MTV Brings a Beatbox Rendition of A.R. Rehman's "Maa Tujhe Salaam", this Independence Day

For the last two decades and more, this iconic song has been instrumental in instilling a sense of patriotic pride and national unity amongst millions. Even after garnering a Guiness World Records for being the song performed in the most number of languages, the legendary A.R. Rahman’s Maa Tujhe Salaam doesn’t cease to amuse us and infuse a plethora of emotions. As we step into the 74th year of India’s Independence, India’s No. 1 Youth Brand, MTV aims to scale up the celebrations with a musical innovation. In partnership with BBXINDIA, MTV is all set to launch a recreated version of A.R. Rahman’s iconic track Maa Tujhe Salaam, with a beatbox version.

This heartfelt rendition of Maa Tujhe Salaam, purely created with human mouth and vocal chords (vocal flute, Konakkol, and Beatbox only) for the first time ever, is a modern day tribute to the resilience of our nation on 15th August. Through this offering, the channel brings MTV Beatbox Hustle, an innovative extension to its flagship property, MTV Hustle- India’s first rap reality show. With this collaboration with BBXINDIA, an organization that has pioneered the culture of beatboxing in India, MTV brings a platform for all budding talents to showcase their expertise, create awareness about the subculture and give it a push that it rightly deserves.

This unique track owes its newness to three of the most talented beatboxers in India. Raka Vee, a Chennai-based beatboxer and founder of BBXINDIA, who with his decade-long expertise, has over 100 live shows worldwide to his credit. Ajinkya, a self-trained mouth musician from Mumbai who recreates the wind flute using his vocal cords only; Shivaraj Natraj, a well-trained Carnatic vocalist and Mridangam artist from Bangalore, also known as the Konnakol beatboxer who combines the oldest vocal percussion (Konnakol) with modern age beatboxing and brings the true mix of Indian beatbox flavor. 

This partnership would also entail a series of LIVE sessions with the founder of BBXINDIA, Raka Vee, who will be interviewing talented artists from the Beatbox community for 4 weeks from MTV Hustle’s Instagram page.

So, this Independence Day, rejoice in the spirit of freedom with a vibrant beatbox rendition of Maa Tujhe Salaam, only with MTV India.

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/mtvindia/posts/10158326873070102

Twitter- https://twitter.com/MTVIndia/status/1294178070518099968

“Main gaya jahan bhi, bas teri yaad thi

Jo mere saath thi, mujhko tadpa thi rulati

Sab se pyaari, teri soorat

Pyaar hai bas tera, pyaar hi

Maa tujhe salaam” 

Dalmia Bharat Group Pays a Musical Tribute to Covid Warriors with Kailash Kher & Ricky Kej

 

* Jazbaa – e – Bharat, an online concert on 14th August, dedicated to celebrate the undying spirit of our Covid warriors

In its endeavor to celebrate the courage, commitment and unfathomable spirit of our Covid warriors, Dalmia Bharat Group is organizing Jazbaa-e-Bharat – an online musical extravaganza featuring Padma Shri. Kailash Kher and Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej, on 14th August, 2020 at 6:15 pm.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Mahendra Singhi, MD and CEO, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd. said, “We are honoured to have Padma Shri Kailash Kher and Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej at Jazbaa – e – Bharat, a musical concert aimed at honouring our nation’s resilience in the fight against this pandemic.

Words fall short in describing the unwavering dedication of our COVID warriors. Their commitment is inspiring and we salute their tireless efforts and undying spirit. We also take this opportunity to celebrate our global commitment towards sustainability and our operational performance.”

Padma Shri, Kailash Kher said “In the last few months, the world has adopted new ways of living and thinking. There has been a significant change in our priorities which we now call the ‘New Normal’. Individuals and corporates have come together to shoulder responsibility and help each other during these testing times. One such organisation is Dalmia Bharat Group that has worked continuously during this pandemic to support the citizens of our country. Through this musical salutation named after our frontline warriors called Jazbaa- e -Bharat, we aim to give a tribute to those unsung heroes who are fighting the pandemic across the country.”

