Ricky Kej
Grammy winner
The song I would choose is ‘Infinite Love’ by A. R. Rahman. Even though it is very important to be patriotic to our native countries, I think in today’s age of climate change and global warming, we need to be global in our approach and be patriotic to the Earth as a whole. What we do in our country affects all of humanity. ‘Infinite Love’ is a great example of music and love transcending borders and on this Independence Day, I would like to ask everyone to love and respect not just their country, but their planet as well.
Bruce Lee Mani
Thermal And A Quarter
For me, nothing comes close to absolute patriotism like the National Anthem itself. It’s a slightly sad, sweet melody married with those powerful and moving words. The combination, when performed and executed right can be amazingly stirring.
Nathan Lee Harris
Galeej Gurus
‘We Shall Overcome’ by Peter Seeger because Galeej Gurus did its own music arrangement of the song in both Hindi and English. And ‘Ma Tujhe Salaam’ by A. R. Rahman as we covered it many times in college and also because his music is so universal no matter what language it is in. What invoke the patriotism in them are the lyrics, the tone of the music and it just sets the mood. People must realise that these songs are written from the heart and should be felt and sung so accordingly.
Shalini Mohan
Lagori
This might sound clichéd, but the first song that comes to my mind is ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’. I remember listening to it as a child on Doordarshan. While it invokes patriotism, it also evokes my childhood memories. And the combination of the two leaves me heady whenever I listen to it or watch it. I also remember being in love with the man from Kerala on the elephant. What a lovely smile he has in that shot. Without autotune, pitch correction and visual effects, this song and the video should elicit a sense of realism and untouched beauty, among other amazing things..
Siddharth Abraham
Solder
The A.R. Rahman version of ‘Vande Mataram’ is my pick. Everything about the song, from the tune to the video, gives it such an anthemic feel. It makes you really proud to be part of this great nation. Just talking about it gives me goosebumps. That is the beauty of patriotic songs. No matter when you listen to them, they can invoke a sense of awe for the country across ages.
Willy Demoz
Peepal Tree
My favourite patriotic song is definitely A. R. Rahman’s ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’. I love the music and the groove on which the song has been laid out. But more than any of this, it’s the lyrics that really score. This is one of the few songs where the lyrics make a deep impact on me. The way the lyricist has described Mother India is absolutely beautiful in this song. It not only awakens the love for my country in me but also makes me go back in time reminding me of how Bengaluru used to feel every time I came back home from anywhere abroad. It’s a great composition altogether.
Raghu Dixit
The Raghu Dixit Project
The National Anthem of course! No other musical piece comes close to that. The very second you hear it, the body rises and stands still and the skin gets goosebumps. Irrespective of where you hear it and when you hear it, times seems to stand still and the heart and mind are filled with the pride and gratitude to be born in such an amazing country.
