Will the Twain meet?

In light of the release of Satyameva Jayathe by Superheavy, a collaboration of musical stalwarts, we take a look at cultural mixes of the past and let musicians do the talking

In light of the release of Satyameva Jayathe by Superheavy, a collaboration of musical stalwarts, we take a look at cultural mixes of the past and let musicians do the talking

It isn't the first occasion where musical legends have met across borders and oceans and collectively breathed life into a song, an album and a concept at large. Reinforcing the strong belief that music has no language, the not-so-new manifestation of international collaborations is out to take the world of music by storm once again. The latest in the block, of course, is the band Superheavy, named aptly with the heavy weights that make up its constitution. Think headman of the legendary

Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, Damian Marley, Joss Stone and our very own AR Rahman. The much secretly put together band seems to have now broken its musical silence with a heavily Indian track Satyameva Jayathe. Reeling from the powerful composition, the plethora of sounds, influences, demographics and lineage it brings along, wetake a trip down the much treaded lane of collaborations.

Legend meets legend
The 1960s were perhaps the first time when collaborations made it to the forefront. The unimaginable combination of Indian musician Pandit Ravi Shankar and Beatles' George Harrison were making news and together. A common record label introduced them to each others' sounds.

George is also known to have visited Shankar later on for sitar lessons that became quite clear in their track Norwegian Wood. "It was the only true collaboration before Superheavy. Most of the others did not involve artists physically working with each other. Superheavy in that aspect is significant," says Palash Sen, lead singer, Euphoria.

It was in 1994 that legendary musician and creator of Mohan Veena Pandit, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt went on to win the Grammy Award with Ry Cooder, US-based guitarist, singer and composer for the album, A Meeting By the River.

The Bollywood connection
When Indian musicians are taking the next step and making their presence felt the world over, Bollywood is hardly the kind that will keep a step back in joining the bandwagon. The year 2004 saw such
collaborations that went beyond the release of a song and saw international artists make appearances on screen. While Thai singer Tata Young sizzled through the title track of the film Dhoom, the UK-band Blue presented a bilingual version of their popular song One Love in the film Rakht and featured in the video alongside Abhishek Bachchan.

More recently, Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue featured in the racy number, Chiggy Wiggy by AR Rahman for the film Blue. It was in the year 2008 that the track Singh Is King was released in a path breaking collaboration with International artist Snoop Dogg. A video featuring Snoop Dogg and the film's protagonist played by Akshay Kumar, was also released.u00a0 The latest in the block is the Vishal-Shekhar composition Chammak Challo that has been rendered by R& B artist Akon for the Shah Rukh Khan production Ra One.

Recent jam ups
The trend has continued and resulted in an exchange of sounds, musical ideas and more taking Indian musicians to international platforms and giving the West a taste of Indian sounds. Western remixes were pouring in by the early 2000s and a few did strike a chord leaving bilingual lyrical memories. INXS featuring Sona Mohapatra in a version of its popular number Afterglow in 2007 was one of them. Making heads turn, another release came from playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan with a remixed version of the track Heartbeat by Enrique Iglesias early this year.

Talking about her experience, Sona tells us, "I had a great time working on Afterglow, because they let us really express ourselves. I must add that having a music producer like Ram Sampath on my side helped. He fused the original vocals of JD Fortune, the lead of INXS seamlessly with his soundscape of my vocal jams, tablas and the Hindustani guitars played by my then band mate, Chintoo Singh. I remember the band INXS telling us that this desi version of Afterglow was possibly the first thing they loved unanimously (they are known for not agreeing with each other)."

Speaking of what gets a collaborative song its acclaim despite barriers of language and styles, she says "Technological barriers have disappeared and language is not really an issue. It's always down to the quality of the song." Other musicians seem to agree with her saying that it boils down to the quality of the song, and most barriers are then forgotten easily. "People are not bothered about who collaborates with whom. It is the song that matters," says Palash Sen. On a similar note, city-based musician Amit Heri says, "Music is a strong force. It transcends differences and has its own language. Collaborating with somebody who comes from a different culture makes you go into spaces that you aren't otherwise comfortable with. It is like interacting with somebody from a different country."

Talking Rahman
Oscar-winning artist Rahman after breaking ground with the tracks of the film Slumdog Millionaire took to international collaboration in full swing and produced a version of Jai Ho featuring the pop band Pussycat Dolls in 2010. Following shortly was his coming together with Mick Jagger that resulted in the formation of Superheavy. While one could easily call this a Rahman trademark, Mick Jagger's experiments with Sanskrit lyrics and Damian Marley's voice, heavily reminiscent of the legendary Bob Marley, makes this a mix that will not fade away.

Musicians speak on Satyameva Jayathe
It has an easy feel to it. It'su00a0 radio friendly with its sing-along feel and has a considerably catchy India-friendly chorus. And a reggae rhythm is something you can never go wrong with.
What worked? The album Meeting Across the River with Ry Cooder and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, the Asha Bhosle/Boy George collaboration and the Sona Mohapatra/INXS teaming
What didn't?
Enrique/Sunidhi Heartbeat Luke Kenny, Musician and Actor

It was an interesting listen, though it was via a Soundcloud stream and a bad net connection. Not the ideal way of listening to it.
What worked? Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt & Ry Cooder - A Meeting By The River
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brooks - Nightsongs
Sona Mohapatra, Singer

I didn't really enjoy the track. I am not too impressed and feel it could have been better. I couldn't hear my favourite singer Mick Jagger.
What worked? Nothing after the Pandit Ravishankar and Beatles collaboration on Norwegian Wood
Palash Sen, Lead singer, Euphoria

It is a great song. I like the way styles have been put together. It is upbeat and catchy like most of Rahman's songs.
What worked? Pandit Ravi Shankar and the Beatles was a classic
What didn't? There is always some aspect that works
Amit Heri, Jazz musician and composer