From thundershowers to off-course controversies to magical birdies and eagles, the DP World Tour event had something to offer everyone
After giving us the engaging Mashgool (the Arabic version of her 2018 hit Busy, Busy) last year, and Helwa Ya Baladi in 2020, Dubai-based singer Neha Pandey is back with a new track, Yaad Aayi, whose video is sure to set your heart racing.
Revealing details of the new song in a chat, Neha told City Times, “It was an honour to be a part of creating this song from a beautiful poem by lyricist Syed Gulrez. The poem touched my heart and I decided to produce it in Dubai. Syed was convinced of its suitability to my voice and personality.”
Yaad Ayi has an ‘Oriental Lounge’ feel to it, and Neha says she altered the original ghazal style of the poetry to suit musical tastes in the Middle East.
She calls the video - which features underwater shooting - a ‘labour of love’.
She adds, “The video is shot in some beautiful locations in the UAE - Fujairah and Al Qudra Dubai. A special aspect of the video is the underwater shots using Nikon z6 series cameras by an ace art director Shady Samy who specializes in shooting underwater. I feel I’m the only Indian female singer to have performed underwater in my own song and it was my most challenging yet favourite experience. It took a lot of effort to shoot the underwater sequence, but was a fun adventure ride for me. Where there’s a will there’s a way, even if you are not an expert swimmer!”
Neha, who was a winner of Zee TV’s national contest in the indie pop category in 2001 and was a finalist on Channel V’s Popstars, admits she always strives for new challenges and spreading her wings as far as musical collaborations are concerned. “I prefer working with a team from different parts of the world and here too it was the same. This song was not planned. Sometimes the best things happen when you don’t expect them to.”
Neha made her Bollywood singing debut with Humdard in the 2017 film Dobaara and has lived in Dubai for the past 15 years. She is appreciative of the opportunities that have come her way in the UAE. “My journey as a singer has been progressive. I have been evolving over the years in UAE as an artist. This is a wonderful place for an artist to feel inspired. I love this country as it loved me back. The hard work I put in has been rewarded here, and it motivates me to carry on.
“When I started I was clueless and as a woman had many barriers to cross. Nothing comes easy in life and we carry on with trust, hoping to inspire others like us who have talent without resources.”
Produced by Neha Music Beats and Nikon MEA, Yaad Aayi will release on December 10 on various music platforms including 9xm, 9x Tashan, 9x jalwa, spotlampE and YouTube. Follow Neha on @realnehapandey
From thundershowers to off-course controversies to magical birdies and eagles, the DP World Tour event had something to offer everyone
The value-based healthcare model to use AI technology for treating diabetes and asthma in the first phase
The Swede gave his fans plenty to cheer about in the weather-delayed Monday finish of the $9 million Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Those who managed to wrangle a day off on a working Monday, were witness to an epic battle between Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed
The initiative is designed to serve the health needs of senior Emiratis who benefit from the government health insurance plan, Enaya
It is compulsory for all medically fit Emirati men to complete national service for at least 11 months
Bond said they need to play with the same amount of consistency in the remaining three games to stay in the hunt for the title
At 15 per cent, Emirati graduates represented the largest single nationality, followed by India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, Canada, and Egypt