KOCHI: After his instant hit singles ‘Thani Malayalam’ and ‘Aalayal Thara Veno’, musician Sooraj Santhosh recently released ‘Banarasiya’, his first tryst with the Hindi language and second track from the album ‘The Gypsy Sun’. Self-composed and set in Banaras, the song has been widely embraced by music aficionados for its soothing notes and spirited visuals.
According to Sooraj, the song is an ode to the river Ganga. “Banaras is one of my favourite places. Gazing at the Ganga calms me immediately. The river is bathed in various moods at different hours, allowing me to connect them to my life. Being a space which gives me time for introspection, the track is rather personal,” says Sooraj. He has also collaborated with rapper Insanoid for the track.
“I felt hip-hop would add more authenticity to the song. Insanoid’s contribution has elevated the song,” he says. Pooja Yogesh Tripathi has written the lyrics of ‘Banarasiya’. “We thought the crux of the song would
be conveyed better if sung in Hindi. The first four lines are written by Anjana and me. Singing in Hindi was a pleasant experience,” Sooraj says.
Shot last year, the music video was directed by Goutham Soorya and Syamaprakash M S. “The scenes weren’t planned prior. Banaras is a confluence of diverse cultures, lifestyles, and high spirits. We fall in love with the streets and lose ourselves to the magic of river Ganga,” says Sooraj.
He’s currently working on the third track of the album, which is based on ‘Hari Nama Keerthanam’ by Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan. “The album is based on my experiences between 2015 and 2018,” he adds.