Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, the new faces of Bollywood music, have composed an anthem for the FIFA World Cup. Salim talks to Tanushree Ghosh
How did it feel to compose an anthem for FIFA World Cup 2010?
It's definitely an honour to have got this opportunity to perform on such a platform. We had never imagined that this would go so far. You don’t really plan these things, they just happen. Songs are made to capture an emotion, for a particular purpose.
How did you get involved in this event?
Karim Jamal, an African friend, wanted us to compose a song for his country and financed the project. He and another friend, Shelina Popat forwarded the song to the FIFA committee which wanted a sports anthem on the lines of Chak de India, our composition which they had loved. They roped in South African R&B singer Loyiso Bala and Kenya’s Eric Wainaina for the project. These two had earlier heard and loved the Shukran Allah song from Kurbaan and were enthusiastic to come on board. They flew down to Mumbai for the song’s recording which was then sent to the committee. We also did a charity show in Mumbai for Pink Lips, which works with cancer patients, where they sang their versions of Shukran Allah. It was a great moment. Now we have become friends for life.
There are a lot of official anthems doing the rounds. Where does your composition fit in?
Ours is not the official anthem but a part of it. It’s called Africa Promise penned by my wife Jeanne, a jazz singer. The song talks about football highlighting the pain and glory of Africa, the continent’s journey through tears and hardships. We have used African quinto, tribal drums, djembe and tama besides layering the song with Zulu chants to get the right effect.
Apart from performing at the opening and closing ceremony, are there other shows lined up in Africa?
We were in Nairobi recording an African gospel choir for background vocals. We also performed Africa Promise for Nelson Mandela, Joe Biden and others. We’ll watch the World Cup with the vice president of South Africa, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma. However, we won't stay for the entire series because we have work commitments back home.
Are you a football fan? Which team are you supporting?
Big time football fan (laughs). I am supporting Brazil.
Last year you were nominated for Emmy Awards for composing a track for a show on Nickelodeon in the US. What was the experience like?
The track was ‘Save the Bengal Tiger’ for the show Wonder Pets. The project came to us two years ago and we had no idea how it was going to work out. It was an out-of-the-box experience. It feels great to be recognized by the Emmy Foundation.
Any other collaborations or international assignments in the pipeline?
Talks are going on, people want to collaborate and we are getting offers. There are things on the cards but it’s too early to comment until anything is finalised.
This year after Teen Patti, Paathshaala and Kites what’s forthcoming?
An untitled project with Yash Raj Films starring Anushka Sharma, and Nagesh Kukunoor’s Aashayein. We have just finished working on the background scores for I Hate Luv Storys and next have Siddharth Anand’s Anjaana Anjaani and Vipul Shah’s Action Replay.
