JOIN USEDM and hip-hop beats rev up rousing Shiva hymn
Suchismita Das Banerjee, a Hindustani classical vocalist with a career spanning over two decades, released her latest track, "Damaru" on the occasion of Maha Shivratri this year.
A blend of Indian classical music with Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and modern hip-hop, the song describes the glory of Lord Shiva. For the song, the singer collaborated with Grammy Award-winning music composer and US Billboard #1 artist Ricky Kej, London-based rapper Maya Miko, and bass guitar prodigy Mohini Dey.
"As I am an ardent follower of Lord Shiva, I always wanted to make a composition on him," said Das Banerjee to DH. "I started working on the song in 2019; first, I composed the melody and then wrote the Hindi lyrics. Finally, I played the song to Ricky, and he loved the composition, ending up putting the EDM beat to it. But the COVID-19 lockdown happened, and I stopped working on it as I wanted to release it on Maha Shivratri."
Having missed releasing the song for the last two years, she finally envisioned her dream to release the song this year.
"A couple of months ago, I started working on "Damaru" again and realised it would be a good idea to blend modern hip-hop music with EDM and Indian classical music. It was very tough to find a rapper who could write the lyrics on Hinduism and Lord Shiva, but I finally got Maya Miko on board."
Das Banerjee is pleased with the positive response that the track has been receiving.
"Musically, "Damaru" has so many elements. More importantly, the young generation connects with the song, which is great for me."
Das Banerjee shot to fame after she collaborated with renowned music singer-composer A.R. Rahman for a television programme, "Coke Studio Season 3," on the song "Jagao Mere Desh Ko."
"When I was in Mumbai struggling, I suddenly got a call from A.R. Rahman's office in Chennai asking me to meet them. I did not know what they wanted me to do, but I soon realised that I would be the lead singer for "Coke Studio Season 3" with Rahman."
The singer's musical journey now covers Hollywood as well. Music composer Thomas Newman invited her to be a co-composer for the Golden Globe Award-nominated film, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (2011) and its sequel, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (2015). However, the highlight of her career remains her experience of working with AR Rahman.
(Gurpreet Kaur is a journalist who writes on lifestyle, entertainment and culture)
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