Mumbai’s Sanam woo fans in Dubai debut > IN THE CITY

Around 3,000 fans were treated to some fabulous renditions, including Bollywood cover tunes, at the Mumbaibased band’s Dubai gig

After Sanam’s explosive three-hour concert at the Zabeel Park Amphitheatre on Thursday, October 18, I requested the Mumbai-based band, for an interview. Though the band members were exhausted after delivering a power-packed, non-stop performance, they agreed to chat with me the next day, at Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel.

Around 3,000 people had turned up for the band’s debut concert in Dubai, and they were not disappointed as lead singer Sanam Puri’s mellifluous voice led them to sing along to their interpretation of cover tunes. Most of the fans were already familiar with popular Bollywood numbers, so there was an instant rapport between the band and the audience.

With over 4.7 million online subscribers, Sanam have been tagged as ‘India’s fastest growing Youtube channel’ in 2018. Some of their cover versions like Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi, Lag Ja Gale, O Mere Dil Ke Chain have attracted over 50 million views, but they don’t take the numbers too seriously.

However, Sanam is more than just a cover band. They believe in showmanship and present a well thought-out and rehearsed act.

When asked about the band’s approach to recreating classics, Sanam Puri said, “It is sensitive to touch some of these songs, so we make sure not to go overboard or get carried away. We want to give the songs a modern touch and we put in a lot of thought on how to arrange the music, add instruments, do the vocals, but most importantly, it has to be tasteful.”

“We keep the soul of the songs intact,” added drummer Keshav Dhanraj.

At the concert, two opening acts performed the ever popular song Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, but we didn’t need a second guess to know who slayed it. With the audience already under their spell, Sanam did a rendition of Amr Diab’s Nour El Ain, and there was a collective gasp from the crowd as the band surprised fans with the Arabic track.

When asked about Arabic music, guitarist Samar said, “We listen to Arabic songs and Dubai is one of the few places we can perform them.”

Middle East connection

The band members have a strong connection with the Middle East. Bassist Venky grew up in Dubai and studied Arabic in school. “Then I moved to Muscat and was part of the school band with Samar. His brother, Sanam, used to sing for us. And years later, we came together to form a band in 2010,” Venky shared.

Growing up in the region, the band members were familiar with artists like Amr Diab, Nancy Ajram and Cheb Khaled, and songs like Abdelkader and Nour El Ain are nostalgic pleasures for them .

Though Sanam is a four-piece band, they count their manager, Ben Kurian Thomas, as the fifth member. Sanam Puri said that the band never wanted to get into renditions of Bollywood classics, but it was Thomas who suggested they begin with familiar songs and then move on to making originals.

Relying on digital

Since the beginning, the band stayed away from music labels and relied only on Youtube and digital platforms. “I don’t know what a music label can do that we can’t,” Ben explained.

“I believe because of digital platforms, every artist is a music industry by themselves. We churn out music and invest the money we make back into the production of songs and video.”

The band is aware that they need to give originals an extra push when they release it digitally, having released two originals, Tu Yahan and Sanam Mennu this year,

The band rely heavily on their online presence on Facebook and Instagram to engage with millions of followers. While Keshav is the most active online, Samar is guilty of being aloof for weeks, Venky loves to post about food and Sanam Puri tries his best to post regularly.

The band members may differ on their social media presence, but one thing they agree on is putting out quality content. “If the content is good, it will reach out to millions. If not, we need to rethink about our music. We are very critical about any piece of work,” Samar said. And that is the precise reason why the song Mukhda has been stuck with them for five years!

In Dubai only for a couple of hours more, the boys crave a vegan burger they tried a day before. “We love that Dubai has so many options for vegans,” Sanam wraps up.

I believe because of digital platforms, every artist is a music industry by themselves.” Ben Kurian Thomas