DJ Yogii (Yogesh Choudhry), who was part of the first season of Royal Stag Boombox, will be returning for Season 3. The Delhi-based artiste expressed his excitement about rejoining the platform, sharing, “I couldn’t be a part of Season 1 because of my health issues. Thankfully, all that is sorted now, and I am glad to be with Season 3. The preparation is taking up a significant chunk of my time. Every city has its own music preferences, so I want to be ready according to the audience’s tastes. Re-arranging the playlist based on the cities we are touring is time-consuming,” said Yogii.
As a DJ and music enthusiast, Yogii explained that his focus has shifted to playing original music. He elaborated, “Music directors are creating unique pieces. No two tracks sound alike, and in such a scenario, I prefer to play the original and retain its uniqueness. Bollywood remains my first choice, but the genres catching up with club hoppers and the youth are Afro and techno. I don’t play hard techno.”
Instead, Yogii plays Bolly-tech—a mix of Bollywood with Afro and techno beats. Discussing global music trends, he noted that no trend remains unexplored in India due to the internet and social media’s widespread influence. “With the internet making it easy to access music from any corner of the world and social media reporting trends by the minute, there’s hardly anything that hasn’t been heard or explored,” he said.
However, Yogii emphasised that Bollywood beats remain central to Indian music. As a fan of Punjabi music, he remarked on its growing global appeal. “Thanks to independent music makers, Punjabi music is no longer regional. Kruze was a sensation last year; internationally, all his shows were sold out. This proves that music is no longer about language or state boundaries.”
Kruze, a British Pakistani singer and songwriter, is known for his popular Punjabi songs. Tracks like ‘Yaari’ and ‘Who You Are’ (2017) continue to be widely streamed on various platforms. Addressing the issue of language barriers in music, Yogii added, “Music from North India is widely listened to in South India and vice versa. Music is about the vibe, the beats, and how it uplifts you.”
While his professional involvement with music helps him gauge audience preferences, Yogii believes that observation is key. “Every city I visit, I spend 10-15 minutes testing the crowd’s reaction. When I’m playing music, I’m there for the crowd, not myself. So I take some time to understand what works for the city I’m in,” he explained.
For Boombox Season 3, Yogii will not be collaborating with other artists but plans to release several unofficial remixes. “In every city, I’ll be playing at least 5-6 remixes that haven’t been heard before,” he shared.
When asked about his personal music preferences, Yogii said, “I listen to a lot of Punjabi and Bollywood music.”
This year’s Royal Stag Boombox line-up includes artistes like Armaan Malik, Amit Trivedi, Neeti Mohan, Nikhita Gandhi, Raftaar, Ikka, and DJ Yogii.
Published – January 25, 2025 11:52 am IST