MUMBAI: Salim Merchant, one half of the music composer duo- Salim Sulaiman, is currently judging a couple of singing talent hunt shows including ‘Indian Idol Junior’ and ‘i-genius Young Singing Stars’. The participants for both competitions are kids, and contrary to belief, Merchant feels dealing with kids is not that difficult. Instead, he finds it inspiring and enjoys every second of working with them.

“The primary rule is not to pressure the kids, and just guide them. These participants are very smart and they immediately grasp what you say, so there is no need to pressurise them,” he added. According to Merchant, each participant is very talented, and they all have a strong base in Indian classical music. “The kids listen to Katy Perry, Beyoncé and many more, but they are strong with their ragas, though there are areas where they need to improve. At times, gurus might not teach kids the right way to approach a particular song; this is where we come in,” he explained.

The best way to be a good singer, Merchant said, is to sing different kinds of songs. The ‘Ishqwala Love’ singer feels that every upcoming singer should have a strong base in Indian Classical music so that western music becomes a little easier. “Indian classical music covers a lot of technical aspects so if you have basic knowledge of the same, it could be great. I wish I could learn Indian classical music. As a child I was torn between learning Indian and Western classical music. Also I think every upcoming singer should learn to play an instrument, particularly piano or a guitar, so that musical harmonics get better,” he explained.

Currently, the music composer duo is working on a film project called ‘Wedding Pulav’, which will release in a couple of months. He has also worked with Sukhwinder Singh for a track in ‘Coke Studio at MTV’. The duo will also release a single called ‘Khalipan’, which is about the Army Public School, massacre in Peshawar, Pakistan. Salim Sulaiman is also composing a musical that will be produced by Yash Raj Films, and will soon be seen touring US, Canada and UK for live performances in September and October this year.