It is a song with classical bandish and hip-hop genre fusion to it: Vanitaa Pande

Vanitaa Pande, after a successful collaboration with Saregama two years back with ‘Charkha Chanan Da’, has released her latest track ‘Saiyaan Jee’. The song is a fusion between classical music and Hip Hop, rap duties taken over by Mellow D and the music is by Hiten Sharma. With lyrics by Raas & Mellow D and video by Salem Khan, the song is catching up fast with audiences. We had an interaction with here and below are the excerpts:

How did ‘Saiyaan Jee’ collaboration come about?

I got the raw track of the song, and it had an incredible vibe which I got hooked on to. We got Hiten Sharma on board, famous for Paani Paani song and many more. He created the song, but we wanted something more to it. I met Mellow at a party, and we instantly knew that he has to be on board. He liked the song and created his rap verse; it had a new dimension to the song altogether. The result is ‘Saiyaan Jee’, it is a song with classical bandish and hip-hop genre fusion to it.

Watch the song here:

What is the impact of two different art forms coming together for ‘Saiyaan Jee’?

Young generation is not too much into classical music. With Hip Hop in the mix, it catches attention of the younger generation too. Having said that, classical music is, in many forms, in our DNA. The fusion is pretty organic and brings a beautiful song for people to vibe to.

How long was the process of making this song?

It took us about a year to create this song. We had the scratch and then Hiten came on board. There were some deliberations about bandish, which creatively (to put in place) took some time. Then there was a feeling that something is missing, whether to add a male voice too to the song, if it should be a rapper then who. Then Mellow came on board, he created his verse and added a layer to the song. From start to finish, it took time of about a year to complete this song.

How was the experience of working with Saregama?

It has been incredibly beautiful. I had worked with them about two years back and had opportunity from several platforms to work with this time around. I came back to Saregama and like earlier, they went an extra mile with Neha Malhotra, Khushi, Siddhant and more putting their best foot forward. They have been putting so many efforts in terms of marketing of my song, means a lot to me as an artist who is new in this industry.

What in your view are similarities/connect between Hip Hop and Classical music?

I have started learning singing 6 years back and I always wanted to be in front of camera. Having been a student of classical music genre, I can definitely say that both are art forms that come from within. Maa Saraswati is the one who blesses both Classical Music and Hip Hop artists. That commonality will always stay.

What do you think about the impact of social media on artists?

Social media is surely a platform which gives you reach but today there is an added pressure of working on your social media engagement. A lot of times, artists get exhausted by the likes and views on social media which distract them from their focus on the real art form. Social media may not be the most authentic world too. Real artists don’t really bother about social media for gratification.

What can we look forward to from you and Saregama more going ahead?

We have recorded two beautiful love songs which have a very peppy vibe to them. Recording has been done and we are looking to work on the video production side of the track. Also, post ‘Saiyaan Jee’ and the kind of reception it is getting, there is an added responsibility to come up with a better track. I just hope to receive love from audience for the upcoming songs too.

Do you look to perform live anytime soon?

2024 will be about creating a live set. I am in the process of setting up a band for myself and to come on stage. Live performance is something that is missing from my repertoire, and I would like to make that happen too.

Well, so here it is, Vanitaa Pande, sharing her thoughts and giving us a glimpse of what’s to come in 2024. Since we are still in 2023, let’s keep streaming ‘Saiyaan Jee’ as we wait for her next moves!