang. Sadarang was the pen name of the Hindustani musical composer and artist Naimat Khan. The song conveys the emotions of a newly married couple. “Ghar Aao Na” sung by the incredible Sunidhi Chauhan is a longing love song set in the monsoon season. It is a fusion of a classical Bandish in a pop rock style and resonates a jugalbandi of tabla and sitar in a one-way conversation with the vocals. “Chidiya Da Chamba”, a traditional composition by Mohammad Tufail Niazi, revolves around the Indian tradition of ‘Bidaai’ with powerful vocals of Sukhwinder Singh. We go to Assam in the East with “Kasiyoli”, which means ‘Ray of Light’, a magical fusion of progressive Rock fused with a traditional prayer from the Ahom tradition composedby Anurag Saikia and sung by Vivek Hariharan and Jutimala Buragohain. “Barbaad” features the epic line up of Raftaar and Afsana Khan set in a very dark drill hip-hop beat with dramatic orchestral moments. We move South with “Kaadu” a song about the environment, composed by the Grammy Award winner, Ricky Kej and featuring Arivu & Charanraj and Rasika Shekar on the flute. “Naad-E-Ali is a powerful prayer, calling Hazrat Ali and resonates the event of ‘Ghadir Khumm’, in a traditional Qawwali with powerful high-pitched vocals of Salman Ali and Vipul Mehta accompanied by Salim Merchant and Raj Pandit.There is an intense song “Jallianwala” - about the historic event of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, Punjab. The song is composed by “Shor Police”- Clinton Cerejo and Bianca featuring Harshdeep Kaur. To lighten the mood is “Need To Know Now” featuring a real life couple Nikhita Gandhi and Shashwat Singh. For the devotional listeners there’s “Sai Narayana” – a Sai bhajan in the soothing voice of Raj Pandit.
“Chak De India” has been a Sports Anthem of India for every sport in India. With “Haq Se India” was there pressure to build on this legacy? As composers, do you consciously plan to outdo yourselves with every song and project?
Chak De… has and always will be the first big anthem that we ever created so there’s always a little bit of pressure when somebody comes to us and wants another anthem. Though we must say ‘Haq Se India’ was very different. We had Amitabh Bhattacharya writing some phenomenal lyrics and when we were narrated the idea behind the film, it became even bigger. As composers, we always try to outdo the last song that we did, it’s almost like you challenge yourself constantly. It’s not conscious but there’s always a legacy that you have that will outlive you and you need to be true to it. Haq Se India was a huge challenge because it was encompassing the miraculous victory of the World Cup. Chak De was a huge celebration as India returned and the movie released in 2007. Haq se India captures the spirit of that victory and now it’s releasing just before the next World Cup. It is a big high for us and a huge challenge as well since we set a high benchmark with ‘Chak De’ so we wanted to go higher and capture that spirit that anthem had. We hope that this song in the voice of the super talented Raj Pandit will evoke strong feelings of patriotism and inspire supporters to get behind the current squad; in the run-up to the upcoming tournament.
Your own music label “Merchant Records” was launched in peak Covid times and you have released a bevy of songs and showcased a variety of talent. How has been this journey of curation and presenting music, especially by budding artists?
We’ve been discussing our dream of launching our own music label for the last three years. But, due to our busy travel and work schedules we never got around to kick-starting this project or for that matter even putting a plan around it. It was towards the end of 2019 that we thought the concept through and structured it - on paper. All we were waiting for was some extra time and bandwidth to set these plans in motion. And, then the pandemic and lockdown happened. But as they say ‘there’s opportunity in adversity’. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for us. We were able to launch our record label during this time. The speed and momentum that we’ve managed to build, as the label gathers more traction, has surprised even us. This continues to be a great journey and has been a great use of precious time for us. While everybody was struggling to come to terms with the pandemic, we were creating a platform for artists to be able to express their creativity through music. Merchant Records is the fruit of labor of many sleepless nights and a vision to create a platform for artists to be able to release their music without being bound in contracts that would take away their most basic rights. We feel very proud to be able to create something that will change the rules and keep music alive.
We don’t just want to make great music but want to go about it the right way. We want budding artists to be fearless with their compositions and create music from the heart for the soul. We don’t want them to worry about pressures or costs involved in creating and delivering a hit. That’s something we will handle and handhold them through end to end.
Merchant Records is not only for Salim and Sulaiman and our objective and long-term vision is to invite the creative community of established, new, and emerging talent to co-create quality music. And, this isn’t restricted to just singers, but extends to composers, lyricists, and other musical skills. Our vision has begun to quickly take shape already.
