New Delhi, Feb. 20 -- In late 2024, Mumbai/Pune rapper Shreyas Sagvekar received a call from a French friend, who was visiting Dubai. The friend had gone out clubbing the night before and heard a track playing over the PA with rap verses that sounded suspiciously like Marathi. Intrigued, the friend phoned Sagvekar. Since he was a veteran of the Maharashtra rap scene, maybe he knew what the song was?

The track in question turned out to be Taambdi Chaamdi ("brown skin" in Marathi), Sagvekar's collaboration with producer and Marathi-house pioneer Kratex. Released in May 2024, the song's unique blend of Marathi rap verses, Indian folk samples and rib-tickling bass made it an unlikely global club hit.

DJs in Europe, the US and West Asia adde...