There was a stretch in the mid-1990s when Indian pop lived in college corridors, on TV music channels, and in dedications on radio shows. Somewhere in that pop haze stood singer and composer Leslee Lewis. Today, he is back, but this time as a playback singer in the upcoming Hindi film Zorr.
(L-R) Leslee Lewis with Hariharan
On paper, it reads like a comeback. But to Lewis, voicing Zorr Ka Dhakka for Kan Singh Sodha’s zombie horror-comedy was organic. “I never left music. Over the last two decades, I was composing, producing, touring internationally, creating independent projects,” he told mid-day.
A still from ‘Zorr’
When composer Raju Singh approached him for the song, the singer understood his vision immediately. “Raju Singh knew the energy he wanted. The lyrics were sharp; they spoke about how we are all corporate zombies today. That metaphor added depth.”
Leslee Lewis’s only brush with Bollywood was the song, ‘Dekho 2000 Zamana Aa Gaya’, from Aamir Khan’s ‘Mela’ (2000)
One will rarely find Lewis’s voice in Bollywood films. But his voice and creations dominated India’s indie music scene in the mid 1990s and early 2000s. Remember Colonial Cousins, the band he formed with Hariharan, giving us songs like Krishna and Sa Ni Dha Pa? Does he feel that he is a forefather to today’s indie artistes? He reflected, “We never built playgrounds. We built identity. We were creating music with conviction. The fact that Colonial Cousins is still discussed proves it is immortal. We did not create trends or reels. We created music with [the idea] of blending classical roots with global sound without losing soul. Good music does not expire.”
His conviction in his music led to several pop hits, including Yaaron and Jaanam Samjha Karo. But his most pivotal move came in the 2010s, when he helmed the first season of MTV Coke Studio in India. “The first season had 51 songs [recorded] in 40 days, all live, one take,” he recalled. “If someone made a mistake, we redid the entire song. Artistes loved that honesty. Sunidhi Chauhan learnt Assamese to sing authentically with an Assamese singer. That dedication matters.”