Shalmali Kholgade: The end verse of the song is crucial and I call it an ode to music

Shalmali Kholgade’s journey in Hindi cinema began six years ago when she sang her debut song Pareshaan (Ishaqzaade). Since then she has carved a niche for herself with chartbusters like Aga Bai (Aiyaa), Daru Desi (Cocktail), Balam Pichkari (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) and Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai (Sultan), among others. The 28-year-old singer says she wanted to write and compose her own songs even before she entered the industry. "When someone comes to you with a song, even though you sing it, it’s not your own," she reasons. 

However, she had to put that idea on hold for some time due to her hectic work commitments. She finally realised her dream with her latest song, Spark a Fire. Composed by Sunny MR, the pop song was penned by Shalmali and her friends — singers Riya Duggal, Simran Duggal, Pratiksha Kale and Neha Tawde — in English. It was launched on Shalmali’s YouTube channel coinciding with the World Music Day. 

The young singer is excited about her song and says, "I’m really lucky to have discovered these four young ladies —Riya, Simran, Pratiksha and Neha — who are part of this project. We all share a common interest in composing songs. So when we started to write, I suggested that we pen a verse each without worrying about the beat or the genre. Our emphasis was on songwriting. We had a fundamental structure to stick to, after which our composer Sunny MR put it together. This melody is everything that music has done for us. The end verse of the song is crucial and I call it an ode to music."

The lyrical video of Spark a Fire and an inside look into the efforts that went into making it has also been released on Shalmali Kholgade’s YouTube channel.