What is the most rewarding thing about being a musician?
The fact that every day is a new day, every day is a learning process, every day we experience a different melody, a different wave, a different emotion and different music. It’s very moving emotionally, physically, spiritually and that’s what keeps life interesting. Also what is most rewarding for a composer is to see your songs being performed live and your fans going crazy dancing, singing, crying... The emotion that an artist feels comes from the love of our fans is the best high in the world.
At this juncture in your career, what do awards and accolades mean to you? As creative icons, what is the professional validation that you seek today?
We think the biggest blessing in today’s environment is the fact that we are safe and that God had been kind to us. We are content knowing that there is a huge fan base that awaits every single release that comes from the Merchant Brothers’ table. We are truly grateful everyday for the love of our fans without whom we are nothing. Even if we announce that we are coming out with a new song or are coming to a particular city for a show, the kind of excitement they display and the love that we get is unquantifiable. It’s what keeps us grounded and motivated to do more for them. We are also deeply grateful to our gurus, mentors, and parents who have given us the knowledge, values, and humility - that gives us the strength, passion, and purpose to spread happiness, love, and peace through our music.
Fame, awards, accolades was never a criterion for us when we started to pursue music. We don’t think that we have yet achieved what we wanted to in music. We always want to make a good song and not a hit song. A hit song will come and go but a good song will be heard forever. We don’t make music for fame or glory but we make music for happiness.
Apart from different genres of music, you have also produced a film and also launched your own fashion line.
Karsh Kale is a very special artist with Indian roots, born and raised in the USA. His unique style and frequency of music - that beautifully blends Indian and Western sounds and musical inspirations - was something that had always amazed and intrigued us. Interestingly it was Karsh who got in touch and met us to potentially collaborate on one of his forthcoming albums. That meeting turned into a close friendship, with all three of us yearning to create magic together. We produced a film - “Rock Disco Table” which has won two awards at the prestigious Golden Gate International Film Festival. Directed by Shakti Hasija, the film is based on the life and musical journey of Karsh Kale and the impact he has created on world music through his unique sounds using his creation the ‘electric tabla’.
Vishal Dadlani: “The setup and vibe at Salim and Sulaiman’s studio resonates a beautiful energy that’s infectious. And, when I first heard the song in the incredible voice of Raj Pandit coupled with the authenticity of Rajasthani folk music in the voice of Sattar Khan, that same energy got magnified. It was almost like the creative forces from two magical genres coming together and made for a genuinely enriching experience.”
Sunidhi Chauhan: “Ghar Aao Na” was just the perfect song for me since the only place other than my home is Salim Sulaiman’s studio and I come here so often and feel at home. The lyrics are so beautiful, the groove is contemporary and when I first heard this song I wondered why they wanted me for this song. It was quite challenging to internalise it. I needed time to process and grasp it. But I had the complete freedom to sing it in my style. The arrangement of the song is so beautiful and inspite of being a peppy song it is yet calm and soulful. When you watch the music video you will find a new side of me totally at ease.”
Harshdeep Kaur: “I would go and sing any song when there’s a call from Clinton Cerejo’s studio but when I was informed that it was about “Jallianwala Bagh” I got goose bumps and since I am aware of this historic tragedy, I couldn’t wait to give my voice to it. Also it was very important to ensure the emotion in the song of pain and anger at the same time. So to bring that in my singing was a challenge. The fact that it was a part of Bhoomi 2021 made it even more special for me to have a song release with Merchant Records. It’s a beautifully written and composed melody and I really enjoyed the recording process.”
Shor Police- Clinton Cerejo & Bianca Gomes: “We were super excited when Salim and Sulaiman approached us to compose a song for this awesome project.We wanted to take an electro pop route because that’s the sound that best defines us as a band. The production turned out to be moody, aggressive and intense and once the composition was ready, it naturally opened the door to a more meaningful subject matter, lyrically. Salim was the one who heard the first draft we had and suggested that we make it about a very dark event in our country’s history. The Jalianwalla Bagh Massacre. Also Harshdeep whom we wanted to collaborate with, is Punjabi and the tragic event is very close to her heart so all the pieces of the puzzle came together in a sense.
Bianca’s vocal approach to the song is this extremely hard-hitting pop sound, and then Harshdeep brings the earthiness, to the Punjabi chorus. While we wrote the English lyrics ourselves, IP Singh did an incredible job bringing the intensity that we needed with the Punjabi lyrics. The Bhoomi movement is an amazing stage that encourages free thought and expression, and we’re honored to be a part of it.”