Commenting on Jazbaa – e - Bharat, Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of this virtual musical concert organized by Dalmia Bharat Group. Their vision for a sustainable future is in sync with my beliefs about the environment. Together, we believe that we owe it to our children to leave behind a better planet than what we inherited. I have always believed in the healing power of rhythms to bring solace, motivation and guidance for people towards a greater good. Music has the power to inspire us to be sustainably conscious and live in harmony with nature.“

Jazbaa-e -Bharat will be a musical extravaganza in its truest sense as it will also host the evergreen Shri. Udit Narayan whose soulful voice rings of nostalgia. He will be joined by his son Aditya Narayan who started his musical career at a very young age and managed to win the hearts of everyone. They will be accompanied by the prominent multi-lingual singer, Benny Dayal who has always managed to make the audience groove to his lively tunes and the ever melodious Jonita Gandhi who has become an instant favorite of her audience in a short span of time.

The link to this musical salutation of our Covid warriors will be available on all social media platforms. Click on the link: https://www.dblconcert.com/ to join the event.

About Dalmia Bharat Group

Dalmia Bharat Group (www.dalmiabharat.com) is a leading Indian conglomerate with a strong presence in Cement, Sugar and Refractories. The Group has a turnover of over 12,000 crore. Dalmia Bharat commenced operations in 1939 and has played a defining role in India's manufacturing sector. The group has significant market presence in each of its sectors of operation. Its cement business has grown exponentially since 2006 in terms of capacity and production and the company is a leader in the specialty cements space. Dalmia Cement is the only cement company in the world to have the lowest carbon footprint.  In sugar, the group is a prominent generic player catering to most of the leading businesses in India. The Group also caters to an enduring and growing customer base in the refractories business and has forayed into sustainable power/energy.

Sona Mohapatra’s to Release “Raat Ke Musaafir” Music Video on Independence Day 2020

 

Music Video

* Ultra Media & Entertainment to release “Raat Ke Musaafir” music video featuring Sona Mohapatra on Independence Day 2020

* Music video showcases struggles that women face when they dare to dream, especially in the context of safe spaces

* Sona Mohapatra’s new single highlights the need for solidarity when creating safe spaces for women in every sphere, including music

Ultra Media & Entertainment presents music video “Raat Ke Musaafir” featuring vocals by Sona Mohapatra. The song is an ode to the struggles that Indian women face when they dare to dream in the context of safe spaces whenever they work or travel at night. The music video will release on Independence Day 2020 on Ultra Bollywood You Tube Channel and later on Gaana,Spotify,Saavn itunes and other leading platforms.

 The music video produced by Kumar Bharti, and directed by Dehradun-based film maker, Ajay Govind, raises the issue of women’s safety at night in Indian cities. Accomplished artiste Sona Mohapatra, who has raised several women-centric issues, lends her powerful voice to highlight the problems working women face when travelling at night and sheds light on the power of female solidarity in building safe spaces for women in every sphere of life.

 “Raat Ke Musaafir” features actors Sakshi Hasija, who plays a female cab driver aspiring to become a civil servant, and Anupama Sunehria, a young hockey player. Sakshi’s character’s strong maturity and the vibrant energy of Sakshi’s character become the crux of the music video. To add an authentic touch, the producers invited a hockey coach, Sonal Shah, to train Anupama on set. The video has been shot in Dehradun.

 The powerful concept, developed by scriptwriter, Remya Sasindran, delves into the barriers that women face when they have to be out at night to achieve their dreams and how women continue to support each other to make the world a safer place.

The song featured in the video is composed by Nitin Krishna Menon, who last composed music for a short film ‘Missing’ directed by actor Vipin Sharma, which was selected for screening at NYIFF 2020.

 Rajat Agrawal of Ultra Media & Entertainment, says, “We are extremely happy to acquire the rights of the music video ‘Raat Ke Musaafir’, which highlights womens' safety issues on the eve of Indian Independence Day. We partnered with the producers because the creative energy of the entire team was infectious and the final output will definitely empower female viewers and raise awareness. Iconic Sona Mohapatra adds to the overall impact in her inimitable voice. We at Ultra intend to start and felicitate #RaatKeMusaafir safety drive for women working at night.”

