The Indian music scene is having a moment with so many talented artists gaining recognition and performing live on stage. Red Bull Off The Roof launched in 2013 and helps young artists’ music reach larger audiences. The platformed returned this year in Bengaluru and put the spotlight on popular as well as emerging musicians in the country. Built on top of a tour bus, this stage is unlike any other performance venue and offers an engaging experience for the crowd.
This year the musical legend, Sunidhi Chauhan performed for Red Bull Off The Roof. We snagged a chance to discuss her musical journey, new projects, her views towards the present musical landscape and more. Keep scrolling to read Sunidhi’s views on the ever changing music industry.
ELLE: Could you tell us about your Red Bull Off The Roof experience?
Sunidhi Chauhan (SC): It has been wonderful, this has been my second or third show with them, and Red Bull is all about energy and power and that’s what you hear about in most of my songs but the good thing is that performing here in Bengaluru is going to be more special because the crowd here has a vast taste for music. They listen to everything, they love grooving to the song, they sing along and if I sing a better known song here, they go crazy. So it is going to be a lot of fun.
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ELLE: You have always liked to blend a bit of a western elements in Bollywood songs. For instance, your mashup of Sheila Ki Jawaani and Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie went viral. Is that something you want to continue doing?
SC: There is no rule that I have to do this for my shows; it just happens. The mashup happened because we were preparing for our concert in Mumbai and it just came to me, we should do this! So there was no agenda or plan that we have to incorporate an English song. Same thing happened with ‘Aa Jara’ and ‘Unholy; just came to me. So I don’t plan much, I just go with the flow. If its working and people are really digging it, so why not?
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ELLE: What are your thoughts on the evolution of Bollywood music today, especially with so many songs coming back in a new avatar from the early 2000s?
SC: Remixes are good, I myself dance to them, but sometimes I think you do a little too much with songs, you tamper with them a little too much. Thats when they sound a little cringey. Doing remixes only means that those songs in the past are evergreen. You can listen to them again and again. If the melody is good, it’s always going to sound good.
Recently, I have come out with a remix which is Pari Hoon Main. What I try to do with that song is keep the essence of the original track. It’s my favourite song. I had to sing it how I have heard it all my life in my head and I didn’t want to disturb it too much. So if done tastefully, remixes sound fine.
ELLE: What projects are you currently working on, and can you provide a sneak peek in your upcoming music releases?
SC: There is a lot that’s going to happen especially in the independent space. I am singing some songs as they release; you will get to know about them. There is a lot of exciting music thats going to come out. I am going to keep doing that all my life. I am not going to stop because it is fun, doing something in the independent space is always fun. I recently came out with my single ‘Tum Kehte Ho’ and people have really liked it and given it a lot of love and so I will continue to do so.
ELLE: Can you tell me one international singer you would love to collaborate with?
SC: There are many but for now I would like to collaborate with our Indian musicians as there are so many talented artists here. I mean collaborating on Pari Hoon Main with Sushant Divgikar was amazing and I recently collaborated with Arijit Singh on Barkha, it was a beautiful song. There is a lot to explore here, sky is the limit, I would love to sing a song with Alicia Keys, Beyonce, any good artist there who is true to themselves.
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