Ready to rock again

Saurabh Chadha

When Naf and Thomas, known as Bombay Rockers, met in 2003 in Denmark they had no idea how their musical collaboration would take the world by storm. Soon they belted out chart toppers including a dance anthem Ari Ari and the smash hit Rock Tha Party. Their debut album Introducing was released in 32 countries and they became superstars in India overnight. 

Where have you guys been for the last couple of years?

Thomas: The last album we put out was Rock and Dhol. We’ve been touring constantly, and working on new tracks, experimenting with new sounds. Cutting out an album doesn’t really make sense anymore. It’s more of a singles market nowadays.

Naf: Also, we are very critical of our own creations. We don’t want to put out something just to do it. A song has to sound just right. We now have some tracks which we feel meet our standards and those will be out very soon. We are back for sure.

Bollywood is dominating the music scene. Any plans of entering the domain?

Naf: Yes. That has also been a priority for us in the last couple of years. We  recently met some music directors and got in touch with production houses. We are trying to network as much as possible. It’s a little difficult when you’re not based in India. To be up on things and staying in the loop is easier when you’re there where it actually happens.

Thomas: I think we were missing that little extra luck and timing. Until now that is ….

We recently finished working on the main track for John Abraham’s film Rocky Handsome. It’s a reworked version of Rock tha Party, which was the song that really did it for us in the first place.  

Naf: It is kind of funny that it’s the same song that got us our first Bollywood breakthrough. The song was released on February 17. And the movie released on February 25. We are awaiting the response from our fans.  

Thomas: We have more tracks that hopefully will find slots in the upcoming films. Bollywood is the place to be and we have finally arrived.

How would you best describe your music ?

Thomas: Our music has never had any political or religious agendas. It is feel-good music and has always been about having a good time. 

Naf: Our different musical backgrounds give our music a unique sound, which usually sets our music apart from others.  

Where did you first meet and how did the idea of Bombay Rockers take shape?

Thomas: We met in 2003 through a mutual friend at a record label in Denmark. We wanted to try and create fusion music. Thankfully, we clicked.

Naf: Initially, it was a solo project with me being the only lead singer. But one day Thomas suggested some vocals for one of our tracks, and the blend of our voices was just perfect. So we changed the solo venture to a duo.  

Thomas: The only idea was to make music with an Indian touch. Slowly as the tracks started building up, our identity became clearer.  

Naf: The name Bombay Rockers was our labels idea. At first, we thought it was kind of lame. But we soon realised that it suited our music perfectly. Because when you say Bombay in Europe, you instantly connect it with India..  

Thomas: ...And Rockers because we rock the party!

What does 2016 have in store for you?

Thomas: Right now our focus is on our first Bollywood release, Rock Tha Party in Rocky Handsome. We will be touring all over India for promotion of the song.

Naf: The year 2016 will be big for us. We have several tracks coming up later in the year. And hopefully a lot of new Bollywood ventures will take shape. As usual, we will be touring a lot. Right now we are busy with India Club Tour. First single is most likely to be out around May 2016.