DJ TroyBoi on honouring late singer Lata Mangeshkar's legacy with Rootz: 'It is a full-circle moment'

Lata Mangeshkar and TroyBoi

When he thinks of his growing-up years, he remembers Bollywood songs, bhangra tracks, and devotional songs playing at his home. "They gave me an ear for melodies and emotions unique to South Asian music," says internationally acclaimed British producer and DJ TroyBoi. The result of those formative years is the EP, Rootz. To him, the vibrant five-track album is his most personal and culturally significant project, a tribute to his Indian heritage.

"The idea for Rootz came from a deep desire to tell my story, not just as an artiste, but as someone who grew up between cultures," says TroyBoi, who was born to an Indian mother and a British father. "My Indian roots have always been a huge part of who I am. This project is a love letter to my roots, to my family, and to the sounds I grew up around. It's me bridging the world I come from, with the world I live in now."

It features collaborations with contemporary artistes Jazzy B, Amrit Maan, and BombayMami. But what holds deep significance to TroyBoi is the track Kabhi, in which he has used the voice of the legendary singer, late Lata Mangeshkar. "Her voice was everywhere in the Bollywood films I watched growing up. To have her vocals on my record is a full-circle moment that honours the legacy I come from."

In the album, TroyBoi has blended traditional Indian, Punjabi, house, and hip-hop influences with his signature trap and bass sound. The synergy was "an intentional process." "I didn't want it to feel like a surface-level fusion. Trap and bass give the project its edge, while the Indian and Punjabi elements give it soul. I wanted every record to feel like a conversation between the past and the future." His favourite is Kamli, his solo track. "It's the heartbeat of the project. After all the collaborations, Kamli is me standing on my own."

Jazzy B and BombayMami