Presented by Small World Music and TO Live

On Saturday, July 20th, Small World Music and TO Live present the iconic Bollywood musical composer trio, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, arguably India's most successful and popular musical trio, became a nationwide sensation after they composed the chartbusters of the 2001 movie Dil Chahta Hai. They have composed music for over 50 soundtracks in five languages: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and English.

They have won many awards along the way, including a National Film Award, an IIFA Award, and a Filmfare Award. Aside from their success as a trio, each of the members has a very successful solo career in the music industry.

Before breaking into the film industry, they performed at various stage shows, mostly rock, jazz, pop, and blues. Mission Kashmir was their big break in the film industry in 2000. The film Dil Chahta Hai was a watershed moment in their careers. Following the success of Dil Chahta Hai, the trio ventured into other industries, composing for regional language films while continuing to deliver outstanding compositions in Hindi films.

Following the popular practice in Bollywood music where individuals with varied musical backgrounds collaborate together, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are the first Bollywood trio of music composers. Exploiting the unique strength of its members— the Indian classical music of Shankar Mahadevan, the rock and acoustic pop of Ehsaan Noorani, and the electronica-fusion of Loy Mendonsa—the trio has created successful music that is both traditional and progressive.

Aside from Bollywood music, the trio formed the band Instant Karma in 2002, and released redone versions of R. D. Burman and other composers across two albums.

They've also written music for jingles, corporate signature tunes like Reliance and Aircel, and public awareness campaigns. Zangoora, the first Bollywood musical, was written by the trio in 2010.

They even composed the official anthem for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, titled “De Ghuma Ke,” and in 2008, they performed at the Live Earth India Concert to help light homes with solar energy alongside other celebrities such as Jon Bon Jovi. In 2010, they embarked on a worldwide tour called Inspiration: Aman Ki Aasha, which began in New Jersey, United States.

About the Artists:
Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan is a Grammy-winning Indian singer and composer. Mahadevan got early fame as an indipop star with his fusion of Carnatic, Hindustani, and jazz. At that time, his non-film album Breathless topped the Indian music charts in 1998. In 2023, he was awarded an honorary doctorate (honoris causa degree) by Birmingham City University.

Ehsaan Noorani
Ehsaan Noorani’s musical landscape, vast knowledge of music, endless reservoir of melodic ideas, and ability to instantly create strong hooks—both vocal and on the guitar—are only a sliver of his massive contribution to the musical tripod that is Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. He has charted a course all of his own, learning from diverse experiences along the way, in his eternal quest for creative brilliance.

Composing for commercials and films helped Ehsaan experiment with many different styles of music—blues, rock, country, electronic, and metal—but his heart continues to lie with the blues (he still performs with his current band, Apostrophe).

Loy Mendonsa
Loy Mendonsa is an Indian music director. Before becoming a music composer, he played piano and keyboards for famous Indian music composers such as A. R. Rahman and Nadeem-Shravan. His daughter, Alyssa Mendonsa, made her singing debut with the song “Uff Teri Adaa” from the movie Karthik Calling Karthik.

Loy Mendonsa started his career by composing the signature tune for The World This Week show on Doordarshan.

The 2024 Small World Music Series is sponsored by TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment and funded by the Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.