Musicians from five countries unite for a song on the cricket world cup

Several musicians from across the globe have collaborated for a song, Way-O, Way-O, which aims to energise

cricket

lovers to be excited about the

ICC

Men’s Cricket World Cup, 2019. The rhythmic anthem is a cultural blend of harmonies, written by Sonal Dabral (Ogilvy) and composed, produced and curated by Michael (Mikey) McCleary. The idea behind the

song

is to promote a global spirit of togetherness.

Some of the musicians who have worked on the song include the popular Indian band, Sanam, Jahmiel (Jamaica), Catherine Taylor Dawson (UK), Simba Diallo (New Zealand) and a choir group, Khayelitsha United Mambazo (

South Africa

).

Sanam Puri, lead vocalist of Sanam, says, “

Mikey McCleary

contacted me and told me about the anthem. It got me excited and then I shared it with the band. Recording for Mikey is always challenging, because he pushes the best out of you and takes you out of your comfort zone. We took about an hour to understand the song and then about three hours to record our vocal parts.” The band’s drummer Keshav Dhanraj adds, “Way-O, Way-O will energise the fans. The idea is to bring people together and ensure that every fan wins.” Guitarist Samar Puri says, “The song is a celebration of the sport, evokes excitement and is extremely catchy. We hope all cricket lovers relate to it and enjoy singing and grooving to it as much we did while creating it.” Bassist Venky S isconfident that the track will resonate with fans across the world. “It brings together five artistes from five different nations to sing in one tune. What I like about it is that it's a reggaeton track.”

Simba Diallo from New Zealand says,“The journey of creating this musical cheer that fosters solidarity and togetherness with such talented composers and singers from around the world has been great fun.”

UK-based musician Catherine Taylor Dawson says, “Cricket is a much-loved sport in England, with the World Cup being one of its most awaited sporting events. I’m delighted to be a part of this exciting project.”

Reggae artist Jahmiel from Jamaica says, “It’s an honour to be associated with so many talented international artistes from cricket-loving nations to create this first ever anthem.”