Dhanji x Krameri, BAGI MUNDA x pho & More: Multi-Genre Musicians Collaborate For Converse India

New Delhi's Nanku with local-mate Karun, Gujarat rapper Dhanji and singer-songwriter Krameri, Mumbai's The Seige with Trivandrum pianist Aksomaniac, and Chandigarh's Bagi Munda with capital city's Pho – 4 different combinations of musicians from across genres have collaborated as part of 'Connect with the Unexpected', a campaign by prominent footwear brand Converse.

The campaign highlights 8 rising talents by getting them to collaborate on 4 original tracks in pairs and sharing the music alongside films about the collaboration.

While initiatives like these by major brands often run the risk of colouring the work too much with branded elements, as it also does with one too many on-the-nose references to Converse on New Delhi acts Nanku and Karun's ode to the capital city, the collaborations have managed to produce some interesting works.

'Express Ways' by Gujarat's Krameri and Dhanji especially jumps out. The nuanced and captivating contrast of the styles of the former's Indian classical music-rooted singing and the latter's singular rapping style add a meaningful and fitting layer to a song seemingly about the unity and separation of two opposite personalities.

Other efforts include a dramatic and sombre mix of styles with Aksomaniac and The Siege's 'Her Vacation', which also features vocalist Arch Quasar. While rough around the edges in its verses sometimes, the chorus of 'Huliya' by BAGI MUNDA and pho is the campaign's choicest musical moment after 'Express Ways'.

Listen to all the collaborations of Converse India's 'Connect with the Unexpected' below: