AmiePesina at 15:20, 19 February 2026

2026-02-19T15:20:18Z

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{{orphan|date=September 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Taambdi Chaamdi
| cover = Taambdi Chaamdi.jpg
| alt = Taambdi Chaamdi by Kratex, Shreyas and Spinnin' Records. Seen is the neck of a brown-skinned man that is shining.
| type = single
| artist = Shreyas ,Kratex
| album =
| language = [[Marathi language|Marathi]]
| B-side =
| released = {{Start date|2024|05|}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = [[Electronic dance music|EDM]]
| length = 2:38
| label = [[Spinnin' Records]]
| writer = Shreyas Sagvekar
| producer = Kratex
| prev_title = 
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|kmjeMrjOjFA|"Taambdi Chaamdi"}}}}
}}
'''"Taambdi Chaamdi"''' ({{Translation|"Brown Skin"}}) is a song by Indian [[DJ]] Kratex and Indian [[rapper]] Shreyas. The song was released in May 2024. [[Spinnin' Records]] released its music video on its [[YouTube]] channel on 25 August 2024. The song is written by Shreyas and Kratex, with Kratex handling its music and production. It is a [[Marathi language|Marathi]] rap with [[Electronic dance music|EDM]] bass. The music video is directed by Omkar Kanerkar and Karan Hanskar.

== Writing and composition ==
[[File:Kratex in 2025.jpg|thumb|Kratex in 2025]]
Kratex was initially requested to compose a song by a South Indian actor, who later got busy. Kratex, who had composed the initial beat within an hour, then requested Shreyas to share some [[Marathi language|Marathi]] rap to accompany the beat. Shreyas and Kratex had previously met at a songwriting bootcamp. While Kratex had initially intended the song to be a South Indian-Marathi-[[House music|House]] collaboration, he was impressed by Shreyas's response and decided to go ahead without the South Indian actor's collaboration.<ref name="ShaikhVogueRap24">{{Cite web |last=Shaikh |first=Sadaf |date=2024-09-20 |title=Taambdi Chaamdi: The Marathi rap song making the whole world go 'lakalakalaka' |url=https://www.vogue.in/content/taambdi-chaamdi-the-marathi-rap-song-making-the-whole-world-go-lakalakalaka |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=Vogue India}}</ref>

The song's lyrics refer to being comfortable in one's own skin. Shreyas described that the song's hook comes from his realisation that his brown skin does not just burn when exposed to the [[Sun]], but also shines. The term "Lakalakalaka" is used by Marathi speakers to describe something that shines or glimmers. Shreyas describes:<ref name="ShaikhVogueRap24" />

{{Blockquote|There were a variety of trees outside the house in my village in [[Ratnagiri]]. In the evening, a swarm of fireflies would descend on the cashew trees. My grandfather would point them out to me and say, "''Lakh lakh karun chamaktoy''" which means "See how they’re 'shining'". So that’s where the term "lakh lakh" comes from. I extended it to "lakalakalakalakalaka" for the song.}}

Shreyas further describes:<ref>{{Cite web |first=Ravina |last=Warkad |date=2024-06-06 |title=With hip hop and house music youth adopt western genres to tell stories rooted in Maharashtra |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/hip-hop-house-music-marathi-9375488/ |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=The Indian Express |url-access=registration}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|It is about a middle-class Marathi boy going about his day, stopping in the middle of the commute to splash water on his face to feel better.}}

== Music video ==
[[Spinnin' Records]] released its music video on its [[YouTube]] channel on 25 August 2024. It is directed by Karan Hanskar and Omkar Kanerkar,<ref name="ShaikhVogueRap24" /> with the concept proposed by [[influencers]] Tejas Shetye and Aakash Salunkhe.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Mihir |last=Bhanage |date=2024-09-23 |title=Kratex: Taambdi Chaamdi's popularity confirms that music has no language barrier |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/marathi/music/kratex-taambdi-chaambdis-popularity-confirms-that-music-has-no-language-barrier/articleshow/113588159.cms |access-date=2024-09-27 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> ''Vogue'' describes the video's premise as "Don’t teach your father how to make babies."<ref name="ShaikhVogueRap24" />

The video features Marathi influencers Tejas and Manish Shetye, Aakash Salunkhe, Mrunali Shirke and Malhar Jadhav. It follows a father (Manish), who is fed up with the partying habits of his son (Tejas) and decides to try it out himself. He wears an iridescent suit and shiny sneakers and ends up partying even harder than his son.<ref name="ShaikhVogueRap24" />

While Kratex had initially intended to release the song on his own [[YouTube]] channel, he was then approached by the head of Spinnin' Records. Kratex describes that he wanted the video to demonstrate that Indians don't always wear ''[[sari]]s'' and ''[[kurta]]s'' and are normal people who go to parties.<ref name="ShaikhVogueRap24" />

Directors Kanerkar and Hanskar shot the video in public places, attracting the attention of the public. They also faced problems with the rental polychromatic suit worn by Manish after it was bought by someone else; they later stitched a new set. This led to shooting delays.<ref name="ShaikhVogueRap24" />

== Commercial performance ==
{{As of|2024|September}}, the song had 4.2 million streams on [[Spotify]] and was ranked at twenty on the Daily Viral Songs India on Spotify charts. It also featured on popular Spotify playlists like Rap 91 and Hot Hits Marathi. The song also had more than 53 [[lakh]] views on its YouTube video and had over 37,000 reels on [[Instagram]].<ref>{{Cite web |first=Nascimento |last=Pinto |date=2024-09-26 |title=Know all about the viral Marathi song 'Taambdi Chaamdi' |url=https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/culture/article/taambdi-chaamdi-the-viral-marathi-song-you-need-to-know-about-23400369 |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=Mid-day}}</ref>

== Remix ==
[[Kshmr]] remixed the song in December 2024, stating that he was "moved by the track's authenticity and cultural pride."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tagat |first=Anurag |date=2024-12-10 |title='Taambdi Chaamdi' Gets a Sizzling New Remix from Kshmr |url=https://rollingstoneindia.com/taambdi-chaamdi-kshmr-remix-shreyas-kratex/ |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=Rolling Stone India |language=en-US}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2024 songs]]
[[Category:2024 singles]]
[[Category:Spinnin' Records singles]]
[[Category:Marathi music]]

Taambdi Chaamdi - Revision history

AmiePesina at 15:20, 19 February 2026