Christmas 2024: Sonu Nigam releases soulful rendition of 'Ave Maria' as a homage to Mother Mary

The song `Ave Maria` marks his last project with late composer Aadesh Shrivastava. Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement

Renowned Indian singer and musician Sonu Nigam has released a Christmas special single ‘Ave Maria', his soulful rendition that also marks his last project with late composer Aadesh Shrivastava.

The song has been released in collaboration with Nigam's I Believe Music and Jetsynthesys' Global Music Junction (GMJ), on the festive occasion of Christmas. The song's journey began back in 2011, when Nigam's name was suggested by late music composer Aadesh Shrivastava, as the Indian vocalist for its rendition.

Nigam said, "Besides being a brilliant musician, Aadesh ji was a beloved elder brother. He was known for his collaborations with musicians in the West. He was working on two songs for an international project and one of them was Ave Maria. When he was requested for an Indian vocalist for it, he suggested my name, as he recognised my training and interest in western music styles."

However, the project could not be completed as Shrivastava unfortunately passed away. When Nigam decided to revive project, he roped in Shrivastava's son, Avitesh.

Nigam added, "To honour Aadesh ji's vision, I decided to revive 'Ave Maria'. With the support of his son, Avitesh, I sourced the original tracks and then sought the help of my immensely talented musician brother Salim Merchant. Salim connected me to the Budapest Film Orchestra, which recorded the grand western orchestration for the song." ‘Ave Maria' also brings together music duo Anurag Saikia and Ishan Das, and Japjisingh Valecha, who were instrumental in producing the track.

Rajan Navani, founder and CEO, Jetsynthesys, said, "Sonu Nigam has been a long-standing partner of Global Music Junction and we are delighted to be collaborating with him to release ‘Ave Maria'. The festival of Christmas brings people together, and this rendition, with a distinct Indian feel to it, will heighten spirits this season of joy."

"We incorporated the soulful melodies of the sarangi and the shehnai, seamlessly blending Indian classical music with the grandeur of western orchestration," mentioned Nigam, talking about how the song was given a "distinct Indian essence".

Nigam also said that this rendition of ‘Ave Maria' is "a personal tribute" to his mother. "My mother always instilled the belief in us that God is one. She taught us how all paths lead to one supreme power… Thanks to those formative years I always learnt the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means the world is one family," he said.