Shalmali Kholgade, Natania Subhi On ‘Mumbai Magic’ With DESI TRILL: ‘Its Like A Theme Song For…’ – News18

DESI TRILL ignites a musical spark with their freshest creation, ‘Mumbai Magic,’ a collaboration that unites pop sensations Natania and Shalmali with the enchanting Hindi-English singer-songwriter Subhi. This anthem pays homage to the vibrant metropolis of Mumbai, breathing life into the city’s essence and spirit.

In the accompanying visual masterpiece, viewers are treated to a glimpse of a quintessential Mumbaikar navigating the chaotic yet captivating streets of Mumbai amidst a bustling traffic scenario. With a touch of creative liberty, the narrative unfolds, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of the city’s inhabitants.

Crafted by DESI TRILL’s visionary DJ LYAN, who previously produced the label’s debut hit Desi Trill, and the talented music collective, The Indian Connect, the song pulsates with a club-ready euphoria that promises to captivate listeners from all walks of life. Through a fusion of diverse musical elements and infectious rhythms, Mumbai Magic, emerges as a vibrant celebration of Mumbai’s spirit, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the pulsating heartbeat of the city’s music and culture.

Speaking exclusively with News18 Showsha, Shalmali, Natania and Subhi professed their love for Mumbai and delved deeper into the making of the song.

Here are the excerpts:

Can you share with us the inspiration behind ‘Mumbai Magic’ and how the collaboration with Natania, Subhi, and Shalmali Kholgade came about?

Shalmali – The song had already been written and composed when Natania called me asking if I’d be interested to jump onto it. To be a part of a hip track about the city that I was born and raised in, was a no brainer. I was in!

How did the creative process unfold while working on this project, and what was the most rewarding aspect of creating ‘Mumbai Magic’?

Natania – The creative process was honestly magical! We heard the beat in the studio and just started singing Mumbai Magic on it and it came together effortlessly! I think the most rewarding aspect was the feeling of nostalgia and singing about a place that shaped me into who I am.

Subhi – I truly had a wonderful time working on this song. It all started in a studio in Los Angeles where we first heard DJ Lyan’s beat and immediately started coming up with ideas. Interestingly we only started writing the song during the Desi Trill Songwriting Camp in London. The creative process was very organic and inspiring as all of us present in the room starting writing the song together. The most rewarding aspect for me is the fact that I got a chance give back to a city that has been a big part of my musical journey. I’m glad to be a part of a project that showcases the magic of Mumbai – both for folks who are from Mumbai and those who are outsiders coming to Mumbai to make it their home.

Shalmali – For me the most rewarding aspect of Mumbai Magic was to get to meet and share in a creative journey with Natania, Subhi and all the lovely folk at Desi Trill.

Each of you brings a unique style and perspective to the track. Could you talk about how your individual backgrounds and music influences contributed to the overall sound and message of the song?

Natania – All 3 of us come from very different musical influences and backgrounds and I think that’s what makes this collaboration so special and unique. I grew up on pop music from Simon and Garfunkel to Britney Spears and I would listen to everything and anything possible. I also was big fan of Bollywood music and dancing to it! So I would say the influence I thrive in is the combination of pop global sounds.

Subhi – What’s beautiful about this track is that each of us come from very different backgrounds and we all have our own stories about how Mumbai shaped us. I had grown up listening to Bollywood music so Mumbai is very much a part of everything I do musically. Being an outsider, I’ve always been fascinated by this city. I visited Mumbai for the first time because I wanted to be a composer/lyricist for Bollywood and I bring my roots into every project I work on.

Shalmali – Even though I’m more popularly known for my Bollywood music, the music that I’ve grown up listening to and write myself is, English and in the space Mumbai Magic is in. As a result, i felt completely at home singing my verse in the song. I stand by the words I singand they’re an integral part of my journey in music.

‘Mumbai Magic’ is described as a tribute to the vibrant spirit of Mumbai. How did the city itself influence the music and lyrics of the song?

Natania – It’s like a love letter to Mumbai! The city is one of a kind with its relentless energy, the traffic, dream chasers and warmth. There truly is magic in mumbai and that’s what we tried to capture in the record.