Anurag and Vivek: “I come from Northeast India which entails a huge variety of folk culture and music. I wanted to incorporate such elements in this project without making it mundane. And we all mutually decided that the song should be in Assamese, my mother tongue. So, I called Rahul Gautam Sharma, a young sensible lyricist from Assam, to write the song. We wanted to share some positives for a better tomorrow. The song seeks a new dawn of how humankind has evolved personally and holistically through tough times to find itself in a better position. In the voice of Vivek Hariharan, I found the proper messenger to deliver what we wanted to say. Then came Jutimala, who has been working relentlessly for the revival of the Tai Ahom culture in Assam and her Tai language chant added a beautiful touch to the song. I am glad to be a part of this project and thanks to all the people associated with me in this journey specially Ishan, Nawaz, Putai, Akash, Manoj, Satyajit, Bishal, Shekhar, Kavya, Kriti, Arabinda, Pankaj. Thank you again Salim - Sulaiman Sir for making us part of this musical movement.”
Raftaar: “This is a special collaboration for me as Salim Sulaiman have experimented with their musical style and jumped right into my zone which is indeed a big feat. It’s a drill track that’s more like a theatrical. It’s like a livewire performance with the works in the form of a track. It was a very organic process collaborating with the duo as I share a great comfort level with them and they allow me to bring out the unbounded version of my soundscape to the forefront. It was a great learning curve right from co-writing the track to performing in it. The experience has been artistic and wholesome to say the least. There is a heady mix of poignant lyrics and futuristic soundscapes and I’m sure we are going to surprise our cumulative fanbase! Bhoomi is a movement to make music that visits your lineage and culture in a very experimental sense and is pushing the boundaries of the art. It’s great to have Salim-Sulaiman support such a progressive movement!”
We also launched our exclusive Salim Sulaiman Apparel Merchandise label. Beginning with a line of T-shirts based on some of our iconic songs over the years, we wanted our clothes to be relatable; just like our easy-going personalities. Imagine wearing a T-shirt that captures the essence of chartbusting hits like “Kurbaan Hua”, “Shukranallah”, “Chak De India”, or “Yeh Hausla Kaise Jhuke” with pride and comfort! Something that adds an extra spark and cultural spice to your wardrobes.
How do you tackle politics in the music industry?
We don’t think there is politics in the Music industry. Everyone is busy doing their own thing. You must be speaking about the Music Label politics but then in every industry, there are powerful players who are trying to rise up to exercise their supremacy. There are people who are making remixes for commercial gain and use all the tactics for better business to make hit songs without any artistic balance. We decided to move away from this kind of politics a few years back and started our own record label. Merchant Records is a label by the artist for the artist. The music industry has a responsibility towards creating good music. It is upto the listeners to support good music.
What are your plans for the coming festive season, do you see yourselves hitting the stage/touring given that travel is opening up?
We have been doing concerts, though not too many, even during the pandemic. We did a few virtual concerts and a couple of live concerts as well. This season we see ourselves back on stage with a bang. We already have a line-up of concerts from October till next February and we can’t express how happy that makes us to be able to connect once again with our fans. Of course besides that we also have the release of “MYn presents Bhoomi 2021”, our most precious project that releases on the 18th October with one song every week all the way until December 22. Isn’t that celebration enough?
We hope that India opens out slowly and we are very careful in following our safety regulations in wearing masks and getting vaccinated. The more we fight Covid responsibly, we will be able to come back to our lives like before.
Tell us about your upcoming film and independent projects.
A film that we are very excited about is ‘Haq Se India’ which is releasing in end October and is a beautiful film about our victory in the 2007 World Cup. We’ve done another song for Madhuri Dixit for her dance track in ‘Finding Anamika’, we’ve got the release of our album Bhoomi 2021 so it’s a very exciting time for us as music composers and as a Record Producer and Label owners. We have a big audience and have got a lot of love from our fans and subscribers.
Sparkling. Pure & truly elegant… Suhag Jewelers NJ (USA) is the one-stop hub for a huge selection of unmatched chic and beautiful contemporary designs in precious and semi-precious jewelry. In 22kt in gold and 18kt in diamond and white gold, jewelry at Suhag Jewelers is marked for its pristine purity. So whether it’s a wedding, anniversary, birthday or for someone you love, pick the perfect jewellery right here.
