Pop artist Maahi. Photo: Courtesy of Saregama
When pop artist Maahi was promoting his September release “Tere Saath,” he made a Reel about how anyone could use it to ask someone out. Inching closer to a million streams on Spotify much like his previous singles “Jaadugari” and “Sorry,” it’s likely that it worked for someone.
In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Maahi laughs when asked if he’s got any fans writing in that “Tere Saath” worked for them. “I heard a few friends sent it to their already-established girlfriends so I’m not sure that counts. But otherwise, I’d like to think at least one person got their ‘Tere Saath’ sorted with that Reel. I did get some great feedback about a lot of people using ‘Sorry’ to say sorry successfully. I may have used it a few times myself,” he says.
It helps to a good degree that not only is Maahi releasing these songs via a major label like Saregama, but he also has the mentorship of pop and Bollywood singing star Shaan, his father. Maahi calls it an “incredible opportunity” to release music with a big label early on in his career. “It’s now on me to make the most of it […] I think it’s also important to acknowledge the privilege, which I am very fortunate and blessed to have,” he adds.
On the back of releasing just a handful of songs which have all racked up several millions of streams in total, Maahi recently performed at the conference and showcase festival All About Music in Mumbai, later heading on to play a college gig in Sonipat earlier this month. At All About Music, Maahi says he got to speak to fellow musicians as well as industry executives that he looks up to. “I think it’s especially important to be well informed and updated on how the industry is evolving,” he says.
Another source of mentorship, of course, comes from Shaan, who has been India’s beloved voice for pop songs like “Tanha Dil” in the late Nineties and early 2000s and tons of Bollywood hits in the last two and a half decades. Maahi says, “Dad is really influential in a lot of my learning about not only the art form but also about the industry.” Shaan is mostly fielding questions from Maahi about navigating “the highs and lows of this profession,” the artist says. He adds, “Thankfully, he’s always there to give me insight. One thing I’ll share that he’s spoken to me quite a bit is about maintaining your identity through your music. It’s easy to sort of lose yourself in your music trying to follow trends and whatnot, but dad always helps me ensure that there is always a personal and genuine feeling about all music that comes out.”
There’s a familiar yet refreshing quality to Maahi’s vocals on the songs released so far, which is perhaps why he can garner a lot of love, especially from younger listeners. After the college gig in Sonipat, Maahi and his band will perform in Lucknow on Oct. 27 as part of the festival La Flea Affair. The artist said prior to his gigs that he’d been working on a “big live set” to take to stages. “For me, live performance is where the most passion is, so [I’m] working extra hard to bring that forward as soon as possible,” he adds.
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