 Iconic artiste Sona Mohapatra said, "Raat ke Musaafir immediately struck a chord with me. The narrative, both visually & in song was about women's right to public spaces, be it night or day and their right to be able to dream freely & make those dreams come true! There could be no better spirit to celebrate this Independence Day & one that has come right in the middle of a scary pandemic & health scare where it has become even more evident that in order for humankind to get through to the other side, all genders need to work together, with mutual respect, in harmony because there is a much bigger force at play that no one can control. This harmony can be brought about only if we free women from their shackles." Sona added, "This song has strong electric guitars & is a rock ballad. Unconventional in India since such ‘rockstar’ status is reserved for the men folk more often than not & this too breaks barriers subconsciously & overtly! I enjoyed singing this song straight from the heart because it tells a story without preaching or patronising anyone. Women have been trained to speak softly & are expected to sing like a high pitched bird in a sweet voice only & also be a damsel in distress. This is 2020. Those days are over." 

 “We decided to release the song on Independence Day because freedom is a core theme that runs in the song. Eventually the song is a take on everyone's freedom to be themselves and find others in that journey who will support you,” added Ajay Govind lyricist and director of the music video.

 About Ultra Media & Entertainment Group: Apart from producing 16 feature films, various TV programs and on-going content for IPTV, VOD, Internet, Mobile and more, Ultra Media & Entertainment (ULTRA) is one of the leading film acquisition and distribution companies in the Indian entertainment industry. With over 2000 titles across various languages, ULTRA offers movie licensing services, acquires TV rights, audio rights, VOD rights etc. of content belonging to a wide array of genres and formats. Its library of rich and varied content is sought after in the U.K, Middle East, the U.S, Africa, Asia, etc. Not just that, its post-production studio has been a part of some world-class film preservation and archival projects.

Amazon Prime Video Launches the Trailer of Upcoming Kannada Legal Drama Law on July 17

Amazon Prime offers incredible value with unlimited streaming of the latest and exclusive movies, TV shows, stand-up comedy, Amazon Originals, ad-free music listening through Amazon Prime Music, free fast delivery on India’s largest selection of products, early access to top deals, unlimited reading with Prime Reading and mobile gaming content with Prime Gaming, all available only for Rs. 129 a month.

Amazon Prime Video today launched the trailer of their first Kannada direct-to-service film, Law, a criminal suspense drama that follows the life of Nandhini, a law student who demands justice for a gruesome crime. Law is produced by Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, M Govinda and directed by Raghu Samarth. The legal Kannada drama is led by Ragini Prajwal who makes her debut as a lead actress and Mukhyamantri Chandru, Achyuth Kumar, Sudharani among others. Law is the fourth direct-to-service movie to premiere on Amazon Prime Video after the successful release of Ponmagal Vandhal (Tamil), Gulabo Sitabo (Hindi) and Penguin (Telugu and Tamil with Malayalam dubs). Prime members in India and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide can watch the much-awaited movie in Kannada starting 17th July, 2020.

“Law is close to my heart, because not only does it mark my debut, but the movie also sheds light on an important message that often gets sidelined.” said Law Actress Ragini Prajwal, “Nandhini, is a strong and determined women who overcomes a difficult situation through sheer determination and perseverance. Law is sure to set a new bar in this genre and I am hoping it will be appreciated by critics and audiences alike. I have had the privilege of working with a dream team on Law and I am thrilled our film will be accessible to audiences not only from India but across 200 countries and territories, making the release even more impactful.”

Producer Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar said, “Amazon Prime Video is one of our most valued partners. After the phenomenal success of our films Kavaludaari and Maya Bazaar 2016 which released on the service shortly after its theatrical release, Law is our third collaboration and one of the two titles we would be premiering on Amazon Prime Video worldwide. With Law we not only want to entertain our audience, but also bring to light an issue of great importance. We look forward to customers across 200 countries and territories being able to enjoy the movie from the safety of their own homes.”

Watch the trailer here: https://amzn.to/LawTrailer

Synopsis:

There are umpteen stories that involve crime and investigations. Sometimes, the case even gets dismissed due to lack of evidence and the accused are set free. However, ‘Law’ is a paradigm shift from the rest in this genre. Nandhini, a law student who is caught in a precarious situation fights for justice for a gruesome crime that took place.

