Mumbai, May 25 (IANS) Back in the time of Bluetooth transfers, flip phones, and Orkut scraps, VIVA was the soundtrack of almost every 2000s kid growing up in India. Two decades later, India’s iconic pop girl band’s music is finally available, but on OTT platforms.
Rolling back the years, Viva was first a five-member band, which featured names such as Seema Ramchandani, Pratichee Mohapatra, Neha Bhasin, Mahua Kamat, and Anushka Manchanda.
However, Seema left the group soon after the release of their first album. The remaining four member of the band launched their second and last album Viva! – Reloaded in 2003. Returning to the present, VIVA in collaboration with JioStar, is returning to the world through KaanPhod and all major audio streaming platforms.
Singer Neha Bhasin said in a statement: “VIVA was never just a band, it became a feeling, a memory and an entire era for us and for a generation that grew up with our music.”
She added: “As India’s first pop girl band, we shared something truly special together and that connection has stayed alive over the years through the incredible love of our audiences. I’m so happy that the songs and videos which defined so many millennial memories will now finally be available for newer generations to discover, experience and enjoy as well.”
Speaking about VIVA’s legacy, Anushka Manchanda, who has crooned numbers such as “Apna har din”, “Ek main aur ekk tu”, and “Tu Saala” in Hindi cinema, said: “VIVA represents a powerful moment in time that laid the foundation for us to be strong, independent women.”
“We are humbled and grateful for the love we have continued to receive over the last two decades, and so this moment feels all the more magical as it comes together!”
“VIVA feels inseparable from who I am, almost like an extension of my own name,” said Pratichee Mohapatra.
She added that Viva was where her musical journey truly began, shaping her not just as an artist but as a person.
“It holds some of my happiest memories, deepest friendships and biggest milestones. Seeing the music return after all these years feels emotional, nostalgic and a little surreal. There’s something beautiful about knowing these songs will now become part of the lives of both old listeners and an entirely new generation,” shared Pratichee.
Singer Mahua Kamat added that the music of VIVA is finally returning to where it has always belonged with the listeners who have carried these songs in their hearts for all these years.
“The love and support we’ve continued to receive across generations has been truly overwhelming, and it means so much to know that fans everywhere can now stream, rediscover and celebrate these songs all over again,” she concluded.
–IANS
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