Mayya is a song from the 2007 Hindi film Guru. It was composed by A. R. Rahman, performed by Maryem Toller, Chinmayee, Keerthi Sagathia and written by Gulzar.

Development

Rahman personally trained Egyptian singer Maryem Tollar to sing "Mayya", a song which Rahman wrote while on Hajj in Makkah. After he heard a man near a river who was continually repeating "maya maya maya" (water in Arabic), he told Gulzar to incorporate the word into the tune he had created while touring in Toronto, Canada.^[1]

Reception

The song recieved excellent critical reviews, most of them hailing the international appeal of the song. A review on Planetbollywood said, "Mayya is an internationally intoxicating number. Credit must be given to Maryem Toller who brings her vocally rooted renditions to play with Rahman’s Egyptian influenced composition that is everything but controlled! Chinmayee picks up where she had left off earlier, oozing into the piece seamlessly. Keerthi’s invigorating vocal interludes match the power of the composition itself. Gulzar’s words are somewhat along the ‘Beedi’ lines, filled with passion and power. This is a prime example of how good a pan-global sound can make you feel!"^[2] The song, along with its entire soundtrack album has proved a success, staying at the number one spot thirteen weeks after its release.^[3]