For centuries, India’s music has been passed from voice to voice, from village squares to temple courtyards. But many of these melodies are slowly disappearing under the noise of short-lived trends. For over two decades, two of India’s most iconic composer-producers Salim and Sulaiman have kept these traditions alive, giving folk, devotional, and classical music a fresh heartbeat for today’s listeners.
Bhoomi, their annual musical project, is a celebration of India’s diversity. Conceived as a live concert for the best audio-visual impact, it has, over the years found audiences across the world, presenting the country’s folk traditions, classical raagas, and native instruments in ways listeners have never experienced before. First released in 1999 with a futuristic touch, the project was revived in 2020 and has since returned with a new season every year. For the duo, Bhoomi is both a cultural homecoming and a responsibility… a space where the sarangi sits beside the synth, where a 400-year-old bandish can share space with a Punjabi banger, and where voices from across the country gather under one single roof. To them, it is the very identity of our land, a musical reflection of India’s traditions, folk roots, spirituality, and cultural soul.
The sixth season of Bhoomi carries that spirit forward, with Salim-Sulaiman unveiling an exciting slate for 2025. Most tracks see the duo collaborating with a stellar line-up: a Gujarati Krishna pop track with Parthiv Gohil; a classical pop number with Shankar Mahadevan; a romantic ballad with Shaan; a high-energy dance track featuring Sonu Nigam and Paradox; a soulful love song with Papon and Shreya Ghoshal; a Kashmiri composition with Noor Mohammad; a Punjabi banger with OAFF, Burrah, Krish Mondal and Sudan; an Uttarakhandi song with Pawandeep Rajan and Hansika Pareek; an evocative ghazal with Hariharan and Prithvi Gandharv; and a powerful ballad with Arijit Singh.
The line-up is a perfect example of how the series bridges generations and genres, pairing iconic voices like Sonu Nigam, Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghoshal, Hariharan, and Shaan with newer sounds from Paradox, OAFF, Burrah and the young Krish Mondal. For Salim, this mix isn’t about ticking boxes, but about treating every artist as an equal contributor to the song’s soul. “I don’t distinguish between legends and newcomers… we’re all students of music,” he shares. “And, I think it’s just my taste, a reflection of my personality… I like the tradition, I like the now, and I like to fuse both.”
For Sulaiman Merchant, curating Bhoomi has always been about following instinct and curiosity rather than staying in one lane. “We have always tried to do different things… to explore genres and discover new artists. When we started off, it was just folk and devotional music; then we moved into pop. We’ve tried hip hop, we’ve tried EDM, and now it’s a great mix of it all. Next year, we would love to do Malayalam, Tamil again, Odissi music, and go to the far east in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland…”
This season will take Bhoomi’s song count close to sixty. Along the way, it has delivered several chartbusters like Chhaila, Mayavi, Jaan Le Gayi, and Haq Ali, among many others. It has also revived traditions like the 400-year-old bandish from the Mughal era Ja Ja Re Apni Mandirva, and turned Sukhwinder Singh’s powerful rendering of Chidiya Da Chamba, a poignant song rooted in the tradition of the bride’s farewell into a stirring orchestral folk epic. From Assamese folk-rock Kasiyoli to the devotional Sai Narayana, the Bhoomi catalogue is rich with cultural treasures, each revived with care and modern sensibility.
Looking ahead, the duo imagines Bhoomi growing into an experience that transcends the digital and studio space. Salim shares that talks are underway for a full-fledged Bhoomi concert series, which will bring together its most beloved hits and hidden gems for audiences to experience live. “We hope that the tradition of Bhoomi continues, draws more people in, and creates more happiness among fans and listeners.”
