The excitement in Gurdeep Mehndi’s voice is palpable when he talks about his new track, Sajri. The song carries forward the traditional elements of Punjabi music while blending it with a modern, urban sound. Composing it was “the real challenge,” says the singer, recalling the months-long process. “It took me more than three months, with one-and-a-half months just for the audio to come together. The song is Indian raga–based. I had to figure out how to bring that into today’s sound. When I locked a loop with sarangi, dholak, kick, and snare, I knew that was enough,” he shares.

Daler Mehndi and Lauren Gottlieb