Citing a drastic increase in piracy, six leading singers have come together for a song that they hope will encourage Indians to buy original music instead of illegally downloading it. Composed and conceived by Shamir Tandon, the track is titled ‘Salaami ho jaye…’. It features Sonu Nigam, Shankar Mahadevan, Kailash Kher, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shaan and Mohit Chauhan, who have collaborated for a song for the first time. Shamir explains his concept, saying, “We don’t go to a store and rob TV sets or T-shirts. Nor do we leave restaurants without paying for our food. But we steal music and don’t respect that someone needs to be paid for it. This song doesn’t teach or preach. It just creates awareness that one must pay their dues to the artistic fraternity.” The composer adds that his tune, penned by Niket Pande, is a tribute to not only musicians, but to the entire creative fraternity.

Sunidhi, the only female vocalist on the track, chimes in, “It’s a very sensitive issue for all musicians, so obviously I didn’t hesitate even once when Shamir called me. I hope we can put forth the message in a very polite way.” The singer adds, “Most people are innocent and don’t know the difference an original makes. This is a subtle way to let them know that a lot of hard work is put in a project. So, it needs appreciation.”

The song, produced by Universal Music, will be released by the end of the month.