NEW YORK: Pop world’s most talked about sensation Lady Gaga has become the latest to go the Bollywood way. Collaborating with famous Indian music composer duo Salim and Suleiman, Lady Gaga has now released a Bollywood-inspired remix of her smash hit single “Born This Way”.
Produced by Salim and Sulaiman, Gaga said in a tweet that she made the song to show “all the little monsters in India that I appreciate you.”
“We collaborated with Indian music producers from across the globe to show our respect and appreciation for our Desi fans and the music community,” said Lady Gaga’s manager Troy Carter. “We’re looking forward to more Desi collaborations in the near future.”
The song features distinctly Indian sounds, bringing a Punjabi style to the electro-dance hit that was no. 1 in over 23 countries, according to MTV news.
“The sitar was the instrument of choice for us when it came to creating a melodic riff,” Sulaiman Merchant told MTV News. “Of course there was the dholak and the dhol that always create the atmosphere of party and euphoria, but what really rocked it all was Salim’s voice to add that Indian flavor.”
“It was kind of difficult to start with,” Sulaiman said crediting entertainment website Desi Hits for helping to curate the collaboration. “It’s been such a big track, it’s been very popular, and when you consider the style, it’s very aggressive. It’s got all the stuff that’s required to make it a nice clubby track, so for us, the most important thing was: How do you get it into a zone where it’s palpable to the Indian flavor? And the first thing we did was bring in a sitar, and that changed the flavor a little bit. We kept the aggression but changed the style and made it a little more four on the floor, a little more house.”
Salim Merchant added that “we wanted to bring in an Indian sound … and give a Sufi touch as well.” He explained that after getting over some initial nerves, “It’s fantastic how it all turned out. There was this little pressure because the song was #1. I guess once we put that baggage behind … it was magical. Once we started it, everything came into place. It became a celebration.”
While Gaga is a global superstar, Sulaiman said she has yet to really permeate India’s pop culture. “Lady Gaga hasn’t been as popular as we would like it to be over here, so this track wasn’t as big before,” he said. “We finished the mix, and now it’s getting into the zone where it’s gaining popularity. It’s a great way to get eyeballs and ears onto Lady Gaga.”
Asked by MTV News if Gaga has given them any indication of how she feels about the track, Salim said, “She has liked it. She did mention she really loves it. When we did send her the final version, we did get a big very, very positive response. She really loved it. That’s what she mentioned. I’m really happy. Finally the artist is ga ga about the song.”
India Post News Service
