It was the ultimate dream for any choreographer — to get the Moonwalker to dance to his moves. Bollywood dance pro Remo D’Souza, however, got a chance to pay an unusual tribute to iconic pop singer Michael Jackson who died in June this year, when he directed the singer’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson, for a music video recently in Mumbai.
Jermaine, who is visiting India, has collaborated with singer Adnan Sami for Go to Mumbai City, a song dedicated to MJ fans in India. “When I first walked into D’Souza’s studio, I was taken aback to see pictures of my brother covering the walls of his rehearsal hall. It was an emotional moment for me,” says Jackson, who is said to have sung more than 1,000 songs with MJ through his musical career.
Jermaine rehearsed with D’Souza for three days before the shoot, which took three days to wrap up. Clad in a suave khadi jacket, he is seen in the video, flipping his toes in signature MJ style across the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminal and Gateway of India while Sami, in his kurta, attempts the famous moonwalk. “Jermaine is a stronger singer than a dancer but an MJ tribute video would have been incomplete without the King of Pop’s signature moves. Jermaine understood, and put his heart into learning the steps,” says D’Souza. The song has a desi feel to it in keeping with the theme, so get ready to see Jackson doing the namaste as well.
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