Subhi – While writing this track, we drew a lot from our own personal experience of being in Mumbai. For me, it was about seeing Mumbai as an outsider. As someone who’s come to this magical land of opportunities to make her dreams come true. Mumbai also has this larger than life persona and I feel the track has melodies that give a larger than life vibe. The track starts with traffic sounds, a very familiar soundtrack for Mumbaikars. Lyrics of the song also specifically cater to this particular city with Kalina to Colaba, Chopati, Maamu, in galiyo se nikalte taare gin, etc..

What are your personal connections to Mumbai, and how did those connections shape your approach to this collaborative project?

Natania – I loved putting things in the lyric like Maggi Masala, Khandala, racing in a rickshaw, Pareesha and Diksha. Pareesha is one of my best friends from the 2nd standard and we grew up together in Mumbai so it was really fun getting to put special moments to me like that in the song.

Subhi – The first time I visited Mumbai it was purely to create music for Bollywood. I have a very emotional bond with this city. So for me, it’s all about fulfilling your desires, achieving something here. Hence, lyrics like ‘Tera yeh Jahaan….Je Le Tu Yahaan’ and ‘Ab Khud ko nahi hai khona, hum udne ko taiyaar hai’ came from that connection with Mumbai.

Shalmali – I had to treat Mumbai Magic as an ode to the city that’s given me the life I live today. From the opportunities that I’ve gotten to the ability to dream big – I’ve experienced it all, having lived in the city all of my life. It just makes the lyric of the song resonate even deeper when you’re performing it.

Could you share a memorable moment or experience from the making of ‘Mumbai Magic’ that stands out to you?

Natania – Making the video with Subhi and Shalmali was such a stand out moment to me. It was a day of pure chaos in the best way possible and it was so empowering getting to

support each other and getting to express ourselves together.

Subhi – It was so much fun doing the music video for this song with two amazing artists and humans, Natania and Shalmali. What I loved about the filming experience was that we showed actual streets of Mumbai. There was no set created for this music video. The experience was purely a Mumbai experience, in an actual neighbourhood in Mumbai, in the middle of all the chaos, with real Mumbaikars around us. It was an incredible experience!

Shalmali – The day I recorded Mumbai Magic, I was flying in from Goa and my flight was delayed by several hours. When I finally got to the studio I was greeted most excitedly and fondly by the Desi Trill fam. But in time I realised that everyone in that room was superbly jet lagged. Natania was one comfortable pillow away from falling asleep. But it was amazing to see how invested everyone in the room was to getting the most out of the session despite being so tired.

As artists under DESI TRILL, how do you balance honoring cultural heritage while also pushing musical boundaries and innovating in the industry?

Natania – I try not to think about it too much while creating music and just let it flow. I’ve been my most inspired self getting to create a mixture of my roots with global eclectic sounds and what’s most exciting about that is something new comes out everytime reminding me that music has no borders or boundaries!

Subhi – While creating music, I am not consciously thinking about balancing my culture with pushing boundaries. I feel real magic happens when we go with the flow. I’m always up for experimenting and trying out new stuff. The one thing I always keep in mind is to be true to myself and my roots. The rest just happens naturally.

What message or feeling do you hope listeners will take away from ‘Mumbai Magic’, and how does it reflect DESI TRILL’s overall vision for music?

Shalmali – We hope that Mumbai Magic becomes the theme song for anyone visiting Mumbai. Something Natania said stuck with me – she said she imagines a person landing into Mumbai, and walking out of the airplane listening to Mumbai magic – which will set the tone for what they’ll experience in the city.

Looking ahead, what can we expect next from DESI TRILL and each of you individually in terms of future projects or collaborations?

Natania – I have so much new music on the way, singles as well as collaborations and I can’t wait to share it with the world!

Subhi – I have been working on tons of new music and cannot wait to get it out to the world. This is a really exciting time for me and for Desi Trill. It’s been a blessing to be a part of this label, to collaborate with amazing artists like Natania and Shalmali and I am looking forward to creating many more songs and collaborations in the near future. I have been developing my new sound and the first single from that is coming out on May 10th. It’s called Billo.

Shalmali – I have a couple of singles to release this year, of which one is co-written by Natania. I also plan to release a 4 track EP sometime later this year. Most of these songs are in English and a couple in Hindi as well.