The musical jodi

For over 10 years, Hari and Sukhmani have been delivering hit songs tuned with fresh and eclectic sounds with ambient electronics. The talented duo met back in 2008, and folk music became the common link for them. Ever since then, they have produced multiple hit songs such as Baagay, Latthau Di Chaaday, Challa, Madhaniyan and many more.  

Talking about how they ventured into music, Hari says, “Ever since I was a kid I was into music. It is not something that our family was doing professionally, but my personal interest in music has stayed alive from my school to this day.”

The lively tunes of folk and Sufi music are something Sukhmani grew up with. She elaborates, “At home, my Nanima (grandmother) and mother both sang! In their shadow, I developed my love and passion for it.” The interesting part about Sukhmani is that she was always a shy kid and she was never able to sing in front of people. But much like all our grandmothers, her nani ma used to force her to sing in front of house guests. “When DDLJ came out and people used to sing tujhe dekha to ye jana sanam,”, reveals Sukhmani, “I realised I am much better than them and maybe I can think of singing as a serious career option! That’s where it all started. Later on, I took up music as a subject in college. “

One of the biggest challenges that both Hari and Sukhmani faced was to be true to the music they produce. Hari says, “In the beginning when we used to perform, there were a lot of times when people demanded fast songs. This became a common struggle for us, because that kind of music is not our forte. Our style was Sufi, but we could never play it.”  However, Hari admits that they were lucky enough to be showered by love from many people – and after all, is impossible to please everyone.

Fame caught up to the duo fast. Today, Hari and Sukhmani are well-known names that always pop up when talking about Punjabi folk music.

What is the song that Sukhmani loves to sing the most? Without hesitation, she mentions Madhaniyan and Challa. “If someone asks me to sing a song, the ones which instantly pops up are Madhaniyan and Challa. In fact, often when Hari and I are travelling in an airplane and hear the sound of the engine, we both suddenly start singing Challa! The engine sound matches the song.” She laughs. On the other hand, for Hari, Jugni is the one song that he likes to sing a lot because of its character and energy.

Talking about criticism and how they take it, Hari reveals that it’s the same way that they face appreciation. Always with the pinch of salt, because in the end, the duo aspires to be challenged.

Sukhmani further elucidates, “If someone has something to say about our music, we understand their point of view as well, because everyone can’t like the kind of music we play. Criticism makes you better.” She also adds, “Someone told me never to criticize your self so much that people do not understand your art.”

The musical pair recently performed at a star hotel in Delhi.

Touching upon the future of this urban folk band, both Hari and Sukhmani say that the idea is to keep working and evolving with time. Many new tracks and collaborations lay in their armour, and they are excited to release them all.