Song to welcome Games visitors unveiled

NEW DELHI - A song to welcome visitors to the Commonwealth Games 2010 and celebrate the colourful spirit of the capital was unveiled at the India Habitat Centre here Thursday evening.

The five-minute musical tribute to the Games, “Subhankar” (mascot), has been sung by businessman-turned-musician Raman Kapoor and composed by Balvinder Assi.

The lyrics have been penned by Vishvjit, a Congress leader.

The song talks about the arrival of India as a power on the world stage, the universal appeal of the Games, the spirit of the sporting extravaganza and the camaraderie among the Commonwealth nations.

The song that is being played on the FM radio channels will be broadcast by All India Radio as part of its special capsule on Commonwealth Games and on “Radio Dhamaal”.

It will also be performed live at the promotional events during the Games, vocalist Kapoor said.

Kapoor, who has two albums, “Kyoon Toone Dil Ko Toda” and “Lovely Kudi” took to music late in life at the age of 60 after spending most of his life in Germany.

“Events in the past week have sparked negativity in the minds of the people in the capital. Everyone is unhappy. We are the host country of the Commonwealth Games and this is out first opportunity in 99 years to host the sports gala since it began,” he said.

“We want to convey to people that the Games promote only friendship and fair play. This is the essence of the message that we want to carry across to dilliwallahs (residents of Delhi) through our little anthem,” Kapoor told IANS.

“We want people to listen to the song and enjoy it - be happy and revel in the spirit of the Games,” he said.

The lyrics of the jingle go like this: “Saari duniya ye dekhe, bharat ke badhte kadam… umang hai, dil mein nayi, josh hai - dam mein dam… saari duniya yeh dekhe, bharat ke badhte kadam (let the world see India’s giant stride, there is new joy in the heart, new zest, new life…)”.

“The idea for the song came a month ago at one of my recordings. I suggested that we should compose a lively jingle to lift the spirit of the citizens of Delhi who had misgivings about the Games. Vishvjit composed it instantly and my friend, Assi, a musician, set it to tune,” Kapoor said.

The launch function was attended by celebrities including ghazal exponent Satish Babbar, daughter Vani Babbar and designer-sisters Gauri and Nayanika.