The Bartender Album Launch – Classic Bollywood with a Twist at Blue Frog, Mumbai

Michael McCleary, better known as Mikey McCleary is a songwriter, composer, performer and producer. Besides his work on soundtracks for ad-films, and background scores and songs for Bollywood films, he is most well known for his re-interpretations of old Bollywood songs under the stage name of The Bartender.

Mikey began his career in the Indian industry with a collaboration with Lucky Ali. He was responsible for the music behind the album Sunoh and all subsequent Lucky Ali albums and he has also worked regularly with A. R. Rahman. Mikey is the talent behind some of the most successful and recognisable tracks for India’s biggest advertising campaigns including Vodafone, Coca-Cola, Levi’s, Titan, Garnier, Lakme, Reliance, Canon, Sony, Pond’s, Cadbury Dairy Milk and countless more.

The Bartender is his brainchild. Mikey is a songwriter, composer and performer, whose eclectic mix of music sensibilities gives his music a unique edge. The Bartender features classic Bollywood songs revamped with a contemporary touch, it’s most famous hits being Khoya Khoya Chand and Hawa Hawai from the film Shaitan, and Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho from the Imran Khan – Kalki Koechlin Coca-Cola bus ad.The Bartender has two albums out, ‘Classic Bollywood: Shaken not Stirred’ (2011), and B Seventy (2013).

The critically acclaimed first album re-invents Bollywood songs from the ’50s and ’60s in a jazzy seductive style, and includes hit songs such as Khoya Khoya Chand, Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho, Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh etc. The second album ‘B Seventy’ (2013) was commissioned to celebrate Amitabh Bachchan’s 70th birthday, with The Bartender performing the album live for the first time at the birthday celebrations. The album features revamped versions of his most iconic hit film songs (including Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein, Inteha Ho Gayi Intezar Ki, Khaike Paan Banaraswala etc.), combining reggae, cabaret and Motown, while staying true to the original soul of the songs.

The Bartender features a combination of vocalists, choosing from the seductive voices of Shalmali Kholgade, Anushka Manchanda, Mauli Dave, Saba Azad, Rachel Varghese and Shibani Dandekar, all accomplished and well-known singers in their own right. The Bartender also includes musicians such as Vinay Lobo on guitar, Aditya Ashok on drums, Titu on percussions, Ramon Ibrahim on keyboards, melodica and trombone, Rhys D’Souza on saxophone, Kishore Sodha on trumpet and Mikey McCleary on bass.

This will be his third album. It is titled ‘Classic Bollywood with a Twist’