Just as ‘Waka Waka’ built up the frenzy for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the upcoming 35th National Games too will get a theme song featuring names such as Hariharan and Yesudas.
According to the latest bulletin from the National Games Secretariat (NGS), it was decided at a meeting chaired by Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Tribes and Youth Affairs P K Jayalakshmi last week to engage playback singer Hariharan as the composer of the theme song.
The song, which may be released next month after the formation of the next Union Government, is said to be a “fast-paced one full of the sounds of the stadium”.
“Only the tune is being composed now, but the music will be fully that of a sports stadium - the excited cheering of the crowds, the call of ‘on-your-mark’ and so on,” said Soorya Krishnamoorthy, who heads the cultural committee of the Games.
Though the lyrics will only be penned after the tune is ready, it has been decided that the words will be both in Malayalam and Hindi with Yesudas and Hariharan singing, he said.
“We are also on the look-out for a female voice, for which Shreya Ghoshal’s name is being considered. For the lyrics, we have suggested Javed Akhtar but this is yet to be decided,” Krishnamoorthy said.
There will be three versions of the song - a full three-minute one, a 45-second one for the medal ceremony and a 10-second one for television spots, he said.
“We hope to promote the song through the media for at least eight months before the Games,” Krishnamoorthy said.
The conduct of the Games, scheduled for the beginning of this year, has already passed the deadline. It is learnt that the Kerala Olympic Association and the National Games Secretariat may jointly request the Indian Olympic Association to declare a suitable date during January/ February 2015 for holding the Games.