Music mosaic in 2018

Rehashes to regional sounds, here’s all that the soundscape had in store this year

Updated : Dec 28, 2018, 06:05 AM IST

Music in Bollywood had an interesting mix in 2018. The year was dominated by remixes — those of film songs such as Dilbar in Satyameva Jayate (from Sirf Tum, 1999), qawwali Rashke Qamar (Raid) and Punjabi pop hit: Guru Randhawa’s High Rated Gabru (Nawabzaade). A number of playback singers explored the non-film space, while movies got indie artistes for their soundtracks, too. Hip hop continued to trend (one also has Ranveer Singh’s Gully Boy to look forward to next year) and there were regional flavours in good measure as well. A quick round-up...

REMIXES AND REMAKES

While Aankh Marey in Rohit Shetty’s upcoming flick Simmba is the latest remixed version of a song (from the 1996 film Tere Mere Sapne), there have been a number of others in 2018, too. Ek Do Teen (Baaghi 2), Ruk Ruk Ruk (Helicopter Eela), Aashiq Banaya Aapne (Hate Story IV), Gazab Ka Hai Din (Dil Junglee) and Dilbar were just some of them. There have been other recreations such as Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Nit Khair Manga and Rashke Qamar in Raid and Tere Bin in Simmba, which already found a place on the album of Kachche Dhaage (1999) and was rendered by Lata Mangeshkar.

REGIONAL SOUNDS

Melodies from different parts of India found favour with music listeners this year. Whether the Kashmiri wedding folk song Dilbaro (Raazi) or the soundtrack of Laila Majnu, Zingat (Dhadak) from Marathi movie Sairat, Punjabi beats in Namaste England or Gujarati music in LoveYatri (Chogada, Rangtaari) and Mitron (Sanedo and Kamariya), Bollywood adapted melodies from non-Hindi territories.

MORE INDIE ARTISTES IN FILM MUSIC

Electronic music producer Nucleya composed Paintra for Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaz, sung by hip hop artiste DIVINE. Saansein in Karwaan was created and sung by Prateek Kuhad as was Kadam. The movie also had indie artistes Imaad Shah and Saba Azad of Madboy/Mink fame contribute with Bhar De Mera Glass. YouTube sensation Shirley Setia had a track, Na Chah Ke Bhi, in 5 Weddings.

SINGLES BY BOLLYWOOD SINGERS

Bollywood singers decided to go the non-film way, too. And from the lot, Neha Kakkar seems to have had the biggest year with as many as seven releases — La La La (featuring Arjun Kanungo), Oh Humsafar, Nikle Currant (with Jassi Gill), Zindagi Mil Jayegi, Dil Chahiye, Dilwaliye and Makhana, all of which got her millions of views on YouTube.

Golmaal Again hitmaker Aditi Singh Sharma made her debut in private music space with Aaja Ve Mahi, while Ankit Tiwari had BeyPinjara and Armaan Malik had Ghar Se Nikalte Hi, as Kanika Kapoor’s Cheater Mohan and Jubin Nautiyal’s Humnava Mere were among many such releases.

HIGH ON HIP HOP

Hip hop hustlers have been sought after for the past couple of years. And 2018 saw a big bang in the genre, with gully boy DIVINE singing Paintra and Raja Kumari lending voice to Allah Duhai Hai (Race 3) as well as Husn Parcham (Zero). Punjabi munde Yo Yo Honey Singh (Chote Chote Peg for Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety and Billionaire in Baazaar among others) and Badshah (Stree’s Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe, Proper Patola and Bhare Bazar in Namaste England, etc) had a field day while rapper Raftaar with AndhaDhun title track as well as Mantoiyat (Manto) and Ikka in Kem Cho (Baazaar), Dilbar and Kamariya (Mitron), were also heard.