A collaborative project between Dia Mirza, Sahil Sangha&Wildlife
Trust of India to release India’s First WILD ANTHEM to celebrate and conserve our
biodiversity
Dia Mirza and Sahil Sangha’s `Born
Free Entertainment’ in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India(WTI)has
brought together some of India’s finest voices for a project titled ‘Mere Desh
Ki Zameen’- India’s first WILD ANTHEM with the mission to conserve wildlife and
its habitat in India.
The song is composed by Clinton Cerejo, lyrics by Prasoon
Joshi and sung by Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Benny Dayal, Vishal Dadlaniand
Clinton Cerejo. The concept has been designed and produced by Born Free
Entertainment.
The trackcelebrates India’s biodiversity by showcasing its
very best; with the hope to instil an infallible sense of pride and true love
for our natural bounty, one that we are blessed to have.
Speaking on the release, an elated Dia Mirza said, “‘This was
my dream. To give India a Wild Anthem, a song that would be a celebration of
all that is most incredible about our home, our land. I am so grateful to
everyone who is a part of the anthem for coming forward and giving it nothing
but love.”
Lyricist Prasoon Joshi says, “At times, we take the most
important things in our life for granted and they almost merge in the everyday
backdrop. We forget to count our blessings and feel the sense of gratitude for
them. The same is true about our Wildlife and this anthem tries to strike that
chord with all of us reminding us about how mother nature has bestowed her love
upon us. Dia Mirza with her sensitivity and tenacity has taken a remarkable
initiative towards the cause of Wild Life in India. My thoughts and words would
have been incomplete without Clinton’s simple yet intricate composition.
Working with this team and Born Free Entertainment has been a wonderful
experience and I hope the cause resonates with many.”
Says Shreya Ghosal, “We are so blessed to be born in a
country which has the most beautiful and magical wildlife in the entire world.
The variety is simply incredible. They truly are wonders of nature and we must
do everything in our capacity to protect them from any harm. For the first time
ever, an anthem has been created to celebrate the amazing wildlife of India and
watching the visuals in this video gives you goose bumps. I was so thrilled to work on “Mere Desh Ki
Zameen”. The passion that has gone in creating this song and the video is truly
inspiring. Dia Mirza and Sahil Sangha have worked tirelessly to put it all
together and bring the most amazing music makers Clinton Cerejo and Prasoon
Joshi together to create this beautiful song. I am so happy to sing it along
with the best in the music industry Sunidhi, Vishal, Benny and Clinton!! Thank
you WTI and Born Free for making me a part of this initiative.”
Vishal Dadlani says, ‘"Sometimes it feels like humankind
is losing out on the glory and splendour of the world around us, simply by
being too self-involved. I'm really glad to be part of this project, that draws
us into the beauty of the natural bounty that India is blessed with. Here's
hoping that the message carries, and that people stop to listen, and grow to
love, value and treasure nature and India's rich and diverse wildlife."
Sundhi Chauhan adds, “It gives me so much pride and joy to
lend my voice to such a wonderful and important cause! As a new mother myself,
I hope my child grows to witness the beauty and splendour of Wild India and an
Incredible Planet. Working with Dia and Sahil, singing this song, which is so
beautifully written by Prasoon Joshi along with Vishal, Shreya, Benny and
Clinton will remain cherished memories forever.”
Benny Dayal says, “This is the most important initiative of
today. To live harmoniously alongside the wildlife of our country is a
necessity. This is not our space. It’s their space we are living in. Hence, we
must respect their existence to the utmost.”
Says song composer Clinton Cerejo, “'I’m so thrilled to have
had the opportunity to work with the Wildlife Trust of India and use my talent
for a cause such as this. I often feel that as media professionals, our circle
of influence is wide and far reaching and we don’t do enough, cause we’re
always too wrapped up moving from one project to the next. I’ve had a long
working relationship with Sahil and Dia for many years. And when they
approached me to work on this I said yes without a moment’s hesitation as I’ve
always loved being a part of their projects. When I met Vivek Menon at my studio
I was genuinely blown with the man’s humility given the monumental impact he
has had on wildlife in our country. He educated me so much in just one
afternoon, that it completely changed my outlook towards our national heritage
and made me so much more aware. I’m extremely happy to be a part of this
great movement even in a small measure.”
Devraj Sanyal,
MD & CEO, Universal Music Group India and SouthAsia said,“At Universal
Music Group, we take `giving back’ seriously whether it is to the community or
nature and I strongly believe that musiccan play a huge role in this. We are
proud to partner the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and my dear friend Dia Mirza
to take this beautiful song to the world. Sung by my closest buds Vishal,
Shreya, Sunidhi & Benny, this Wild Anthem was sorely needed, especially for
the next generation who will lead the charge for conservation of our country’s
natural beauty. My teams and I are committed to this cause and we will ensure that
the beautiful message of this project travels far and wide across our country
through the song “Mere Desh Ki Zameen”.
Our country India,
is home to the most beautiful diversity of flora and fauna. The largest
number of Asiatic Lions, Tigers and Asian Elephants that are found in the world
reside here, and from our mountains and rivers to our forests and plains, we
boast of an ecological diversity that is rare and distinct. Our plants,
animals and landscapes all have a rich history and cultural relevance that have
influenced our way of life since early. It is imperative that we continue to
cherish the beauty of our wild and fight to preserve it for the generations to
come.
“Mere Desh Ki Zameen” is out now across all digital services
exclusively on UMG
About Wildlife Trust of India (WTI):
Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is a leading Indian nature
conservation organisation committed to the service of nature since the last 20
years.With a mission to conserve wildlife and its habitat and to work for the
welfare of individual wild animals, in partnership with communities and
governments. WTI’s team of around 150 professionals work on several
conservation projects across the country. Through these, they endeavor to
achieve their Vision of a secure natural heritage of India.
About Universal Music India:
Universal Music India Pvt. Ltd. (UMIPL) is a 100% subsidiary
of the Universal Music Group (UMG) and is home to record labels such as A&M
Records, Blue Note Records, Capitol Records, Capitol Records Nashville,
Caroline, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophone, Emarcy, Geffen
Records, Interscope Records, Island Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville,
Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal
Music Latino, Verve Music Group, Virgin Records, Virgin EMI Records.
UMIPL has an extremely rich Indian catalogue comprising songs
from classic Hindi and Regional Films, IndiPop, Bhangra, Ghazals and
Devotional. It’s enviable catalogue includes artistes such as Asha Bhosle, Anup
Jalota, Bombay Vikings, Jagjit Singh, JoSh, Malkit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Panjabi
MC, Raghav, Mohit Chouhan, Euphoria, Adnan Sami, Rabbi Shergill, Rahat Fateh
Ali Khan to name a few. UMIPL’s `film’ catalogue (the 2nd largest in India)
spans music from blockbusters such as Sholay, Qurbani, Amar Akbar Anthony,
ChoriChoriChupkeChupke, Devdas and Munnabhai MBBS amongst the numerous jewels
which symbolize the musical journey from the 70’s to date. On the International
music front, UMIPL are the clear market leaders with artistes such as ABBA, Bon
Jovi, Bryan Adams, Enrique Iglesias, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Justin
Bieber, Katy Perry, The Beatles, UB40, Deep Purple, Enigma, Norah Jones,
Deadmau5, The Chemical Brothers, amongst host of others, popular music icons
and household names in India.
