Atif Aslam goes the EDM way

Popular Pakistani musician Atif Aslam gave his band a miss and teamed up with DJ Chetas to churn out electronic dance music (EDM) for his over 6,000 fans here on Sunday.

Aslam, known for his rock songs and Bollywood soundtracks, was here for Royal Stag MTV Bollyland -- a series of multi-city music concerts that bring together popular Bollywood numbers with heady electronic beats.

"Royal Stag is proud of its continued association with the music fraternity in India. In a very short span of time, Royal Stag Barrel Select MTV Unplugged has already made an indelible mark on the music scene in India.

"Royal Stag MTV Bollyland is yet another great platform for the young music lovers in the country who love Bollywood and EDM at the same time," Raja Banerji, assistant vice president (Marketing), Pernod Ricard India, told IANS.

"We believe that the Indian music industry is going through a phase of experimental fusion. The growing popularity of EDM has given rise to a new era of experimentation. This scintillating multi-city music tour will ensure that music enthusiasts across the nation can experience the live performance of some of the best Bollywood singers and the greatest mash-up DJs and experience the magic of Bollywood and heady electronic beats together," he added.

Amidst tight security, the evening started with Anurag Mishra, winner of Royal Stag Make It Large contest, Indore edition, singing "Pichle saat dinon mein" from Farhan Akhtar-starrer "Rock On!!".

"In line with the brand philosophy - 'It's your life, Make it Large', Royal Stag Make it Large contest is an endeavour to provide the aspiring singers from various parts of the country, a perfect opportunity to showcase their talent and live the brand promise of 'dream and achieve'," said Banerji.

Mishra soon gave way to rapper Hard Kaur, who turned up in a loose blingy top with fitted pants and shades, which she later threw into the audience. She belted out her hit songs like "Sadda dil vi tu (Ga ga ga Ganpati)", "Move your body" and "Ek glassy". To energise the audience, the rapper with roots in Punjab, also cracked a few jokes.

She also shared that she was delighted to be here.

"I've been to Indore so many times...for wedding or corporate events. We don't get to come here and do shows like these. I feel lucky," she said.

Post her entertaining act, DJ Chetas took over. The strong emphasis on visual experiences like video and lighting and the tracks played by the DJ made music lovers get up, dance and enjoy every beat.

Fondly known as the king of mash-up, the DJ made the audience groove to numbers like "Chitiya kalaiya", "Galliyan", "Balam pichkari" and the club anthem "Baby Doll".

Soon the electronic beats got replaced by the soothing voice of Aslam, dressed in white and blue outfit, and his guitar. The 32-year-old, who has been touring with his band across the globe for years, was seen alone on the stage with his guitar and singing songs like "Pehli nazar mein" and "Aadat".

After a few numbers, he was joined by DJ Chetas on stage and the duo set the stage on fire.

They performed on Aslam's hit Bollywood songs like "Jeena jeena", "Be intehaan" and "Tu jaane na".

Aslam, who has performed in Indore twice, ended the concert on an emotional note by extending his condolence to relatives of victims of quake-hit Nepal.

(The writer's trip is at the invitation of Pernod Ricard India. Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at Natalia.n@ians.in)