Music composer Shameer Tandon on his latest single, ‘Sazaa’

Music composer Shameer Tandon’s latest single Sazaa was recently released on YouTube. The song, written by Sameer Anjaan, is sung by Sameer Khan. “I got the tune in less than two minutes. As I am not trained in music or play any instruments, I have a team that translates my humming into musical notes. Sazaa has a retro style with a melancholic feel,” he says.

The entire music production was done online during the lockdown. “The musicians were in their place, and I was in my house. We missed the real-time jamming sessions and the jokes at the studio, but we have tried our best,” he says.

Beginning

Having started his career in the marketing industry, Shameer got a break in the music industry with Madhur Bhandarkar’s film, Page 3. “I bumped into him at a hotel in Mumbai and we went over for a cup of coffee. During our conversation, I hummed a tune and he loved it. That’s how it all began,” he recollects. Since then, Shameer has composed music for around 50 songs and has worked with legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Manna Dey, Jagjit Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan etc. “I am blessed in this respect as I am the one person from this generation to have worked with them all,” he explains.

Making a change

Shameer has also been using music to spread awareness on various social issues. In 2017, he created the 6 Pack Band, with six people from the LGBTQAI+ community. “Yash Raj and Unilever came on board with me in this project. Our motto was to educate people and show them the talent of the people from the community.” The band was awarded the Grand Prix Glass Lion Award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, and was invited to perform there in 2018. “I don’t consider music as just a form of entertainment. I use it as a tool to create a positive change.” The success of this band encouraged him to launch the 6 Pack Band 2.0 comprising people with learning disorders. “The members have conditions like ADHD, dyslexia, autism etc. We have brought our six songs.”

The musician has also been associated with curating music for live shows. “It has taken a back seat due to the pandemic. Of late, I have been working on composing and have around 30 new songs ready. They are singles in different genres and I hope to release them soon,” he concludes.