Supreet Singh Suri makes a mark in the Punjabi music industry with his debut number Asar

Sheetal

A singer can get a platform, but to have loyal fans, he has to bring something new on the table. Punjabi singer Supreet Singh Suri, who goes by the stage name Sur, has made a splash with his debut track Asar.

Until recently he sang in English. But touring with the British-Indian electronic music/bhangra band Swami as a vocalist made him look at his mother tongue Punjabi from a new perspective. Though Asar is his first solo attempt as a Punjabi singer, Sur still struggles to speak Punjabi.

For a Punjabi born in the UK, it was not easy to stay in touch with his roots. But now, he feels, Europeans and people from all around the world enjoy listening to Punjabi songs and that has brought about a change in people’s attitude.

He says, “Early in life, I realised that I wanted to be a performing artiste as the applause made me happy whenever I sang in front of a crowd. I joined various bands and learnt a great deal about music. That I know three languages, Hindi, English and Punjabi, proved to be an advantage. I love being on stage. It’s the only drug I am addicted to, performing on a stage.”

Asar, the song, talks about the positive changes that love brings in a person. Sur says, “When the makers, lyricist Siddhant Kaushal and I met, we focused on relationships in general. Each person had different stories to share but what came as the by-product was the realisation that if the partner is right for you, changes happen organically which doesn’t take you away from yourself. That’s exactly what Asar meant to me.”

The song was shot during the lockdown, hence the corona asar (effect) can be seen in the video. It focuses on just the boy (Sur) and a girl in an indoor setting. It was a conscious decision to keep the video realistic and different from normal Punjabi music videos. He adds, “We wanted to picturise a normal relationship and a face which looks like a girl-next-door. It’s a tribute to self-love be it in terms of lyrics or video.”

On the current music scene, he says, “It has changed for the better. What I like about this music industry is that everyone is doing his kind of music and has the freedom. Mickey Singh will sound like Mickey Singh and not Diljit. That’s what every new artiste should root for, making his own identity.”

For an immersive cultural experience that he has got from travels, living in two countries, he enjoys music from all around the world. His current playlist has Indian singers, Prabhdeep Singh and Nikhita Gandhi and African singer, Fatoumata Diawara. “Also, my all- time-favourites are Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahib and Gurdas Maan ji,” he signs off.

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