MUMBAI: Sony Music is proud to announce the release of the new single, ‘Jungli Sher,’ from the rapper, composer and the new face of hip-hop in India, Divine. A first for an Indian artist, the worldwide debut of the video will be on Apple Music on Friday 18th March. The song will be available on YouTube from 25th March.
The new song is written, co-composed and performed by Divine is his life story from the Gullies of Mumbai, representing the voice of the common man.
Produced by Sony Music and helmed by ace director Vandana Kataria, the video was shot on iPhone 6s in 43 locales over four days in Mumbai and will connect with audiences across age groups and demographics, as its either a story listeners have experienced or heard of.
An excited Divine says, “Khiladi mere jungli hain and that is so true! ‘Jungli Sher’ is my story, yours and everyone’s story. I am extremely excited that my team and Sony Music, together, have released this song and through them, it will reach millions of ears. I could not have asked for more, this song is for my people and I really hope listeners everywhere like it.”
Director, Vandana Kataria shares her experience shooting the music video on iPhone 6s, “When I first heard the song, it seemed to speak directly to me as though it were giving a voice to not just me, but all us jungli sher's, who toil day after day in a world and life that gives us little respite. The visualization came from the lyrics itself, it led me to see Divine traverse the length and the breadth of the city, encountering people and situations, that reflect the very gist of the rap”
“Shooting on iPhone allowed us the comfort of shooting across 43 locations spread all over Bombay and made it easy to capture people who would have been frightened by a big camera. The professional quality of the final video is simply stunning, and making use of the Moondog Labs anamorphic adapter formed the very aesthetic of the video”, she adds.
Adding on Rohan Jha, Lead Sony Music Pop, says, “Divine is an exceptional talent who represents the changing face of the Indian music scene. His credibility with fans, a unique cross-over appeal in the music space and enthusiasm to present reality in its raw form without prejudice has established the young rapper as a seemingly unstoppable phenomenon. The video of the same has been entirely shot on the superlative iPhone 6s with 4K capturing ability, and the results on camera are phenomenal. We hope it inspires others to go out there and make great music.”
A local boy from the slums of Mumbai, Divine has crafted his journey from growing up in the streets to now being a poster boy. His award winning 2013 release ‘Yeh Mera Bombay’ went viral and thereafter received exposure on local radio stations across the country. His 2015 summer-smash ‘Mere Gully Mein’ was not only honoured as the ‘Best Video of 2015’ by Rolling Stone Magazine but further established him as one of the premier hip-hop acts that garnered him an international listenership through plays on Beats1. He was also awarded ‘Best New Artist 2015’ by iTunes and Apple Music in India and as one of the top 6 artistes to watch out for in 2016 by the BBC Asian Network.
With him, every song has a premise and every word has a deep rooted meaning and ‘Jungli Sher’ is exactly that. Sony Music signed on Divine in 2015 with an aim to encourage the global urban culture which is not only music, but a lifestyle and an attitude that Divine represents.
Check the song here: https://itunes.apple.com/in/post/idsa.37422bd9-ecd9-11e5-a5ef-95d82eeb2f61