Saskatchewan musician Tesher launches music video with Jason Derulo as 'Bollywood Hollywood duo'

Back in March, Hitesh Sharma, who goes by the stage name Tesher, was sitting in his parents' basement as he tracked the surprise online viral success of two of his songs.

Four months later, Sharma, a 25-year-old South Asian-Canadian rapper, producer andmusician,is back in the basement in Regina, Sask.,watching as his music video with American R&B artist Jason Derulo launches.

The song is Sharma's own Jalebi Baby, and it's an international hit.

The self-styled"Bollywood Hollywood duo" even performed the track live on NBC'sThe Today Show on July 7, markingSharma's first ever televised live performance.

"Honestly, I love the fact that I'min this part of my career, a music video with Jason Derulo, Top 40 record. But I'm here in Regina in my basement and my mom is, like, giving me breakfast before she leaves for work," said Sharma.

These are the moments he says he'llremember forever. "When I had that first breakthrough record I was home with my entire family together, and they were supporting me all through it."

Sharmafirst gained international recognition in 2020 when his remix ofOld Town Roadby Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, withRamta Jogifrom the Bollywood filmTaal,went viral on TikTok.

Shortly after, his songYoung Shahrukhalso went viral.

WATCH |Saskatchewan rapper Tesher breaks down his viral hit Young Shahrukh:

Tesher breaks down his hit 'Young Shahrukh'

4 years ago

Duration 2:17

Hitesh Sharma, who goes by the stage name Tesher, loves blending songs and influences from his South Asian heritage with hip hop beats.

Sharmareleased his second single Jalebi Baby at the end of 2020. In the song he raps in both English and Punjabi.

It began to chartin a slew of countries including Turkey, Egypt and Algeria on social media apps like Shazam, Instagram Reels and TikTok. Then the song madeits way into Europe.

Once the track hit Germany, record labels started calling.

"I think they saw that if a record can work there, it can work everywhere," said Sharma. "The world was taking notice."

In late MarchDeruloheard the song on Shazam and contacted Sharma. Calling Jalebi Baby a kind of songhe'd never heard before, he askedto get involved.

"I think he kind of keeps his ear to the streets and sees what's hot internationally," said Sharma. "And JalebiBabywas hitting numberone in a lot of countries on Shazam."

Bringing Jalebi Baby to the mainstream

In true pandemic style, the two musicians began collaborating over Zoom Sharma in his Regina basementand Derulo athis home studio in Los Angeles.

The new versionof the song with Derulo's vocalslaunched in May.

Once COVID-19 cases started to decreasein late May, Sharma headedto California to meet Derulo and shoot the music video.

"It was so meant to happen, because I don't even know if I would be able to achieve the vision that I had in my mind if I didn't have Jason Derulo on board," he said.

"Because with him on board,there's dancing andlights on the set.It's so beautiful and intricate."

The video's director, GilGreena star in his own right, having taken onmultiple videos for Derulo and other artists including DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne and Drake is someone Sharma says he's admiredfor years.

He described his time collaborating with Deruloin L.A.as a crash course ontoday's popmusic industry from auditioning dancers, to managing social media, rehearsing and setting up interviews with international news outlets.

"A lot of people think that it's like, 'OK, you made it. You got your big record and now you're just a superstar. Absolutely not. This is when the work starts."

It often means long hours and pushing through exhaustion, but Sharma says he wouldn't change any of it, because all that work helped him realize his dream forJalebiBaby.

When he saw the first shot of the music video, Sharma saysit was exactlyas he'd imagined it. Watching his dreams come to fruition right before his eyes was "an emotional experience."

His Despacito moment

When Jalebi Baby was first blowing up around the globe, Sharma hadswarms of offers coming his way.

But he didn't take the first one that crossed his path he had bigger things in mind.

"I was like 'OK, if we've hit this point, we might as well try to go for gold. Let's make the push for mainstream radio.' "

The key was sticking to that goal,and with patience andthe right people, "I was able to make that happen."

Sharma hopes this early success will inspire other South Asian artists to keep their options open and chase downbig opportunities as well.

He considers his and Derulo's collaboration to besimilar to the massive hit Despacito,Justin Bieber's remix of the song by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

"I'm hoping that this is like thatDespacitomoment," where the song goes on to be wildly successful andinspiresothers to make music.

The same thinghappened with the Latin music community afterDespacito, he reasoned.

"So why not South Asian music?"

Savouring time at home

Back in Regina, relatives, old principals and teachers, friends and members of the community are constantly calling the Sharma household.

The young artist is savouring this time home with his family. He knows his life is about to shift into a much faster pace. Sharma says he'll be living out of a suitcase for the next few years, following the direction his art takes him.

But he says Regina grounds him.

"Because it's home.I love being home. I think it's so good for my mental health."

All those calls coming into the Sharma household? They drip with pride and joy for the Saskatchewan boy dead-set on taking his goals as far as he can. Sharma says Saskatchewan people are fiercely loyal to their own.

"Why people from Saskatchewan are proud of people that make it out and start to do crazy things and extraordinary things outside of the province isbecause this province feels like a community."

Becausehe's often felt like his journey has been a solo mission, Sharmadoesn't take support coming from his home town for granted.

"From Regina to the world, baby!"