Watch Rahul Rajkhowa Turn Up with Buoyant Bihu Pop in ‘Toradoi’ Video
The singer-songwriter and rapper says the song has initiated new conversations around traditional Bihu music and experiments
Accruing over a million views in the span of a month and 60,000 Reels, Rahul Rajkhowa has arguably
Rahul Rajkhowa in a still from the music video for "Toradoi."
Accruing over a million views in the span of a month and 60,000 Reels, Rahul Rajkhowa has arguably broken into a new bracket with his Bihu song “Toradoi,” which was out in August.
It helps massively that it was released via Warner Music India as part of Maati initiative, their platform for folk music from across the country. Plus, “Toradoi” is as affable as they come with its club-friendly blend brought in by producer Iconyk aka Nikhil Malik. In the vibrant and jovial music video, Rajkhowa grins away with the composed charm of a future pop star and dances with local artists by a riverbank. “Toradoi” – which translates from Assamese into a phrase similar to “apple of my eye” – is Rajkhowa in total playboy mode as he crafts a love song.
Although he’s aware of a few Bihu electronic-pop songs out in the past, Rajkhowa feels “Toradoi” with its percussive guitar, flute, groovy rhythms “hasn’t been done before.” He adds, “The simplicity just appeals to all age groups and is easy on the ears.” With an extensive social media reach, Rajkhowa says even rural India’s population began to create short videos using “Toradoi,” but clarifies that there was “no paid influencer campaign involved or popular A-lister celebrities from Assam posting about it.”
With the bouquets came the brickbats too, with criticisms, “hurtful comments” and apprehensions being aired out by what Rajkhowa feels is “the conservative section in Assam that refuses to accept change in regards with something that they hold so dear.” He adds, “The YouTube comment section is filled with a fair bit of apprehension and some have taken the liberty to use some very colorful language on my Facebook post as well.”
He’s taking it in his stride though. “It is because of my harsh critics that the song is raking up views on YouTube and spreading faster than ever. I am grateful to them,” he adds. “Toradoi” comes 10 years into Rajkhowa’s career, so that kind of maturity is cultivated by the pop artist. Even as the song (and its choreography) picks up across language and cultures in the country, Rajkhowa is plotting a setlist comprising only Bihu songs. “We will be taking [it] to the festivals next year,” he adds.
Rajkhowa has already gone on to release his latest song “Axomiya Lover Boy” with producer Stunnah Beatz in October and previously joined hands with beatsmith Karan Kanchan for singles “Easier To Be Alone” and “Double Tap.” There’s also music coming out via Elixir Records, a label he’s co-founded with entrepreneur Raunak Gupta. “[There are] some very interesting international and national hip-hop collaborations that I have been holding on to for a while,” Rajkhowa says.
Watch the video for “Toradoi” below.
