‘Kala Joda has been the toughest song’

Gurnaaz Kaur

She recently made an entry into Punjabi music industry with song Akhiyaan from the film Naukar Vahuti Da. Priyanka Negi, who hails from Dehradun, has now launched her first single, which too has Punjabi lyrics. What makes it all the more interesting is the fact that Priyanka does not know how to speak the language. “I am a quick learner. You just have to sing a few lines and I’ll grasp it there and then. I may not know Punjabi but I do understand some of it. As you know, we have dummy dubbings, so that makes life easy,” she smiles.

Titled Kala Joda, the song has been the biggest challenge of her career so far. No, it’s not because of Punjabi. “I’ve been singing for six years now but in this one I took up the task of an executive producer. From the word go—which included finalising the music director, finding the composer, producer, shooting location to coordinating with rapper Hotline, it was all my responsibility. It has taken four months of my sweat and blood to bring this song out and I am thrilled with the response.”

Priyanka did think of quitting, not once but many a times. It was the team’s cooperation and the push by her family and rapper Hotline that made her sail through the process. “I was performing at Bahrain when Hotline contacted me on social media and appreciated my performance. He even showed interest in collaborating. Then I looked up about him online and found out that he has worked with some of the best names in the western music industry. I already had the song for some time now; his message gave me the courage to begin working on it.” Rapper Hotline, a known name in the US, has worked with Atif Aslam. “I wanted to explore more Hindi songs and Priyanka’s style of working, the newness in her music, made me take the plunge with her,” shares Hotline.

Having been in the industry since 2014, Priyanka’s motivation to take up singing as a profession was Indian Idol. Without any training in music, she made it to the top 40 finalists in Season 3. It became the turning point in her life. “I was doing my graduation in Delhi during that time, so I decided to train for a year alongside my education and participate again. In the next season (4), I reached the top 10 list. There has been no looking back since.”

The next stop was Mumbai. Neither easy nor too difficult, it has been a period of learning and growth for Priyanka. “Initially, my parents were not too sure of my decision but I convinced them somehow. Today, when they see me performing on stage, they feel proud. I have done over 100 shows all over the world. Playback for movies is the ultimate goal and things are moving in that direction. I’ve sung three-four Bollywood songs; some more are in the pipeline.”

Till then, she is enjoying the love and appreciation she has garnered for Kala Joda.

gurnaaz@tribunemail.com