Bappi Lahiri to send religious chants to Grammys

Music composer-singer Bappi Lahiri says that he is a devotee of all religions and has created a song of Gayatri Mantra and Buddha chants, which he plans to send to the Grammy Award committee.

"Recently, I have made something of only chants which will be going to the Grammys. There is Gayatri Mantra and Buddha chants in it because people abroad like chants tremendously.

"You can check Tina Turner on Youtube, world number one singer, she has done so many rock songs, but she has created chants, it is very popular there," Lahiri said on the sidelines of the poster launch of the film Umformung, based on Buddhist monks.

He added, "I love monks because just now I returned from Darjeeling Mirik and I am always a very great devotee of Buddha, I am a devotee of all religions."

Lahiri had recently made a short film Slum Stars which won awards at international festivals.

About the film, he said: "I did the film to encourage slum people. I am always going to Hollywood and Quincy Jones, renowned composer, who has discovered Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, told me that everybody is from slums, raj mahal (palace) is made later.

"In fact, there are no slums, because when we come to the cities, we make it a raj mahal, so I just tried to encourage those who sing well."

Lahiri, who is famous for numerous compositions for the past few decades, sang popular songs like Ooh La La and some part in Tune Mari Entriyaan in recent times.