What do you get when two American YouTube musicians come to Mumbai and meet two Indian YouTube musicians? An epic mashup video of A.R. Rahman’s ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ from Dil Se , and Michael Jackson’s ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’. The music video, featuring Kurt Schneider, Sam Tsui, Shankar Tucker and Vidya Iyer, has gone viral; even Shah Rukh Khan loves it. The actor, who danced atop a train in the original video of ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’, shared the mashup on Twitter and Facebook, saying, “How capital is this....enjoyed it.”
Music producer Kurt Schneider and singer Sam Tsui were in India for the YouTube FanFest, when they decided to shoot this video. The duo is well known for their medleys and collaborations on their YouTube channels. Shankar Tucker, whose covers of Indian classical music are widely popular on his channel, TheShrutiBox, gives a unique touch to the mashup with his clarinet. Vidya Iyer, whose recent mashup of Ellie Goulding’s ‘Love Me Like You Do’ and ‘Hosanna’ from Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa garnered quite some attention, sings the Chaiyya Chaiyya part, while Sam pays tribute to Michael Jackson with his near-perfect rendition.
Fusing one of Bollywood’s greatest hits with a classic MJ song might have been a risky move, but it pays off in this catchy mashup. The colourful video has been shot entirely in Mumbai and shows the four of them singing and dancing their way across graffitied streets, vegetable markets, terraces and the sea link. They frequently break into thumkas, and even show off their grooves in an auto. With over three lakh views on YouTube in three days, this Indian-American collaboration is making waves on social media, with a majority of the reactions being overwhelmingly positive. This foot-tapping fusion is sure to get you humming and grooving!