Shawn Mendes has ‘dher sara pyaar’ for India, wears Virat Kohli's cricket jersey at first gig in India at Lollapalooza
From wearing Team India jersey to speaking Hindi to Indian fans, singer Shawn Mendes' first concert in India was a major success and delight to his fans
With international music sensations like Ed Sheeran and Coldplay having already taken the stage in the country this year, Indian music fans were treated to power-packed performances by artistes like Shawn Mendes, Glass Animals, Zedd, Cory Wong and more on day one of Lollapalooza.
The multi-genre music festival is in its third edition and has been consistently bringing several international musicians to India. The two-day festival took place in Mahalakshmi Race Course in Mumbai and is powered by BookMyShow.
The highlight of the first day of this concert was Shawn, who won the audiences’ hearts with his music and love for Mumbai’s culture, but more importantly, with his support for India’s cricket team. During his 1 hour and 30 minutes set, the Canadian musician donned Indian cricketer Virat Kohli’s jersey, which made the crowd go wild. Patting the back of his neck and showing off his Virat Kohli jersey to an audience that just couldn’t keep calm, he said, “India, I know you guys have a big, important cricket game tomorrow. Good luck. I hope everything goes well for you.” This was in reference to the final match of the ICC Tournament between India and New Zealand, which will be taking place in Dubai.
The 26-year-old was visiting the country for the first time and had already spent three days in Mumbai exploring the city. Several videos and photos of his trip to the Colaba Causeway market, where he was seen in a baniyan doing some chappal shopping with his team. He also performed his popular song, Señorita, at a music institution in the city.
{{/usCountry}}The 26-year-old was visiting the country for the first time and had already spent three days in Mumbai exploring the city. Several videos and photos of his trip to the Colaba Causeway market, where he was seen in a baniyan doing some chappal shopping with his team. He also performed his popular song, Señorita, at a music institution in the city.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking about his trip, Shawn said, “I have been here for three days and it has been some of the most magical three days of my life. It has been truly special.”
In an attempt to show his love towards his Indian fans, Shawn threw a few Hindi words into the mix. At the beginning of his set, Shawn said, “Dher sara pyaar,” along with “Dhanyawad”. And his fans were no less. The musician, on multiple occasions, was seen shyly smiling when he realised the entire crowd was singing his songs back to him, no prompt needed. Whenever he attempted a guitar solo, the crowds would continue singing the chorus as they just didn’t want him to stop.
As a musical treat, he called on two Indian classical musicians to play the tabla and sitar while he strummed away on his guitar. Shawn said, “Music is something, I find, always unites. I have always had so much love and admiration for India and its musicians. You have one of the truly greatest, most magnificent cultures of music in this entire world. I want to do something special for you guys tonight. [I want to] bring out a couple of musicians… and we are going to do a thing for you guys.” While the idea of international musicians bringing in a few Indian musicians isn’t new, this is one of the few times that classical music was spotlighted on such a stage.
Shawn took the stage and began his set with several of his hit pop numbers, including There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back, Wonder, Treat You Better, and Lost In Japan. He then changed the pace with a few tracks from his new album, Shawn, which he released last year. For these slower numbers like Heart of Gold, Why Why Why, and Who Am I, he brought on his band, including two violin players. In the midst of his set, the musician got off the stage and made his way through the crowd, who thronged the barricades to meet him, take a selfie and just show their love.
