Rahman had decided that he would definitely work with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan after he attended his performance in Delhi. But Rahman settled, very appropriately, for the Pakistani Sufi music singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Sting's guitarist Dominic Miller. Sony asked him to choose from any of its international stars to work with and supposedly even suggested the name of Celine Dion. Several postcards were supplied with the album, so as to spread messages of aesthetic values. I wish that this album inspires them to grow up with wealth of human values and ethics that this country is made of". Prior to the release, Rahman said: "I dedicate this album to the future generations of India. Rahman conceptualized the album to commemorate the fifty years of India's independence and to pay tribute to India. Called Vande Mataram, it was a tribute to the motherland and featured songs to mark the three colours of the Indian Flag. Rahman suggested the idea that he had discussed with Bharat to Sony Music India and was immediately accepted. The financial details of the contract were not disclosed but Industry experts believe it to be the largest of its kind in India. And the first person to be signed up by Sony Music from the Indian sub-continent was A.R.Rahman, on a three-album contract.
They were looking to promote Indian artistes internationally. In 1997, the International music label, Sony Music, entered the Indian market in a big way. During this meeting both had discussed a proposal for an album to commemorate 50 years of Indian Independence in 1997. In 1996, when Rahman had gone to Bombay (now Mumbai) to attend the Screen Awards ceremony, he met his childhood friend Bharat Bala. The album won the 1997 Screen Videocon Award for Best Non-Film Album. Rahman was also issued an Guinness World Record certificate for being the composer of the original song which was ceremoniously presented to Rahman after his concert in Oakland, CA, USA on 12 September 2010. Indian singer Sai "Psychuck" Manapragada performed the track in 265 different languages (individually) and again in 277 languages (with chorus) to achieve this feat twice. The track also holds two Guinness World Records for being the song performed in the most languages. The popularity of the song was such that in 2002, when BBC World Service conducted an international poll to choose the ten most famous songs of all time from around 7000 songs selected from all over the world, "Maa Tujhe Salaam" was voted second. Sung by Rahman himself, the song has come to represent a feeling of patriotic unity for India and has been performed or played at several national and regional events in the country. The album also features "Gurus of Peace" which Rahman recorded with the late Pakistani Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.Ī critical and commercial hit, the title song from the album is one of India's most popular songs of all time. Ever since release, both the album and its title song "Maa Tujhe Salaam" have had a profoundly positive and unifying impact on the nationalistic and patriotic mood of the country. It was released on the Golden Jubilee anniversary of India's independence and has been instrumental in instilling a sense of patriotic pride and national unity amongst the people of India. It released on 9 December 1997 by Sony's music labels Columbia Records and SME Records. It is Sony Music India's largest-selling non-film album to date. Vande Mataram is a 1997 studio album by Indian musician A.