MUMBAI: Artist Aloud, a platform by Hungama that supports and promotes independent content, released a new single Naina - by popular and iconic band, Strings and renowned singer, Sona Mohapatra. The seventh track from their album ‘30’ features Strings and Sona Mohapatra and is written by Hazrat Amir Khusro with additional lyrics by Anwar Maqsood.

Strings have been making music for the last 30 years. After producing Coke studio for four years (2014-17) they announced their album ‘30’ at the beginning of 2018; seven songs from the album have been released so far. 30 also marks the band’s first digitally released independent album. Featuring the powerhouse duo - Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood  Naina boasts of String’s signature sound with pop-rock and inimitable voice of Sona Mohapatra, bringing the classical with a touch of newness. Touching the chords of heart, Naina captures the longing of faraway love. The soulful rendition celebrates two brilliant artists who also feature in the official music video. Directed by Sohail Javed, the video is shot in Turkey.

Talking about the new single, Strings, said, “Naina is extremely close to our heart. This is the seventh song of our album 30 and also our first collaboration with the fierce and amazing Sona Mohapatra. Making Naina was an amazing experience. It's a soft song that traces the remnants of a faraway love. It in a way resembles our need to pay an ode to the thirty long musical years. We are really grateful to Artist Aloud for aiding us in releasing Naina and bringing independent artists closer to fans. We are really grateful, we hope everyone will love and continue to love us and our music.”

Sona Mohapatra added, “My association with Artist Aloud and Hungama is a very special and a long one. It started with the release of my super hit single ‘Paas Aao Na’ with them at a time when the music streaming space was very new in India. I was in that sense one of India’s first artists to embrace this new means of reaching out to my fans with them facilitating the same. To start 2019, almost a decade later, with this collaboration with Strings, a band with a serious legacy and fan following across the sub-continent is an honor. Music has no boundaries. Art and culture bind humanity like nothing else does and this classic qalam of Hazrat Ameer Khusrau with some new lyrics is a celebration of the same. Singing a ballad that has so much peace and ‘sukoon’ also gave me the deepest pleasure as did meeting  Faisal and Bilal in Istanbul, Turkey, one of my most favorite cities in the world. We shot the music video there. True gentlemen & great humans, the duo will be my friends for a lifetime for the liberal values they espouse and  their commitment to pure music without a care for the ‘market place’- true artists in every sense of the word.”

Talking about the song, Soumini Sridhara Paul, Vice-President, Artist Aloud, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are excited to release Strings and Sona Mohapatra's new single, Naina, from their album 30. All the artists featured in the song are supremely talented and inimitable in their body of work. We are sure that Strings’ dedication and Sona’s radiant vocals will help us create melodious magic for our listeners.”

The 90’s multifaceted duo has been playing together and has succeeded to become one of the most significant South Asian bands to emerge ever. The band has released five studio albums, 4 Coke Studio seasons, multiple international cinema soundtracks, and ample anthems.