Whenever Salim-Sulaiman, Bollywood’s top musicians, headline a concert in Toronto, their Indo Canadian fans come out in large numbers to immerse in their melodious and soulful performances. The scene was no different on March 17^th when during their live concert the duo drew in thousands of music fans to the Powerade Centre in Brampton.

The band   opened with a glittering start, singing “Ishq Wala Love song from the movie Student of the Year “, against   colorful flickering lights and a wonderful backdrop. The team, which included  Indian Idol winner Vipul Mehta, Raj Pandit, Sukriti Kakkar rendered one hit after another for three straight hours, taking their fans into a frenzy. They brought back the old-world charm by rendering some of the evergreen hits and all-time favorites of Bollywood.

Sulaiman informed the packed house, “If we were to   sing all of our compositions, we would be here until tomorrow, so we will sing from our playlist…a love mashup.” So, the audiences were treated to plenty of songs, many devotional ones like Bismillah, Noor E Ilahiand Ali Maula.

A prayer for Syria was included as well, and songs from other genres as well. Enthused by the audiences’ reactions, they continued their tightly-spaced set, which included songs like “Marjawaan”, “Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai” from the Shah Rukh and Anushka Sharma film.

Effortlessly swinging back and forth between their original numbers and the classics, Salim-Sulaiman’s performance was embraced by all fans, who were singing along, cheering and dancing the night away.

At about half-time, the duo offered a very beautiful “Jubilee Mubarak” as a tribute to His Highness the Aga Khan’s 60 years of spiritual leadership of the Ismaili Muslim community.

The artists performed classic Bollywood tracks such as Bachna Ae Haseeno, Om Shanti Om and Piya Tu Ab To Aaja. The audience couldn’t help but get up and dance.

The concert was divided into two parts, the first half of the concert was relatively more upbeat as Salim and Sulaiman and their fellow singers performed 15 songs, while the other half was on a soft note as Salim performed devotional songs.

The world famous Indian music director duo, who performed at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, have composed music for more than 100 Bollywood films and television shows. They have scored music for films like Chak De India, Band Baaja Baaraat, Fashion and Aaja Nachle among others.” Salim-Sulaiman have also been part of several TV reality shows as celebrity judges, including the very popular Indian Idol.

The concert remained cognizant of the spirit and significance of the Diamond Jubilee commemoration of His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. It was a celebration through music.

An outstanding performance as always, leaving the audiences craving for more. Toronto was blessed with an incredible treat, and we look forward to their return again and again for more of such musical treats!

Thank you Salim-Sulaiman!