JOIN US'Music is about emotions'
The brothers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have made people cry, laugh and dance to the rhythm of their music.Better known as Salim Sulaiman, the musical brothers have an upper hand in the sonic industry with their classic melodies that have a cutting edge to them.
They have left their imprint all around the globe with refreshing, world-class tunes, spanning across genres and generations. After composing the tracks of Chak De!India, which continue to give us goosebumps till date and recording Africa - You’re a Star for the FIFA World Cup in 2010, one would think that creating a sports anthem shouldn’t be too difficult for them.
So, one knits their eyebrows in surprise when Salim calls the process of composing the anthem for Sony Max IPL, this year, as a challenging one. He describes it as an honour when he was first asked to compose the anthem. He adds that the word ‘India’ in any song automatically gives him and his brother a lilt in the heart. The brothers have worked in a way that the song is relatable to common man – with folk tunes, upbeat rhythms for people of all age groups.
True to the theme this year, Ye Hai India ka Tyohaar, Salim says that the brothers have created a “larger than life” composition so that people come together to celebrate the national euphoria.The upbeat song comprises the fervour and energy of festivities like Holi and Diwali. Salim says, “Cricket hai India ka tyohaar’. (Cricket is India’s festival). It’s like a religion in this country. When Sulaiman and I first started jamming to this song, we couldn’t stop.The harmonies represent the pulse of the nation.”
Having a strong base in classical music Salim feels that, today, classical music has its own charm and market and hence shouldn’t be pitted against Bollywood, though the latter makes maximum numbers. “Music is never about numbers but always about the truth and emotions,” he says.
Understanding the importance of a classical base for any singer is necessary says Salim, and he advises young artistes to “go out and learn the fundamentals of music” rather than taking a laptop and spinning tunes. He also has immense confidence in the hard work of up-and-coming artistes today, especially after being a judge at the fifth season of the music reality show, Indian Idol.
He says he was grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to diverse, top-quality voices.After the IPL anthem, the brothers will work on the music for a Hollywood film, the songs for a musical that will open in London called Beyond Bollywood and for the movie Gangaajal 2.