Law will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalogue. These include Indian-produced Amazon Original series like Paatal Lok, The Family Man, Mirzapur, Inside Edge and Made In Heaven, Four More Shots Please! S1 and S2 and award-winning and critically acclaimed global Amazon Original series, including Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all on Prime Video, which is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members. The service includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Bengali.

Prime members will be able to watch Law anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, etc. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in India at no extra cost with Prime membership for just ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly, new customers can find out more at www.amazon.in/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.

The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (IPRS) Launches #CreditTheCreators Campaign

Did you know that Jaddanbai, actress Nargis Dutt’s mother was India’s first female music composer? Did you know the most unforgettable song, ‘Itni shakti hame de na daata’ was written by lyricist Abhilaash and composed by Kuldeep Singh? Every song is a musical story written by the composers and lyricists but the creators of many such brilliant creations remain lost in the pages of music sheets.  With World Music Day just round the corner, IPRS in association with Music Plus has launched a thought provoking campaign, “#CreditTheCreators” acclaim the Creators and Celebrate THEM along with their work! The multifaceted campaign will witness veterans and musicians like Javed Akhtar, Sameer Anjaan, Raju Singh, Swanand Kirkire, Sandesh Shandilya, Mayur Puri, Manoj Muntashir, Kuldeep Singh, Abhilash, Kausar Munir, Leslee Lewis, Shashaa Tirupati, Priya Saraiya, Paroma Dasgupta, and many more driving the initiative on social media and traditional platforms.

The first leg of the campaign will roll out on digital with the associated artists performing and talking about their favourite songs and the creators behind such timeless creation. Unfolding stories and talents who remained lost in obscurity. Further, the activation will see association with artists for real life stories, testimonials, UGC, panel discussions and innovative content partnership to drive the message across social and traditional media. Spread over two weeks, the campaign will serve as a thought starter encouraging all of us to acknowledge those behind the power of words and melodies that have shaped our moments of merriment and misery equally, forever etching those songs in our memories.

Speaking on the campaign Mr. Javed Akhtar, Chairman, IPRS commented, “Although popular music and even light classical music in Northern America had influences of Latin and African traditional beats and compositions, what we call fusion today is an international phenomenon that can be called a post Woodstock revolution. It was the performance of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakkha at Woodstock that ultimately broke so many cultural and traditional barriers in the world of western music. Even the conservatives reassessed their “musical morality” and eventually in the whole western world fusion got accepted as a respectable genre. I guess not many people are aware that while in the West, Fusion was recognised in mid-sixties, Indian film music directors were not only using but had mastered fusion as early as late thirties. There are a number of songs in the forties and fifties recorded by maestros like Pankaj Mallik, Naushad, Anil Biswas and C Ramchandra in which the tune of the lyric is based on Indian Ragas but the orchestra uses instruments like guitar piano, trumpet, cello, violin. Some songs have an Indian tune backed by a Western choir.

On this occasion of World Music Day, I salute every such genius who was decades ahead of the world. We must ensure that every creator in India is recognised & remunerated for their creations and their right to be identified as authors of their creations remains sacrosanct.

Happy World Music Day to everyone because as the Bard has said “Music is the food of love”.

Commenting on the initiative Mr. Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS said, “Our endeavour has always been to provide a platform that encourages creativity and fair value for music and its creators. With this campaign, “#CreditTheCreators” we aim to build a strong proposition for acknowledging and honouring the authors and composers of music who spend their lifetime in creating their masterpieces. The way music is consumed has changed significantly over the years. While avenues for distribution and consumption of music has grown manifolds, limited efforts have been made to encourage and acclaim the creators of music.  We are hopeful that through this campaign we will be able to initiate a positive change and will be supported by many to drive the cause.”

New music search from Google

Google stepped onto the internet music stage, unveiling a service for finding, listening to or buying songs online. Google announced an alliance with Lala.com and MySpace-owned iLike at Capitol Records headquarters in Los Angeles that could cut down on the number of mouse clicks it takes to sample or purchase a song on the web.

“We are very excited today to be introducing a music search feature,” Google vice president of search Marissa Mayer said before a demo of the service called OneBox. “The search results will allow you to do a whole song play to verify it is the song you are looking for,” rather than just the 30-second stream typical of most major online music providers.

Agencies