The Holi Drumroll: Must-have songs on your playlist for the festival

From Balam Pichkari to Rang Barse Indians musicians pick out their favourite Holi numbers and tell us why they love listening to them.

Holi is all about music and masti, and the entertainment industry has given us many tunes for the colourful occasion. We speak to Indian musicians, and what their favourites are.

Indian musicians pick their favourite Holi numbers for the festival.

Harshdeep Kaur:
Since childhood I have heard Rang Barse Bheege Chunarwali (Silsila,1981) play out on loud speakers every year, at every Holi party. The folkish melody is so catchy that you cant stop but sing and dance along with it, and also because it features my idol Mr. Bachchan.

Raftaar:
My all time favourite number has to be Balam Pichkari (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani,2013) because it’s my wife’s favourite song, and it was during Holi that Komal and I met for the first time, and we connected on this song. This year I’ll be playing Holi in Dubai but if I’m at home Holi is generally a family affair.

Jeet Gannguli:
Rang Barse is one of my favourite songs. I don’t know why but this song is always on top of my mind around the season of Holi. Some many new Holi songs have come, but yet for me this tops my list. It’s an amazing song. There has actually not been one Holi party without this song. Back in days also we used blast this song from our music systems at least two-three times while playing Holi.

Jubin Nautiyal:
I love the semi classical number- Radhika ki Holi, from Benaras, by Channu Lal Misra, It’s about how Radhika is playing Holi. It’s beautiful, it’s real, it’s love.I learnt it when I travelled to Benaras to learn different colours of music, it’s a song about how Radhika is plotting to put colours on Nandlaal — that’s our Krishna. I love it because it made me so happy to learn something so beautiful, and now I sing it to the kids in my family on Holi.

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