MUMBAI: Co-founded by acclaimed music director AR Rahman, the global platform for South Asian artists maajjaon March 31 announced the core group of artists signed to the imprint.

maajja, a technology-enabled label alternative focused on empowering the next generation of artists with complete creative control, resources and global reach, will exclusively work with singer Dhee – whose first independent release ‘Enjoy Enjaami’ featuring another maajja artist Arivu has become one of the biggest hits in India in the last week, clocking 85 million views at last count; Toronto-based Tamil acts like rapper and director Shan Vincent de Paul, rapper Navz-47 and emerging R&B talent Ami.

maajja is the brainchild of a trio of Canadian entrepreneurs – Noel Kirthiraj, Sen Sachi and Prasana Balachandran – along with Rahman.

maajja’s mission is simple, to create the first-of-its-kind platform for the independent music scene that offers creative liberty as well as global reach. It will focus on amplifying the voice of South Asian talent globally and help them develop successful and sustainable careers in music, unhindered by the machinations of the film industry.

“maajja’s vision is to democratize and demystify the ecosystem and the business of music,” says Kirthiraj, co-founder and CEO of maajja. “All artists need to think of themselves as CEOs of their own businesses. We are very excited to be working with an amazing group of artists and truly humbled by all those who’ve shown interest in joining the maajja family. We look forward to expanding our roster in the near future so that we can showcase the exceptional talent among South Asians to the world,” he adds.

There have already been two releases on maajja since it was launched on January 26, the viral hit ‘Enjoy Enjaami’ and Shan Vincent de Paul’s ‘Amnesia’ ft Ami, and the plans f0r 2021 include album releases from Dhee, who has one of the most distinctive voices in India; SVDP’s third studio album - and his most personal till date - Made in Jaffna, and Tamil vocalist and rapper Navz-47’s much-awaited debut album Fresh Off The Boat.

Alongside these five artists, maajja will also be working with popular singers like PraviniSaivi, Sakthi Amaran, grandson of legendary playback singer Trichy Loganathan, and Maalavika Sundar – all three have, incidentally, been a part of the reality TV talent show Super Singer – and Chennai-based respected hip-hop producer ofRo.

In addition to these, maajja is also pulling in talent from all round the globe like Two’s A Company, an emerging rap duo out of Toronto as well as prominent producers Pravin Mani and Steve Cliff; Singapore-based singer-producer Satthia; UK-based Tamil rapper and songwriter Tha Mystro; and Chennai-based contemporary band Staccato.

April will see the launch of Road to YAALL, a two-day digital festival that will include luminaries of the Tamil film industry alongside up-and-coming Indian and global talent – curated and chosen by Rahman himself.

More details on the line-up and event will be announced soon.