(Left) Brit-Punjabi artist H-Dhami and singer-songwriter Saloni in the music video for their new song “Chal Soniya.” Photo: Akash Lazarus
Indian-origin British artists Saloni and H-Dhami team up with producer Mazza On The Track for a rarely heard blend of Telugu, Punjabi and English over a garage beat on their latest song “Chal Soniya.” The video, shot at London’s Gunnersbury Park by filmmaker Akash Lazarus, brings the two singers together amid fashion and luxury settings.
Made for the dancefloor with its two-minute runtime, the real treat on “Chal Soniya” is Saloni’s Telugu and English hooks sitting just right with H-Dhami’s spirited Punjabi vocals. Singer-songwriter Saloni – based out of London and Milton Keynes – has been previously known for social media-fueled covers and mashups, but broke through with her Telugu song “Nee Gundellounna” with Brit-Bangla artist Bilal Shahid in 2023 and previously released bilingual songs like “Chali Mein.”
For “Chal Soniya,” she teams up with H-Dhami, a London-raised seasoned Punjabi artist who’s worked with everyone from The PropheC (“Clap It”) to Raxstar and Apache Indian. He released his breakout album Sadke Java in 2008 via Sony Music, finding success with modern Punjabi pop songs like the title track and “Har Gabroo.”
Saloni says in a statement about the song, “Garage has always been iconic in the U.K. music scene, and it’s making a comeback. As soon as Mazza sent me the beat I knew I wanted to make a summer banger with this and collaborated with the household name H-Dhami to bring our own twist to it. Growing up in the U.K., I’ve heard a lot of Punjabi music and bringing this together with my mother tongue Telugu along with English felt close to home. However, regardless of language, I hope listeners from all backgrounds enjoy this summer hit as much as we enjoyed creating it!”
H-Dhami adds, “Coming together with Saloni on this great project has been an exciting experience. Bringing some of the old-school vibes to the new generation and not forgetting Mazza dropping his magic.”
Mazza, the 21-year-old beatsmith who’s already gained popularity for songs like “Nachna” with Punjabi-origin artist Shide Boss states, “I literally love this record! A couple of months ago I made this garage beat and saved it for the right artist, when I heard Saloni’s voice, I knew she had to feature on it. I sent it her and she loved it, she then played it H-Dhami and he wanted to jump on it too. The rest is history! I love producing collaboration records, so with Saloni, H Dhami and myself on the same record, I think it’s destined to be a summer smash.”
Up next, Saloni says she’s working on more “exciting collaborations,” alongside performances and new music through 2024.
Watch the video for “Chal Soniya” below.
