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British-Swiss Tanya Wells is internet’s new favourite non-desi Punjabi singer!
A rendition of the hit track Mundian To Bach Ke by Punjabi MC has been sung by British-Swiss singer Tanya Wells and Brazilian guitarist Paulo Vinícius. As the Insta clip goes viral, Tanya shares the story behind this widely shared Reel, and feels overwhelmed with the positive response coming her way.
A Punjabi song request for a wedding in Italy, a language that neither of the two artistes of a band can speak, and 2.5 million people watching anyway. Seven Eyes, a music duo featuring British-Swiss singer Tanya Wells and Brazilian guitarist Paulo Vinícius, has caught the attention of the internet for the foreigner’s impeccable Punjabi accent while singing Mundiya To Bach Ke by Punjabi MC; despite claiming they do not speak the language. Their viral clip, with over 2M views, shows Tanya remarking at the start of the Reel: “We do not speak Punjabi but we have been asked to perform this song at a wedding, so let’s step it up.” Soon they started jamming to the song, making it an endearing and fun watch.
Speaking to HT City, from her home in Brazil (South America), Tanya seems to be still riding the wave as she says: “We are to perform at a Sikh wedding in Italy in a few days, and they want us to sing some peppy Punjabi tracks. So we chose to perform Mundian Toh Bach Ke by Punjabi MC because when you look up popular Punjabi wedding songs, this one is right on the top. Punjabi weddings are grand, and this song has been a phenomenon... We started listening to it on repeat while trying to slow down the lyrics, and honestly it’s so much fun to sing on a bhangra beat. You just cannot not move. But, to be honest, we can proudly say that we have now gotten even better than what you see in the video.”
Reading the actual translation mid-practice, she admits, was comical in itself. “I had no idea what the lyrics meant and when I finally looked them up I was like — wait, this is what we have been rehearsing so seriously?! The Punjabi audience in the comments found that equally hilarious,” she says with a chuckle.
About the comments, which has been overwhelming, the singer feels: “My friends in India have been calling me up to say that ‘They love you both’ which is so cute! The best comment I have seen so far is that ‘I am a Punjabi and hardcore lover of Punjabi music’ and there was another one stating, To see a non-desi perform this classic has made my day’,” she shares, adding, “When you post, you don’t think you will go viral. But, Bhangra is one genre that always gives joy and it’s so cool to see that people are finding our rendition equally fun. The response from audience especially the Punjabis has been incredible! It’s warm, funny and so full of love.”
Interestingy, for Tanya, India has never really been a foreign territory. “I went to school for three years in Dharamshala between the age of six and nine. It was such an amazing time. I look back at it as one of the most profound experiences of my life,” she says.
Trained in Indian Classical vocals, at the Sahaja Yoga Meditation Centre in Dharamshala, she says her love for Sufi music has kept pulling her back to the subcontinent. Her music listening spans across Hindi, Marathi, Urdu and even Sanskrit languages. “Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty is my greatest influences,” says Tanya for whom Punjabi music is the newest found territory. She exclaims: “We are now wanting to take up the challenge of performing more Punjabi tracks as this has only made us hungry for more!”
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