narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Divyam Sodhi & Khwaab/ Baalam  Label: first.wav Rating: **** After releasing the fantastic 'Piya' earlier this year, singer Divyam Sodhi and producer/ co-composer Khwaab are now out with 'Baalam', a song about love and separation. The song has a semi-classical feel and Divyam has good control over the nuances. The back-up vocals by Kavya Singh and Suhavi Kalsi complement his singing wonderfully. The lyrics, by Aaghaz, use metaphors like, "Bikhre bikhrè gesu mere, aankh se kajra dhul gaya, ab na bole paayal meri". Gorkey Patkal's video keeps it simple, showing Preeti Panigrahi and Divyam in alternate shots. Both song and video have been beautifully done.  Five YearsFromNow/ Kya Hua Label: Robach Rating: *** 1/2 Hyderabad trio Five YearsFromNow blend ambient textures and a drum n' bass influence their new track 'Kya Hua'. The group consists of singer and lyricist Kai Gurung, producer Sumanth Krishna Battu and drummer Shan

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Gideon/ Everything Unfolds  Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 On his song 'Everything Unfolds', singer-songwriter Gideon sings, "Our love was like a summer breeze, but now it's just a distant memory; You're the one who filled my heart, but now you're left, I'm torn apart". Get the drift? Though the emotion has been expressed millions of times before, there's a certain freshness in Gideon's rendition that makes it likeable. The gentle piano and the backing vocals at the end go with Gideon's expressive style. The song is from the Audacity album. Jojin John's video alternates the singer's close-ups with shots of a couple. The grayish look adds to the nostalgia. Justin-Uday Duo feat. Aditi Paul/ Tu Jahan Label: Judo Music & Films  Rating: *** Singer Aditi Paul appears on composer team Justin-Uday Duo's latest single 'Tu.Jahan'. The song takes a couple of listens to settle in, but has a trendy sty

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Sanskar Vaidya/ Samay Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Originally from Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Mumbai-settled singer-songwriter Sanskar Vaidya has been trained in both Indian and western styles. As such, he has released songs in both Hindi and English. His new song 'Samay' is from his forthcoming EP Koshishein . The lyrics portray time as a friend, beginning with the line, "Samay, zara ruko to sahi, do baatein karte jaao, yoon na sataao; Samay, meri bhi sunlo kabhi, achche kuchh pal hai yahin, inhe toh na churao". The guitars are used stylishly, and there's a wonderful solo. There are shades of an U2 influence. To add to the aura, Kamal Kochappan's video has a well-structured sequence of frames, moving from a room to a train to outdoor locales. A lot of ideation has obviously gone into both the sound and the look. Ramil Ganjoo/ Fursat Label: Robach Rating: *** Another song themed around the passage of time is Mumbai singer-songwriter Rami

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Apoorva Mudgal/ Dasht-e-Tanhai  Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Penned by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, the nazm 'Dasht-e-Tanhai' was made famous by singer Iqbal Bano, also from Pakistan. Now, we have a remarkable adaptation by Agra-born, New York-based artiste Apoorva Mudgal. Using the same melody, Apoorva's rendition is more loungey. The use of Ria Modak's guitar, Yacouba Sissoko's kora, Doug Wieselman's clarinet and Dan Kingsberg's bass gives it a unique flavour, with the vocals bringing out loneliness and nostalgia effectively. Apoorva has directed the video herself, using white, grey and brown beautifully. It's a wonderful tribute to both Faiz and Iqbal Bano. Pratibha Singh Baghel with Budapest Symphony Orchestra/ Mujhse Pehli Si Mohabbat Label: Sufiscore  Rating; **** While on Faiz Ahmed Faiz, we have another adaptation of his classic, with Pratibha Singh Baghel singing 'Mujhse Pehli Si Mohabbat'. The song is associ

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Shekhar Ravjiani & Shreya Ghoshal/ Bas Kaafi Hai Label: Garudaa Music  Rating: **** After collaborating on 'Vaari Vaari' late last year, singers Shekhar Ravjiani and Shreya Ghoshal team up on 'Bas Kaafi Hai'. Shekhar, known for his film music composing work with Vishal Dadlani, also creates this tune. It's a simple love sung mostly as a duet in Hindi but with an uptempo English chorus at the middle and end. Manoj Yadav writes love-lorn lines like, "Ishq bole ya na bole kabhi, tere honton ki ik boli bhi, bas kaafi hai". Manas Takle's video is simple, as it features the singers enjoying their song. Musically and on screen, they complement each other well. Keshuv Huria & Prateeksha Srivastava/ Sitamber Label: Self-released  Rating: *** Another love song comes from singer-composer Keshuv Huria, who teams up with singer Prateeksha Srivastava on 'Sitamber' (Hindi for September). From the title, it's obvious that the s

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Rajeev Raja Combine/ Converging Streams Genre : Indo-fusion Details : Tata Theatre, Mumbai, October 13 Rating : **** With the western concert flute blending with Indian melodies and world music flavours, the album Cosmic Chant by Rajeev Raja Combine attracted many fans after its late 2013 release. A decade later, flautist and composer Rajeev Raja decide to call all those associated with his group on stage. Along with a few special guests, the Combine had a marvellous performance at the Tata Theatre on October 13. Part of the NCPA   Converging Streams series, it was a wonderful example of Indo-jazz-global fusion with just the right blend of melody, technique and improvisation. One, of course, wished more people attended. Only three of the auditorium's five wings were opened up, and yet one saw a number of empty seats, even on a Sunday evening. But those who came definitely had a gala time, as Rajeev's compositions took listeners on a journey from different