Bappi’s answer to Slumdog

No, I’m not cashing in on Slumdog Millionaire’s success, my album will be an answer to the movie,” says the colourful Bappi Lahiri about his new album, Slumstars, which will have the composer mix sounds from the slums

No, I’m not cashing in on Slumdog Millionaire’s success, my album will be an answer to the movie,” says the colourful Bappi Lahiri about his new album, Slumstars, which will have the composer mix sounds from the slums. “I want to show that India is not just about poverty, corruption and that the kids from our slums will become Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar one day.”

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The album has a global connection. “I’ve made it for an international company. It will be released by DJ Paul Devro, who will remix the tracks,” says the composer known as Bappida. “I’ve recorded six tracks with children from Mumbai slums. I want their voices heard throughout the world.” The worldwide release is in April, and in May in India.

Bappida plans to rope in the Oscar-nominated singer MIA aka Maya Arulpragasam, who has sung for Suumdog, to sing for Slumstars, too. “My song Jimmy Jimmy was remixed and that remix was sung by MIA. It was among chart-toppers all over the world.” While he insists that the album has nothing to do with Slumdog’s popularity and is instead “an answer to it,” he diplomatically adds, “But I don’t mean to criticise Slumdog in any way.”