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Gig review/ Alif

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Alif // Char-su Genre : Kashmiri/ Urdu rock Details : NMACC Studio. November 20 Rating : **** I had seen Kashmiri singer-songwriter Alif at the Mahindra Roots Festival at the Bandra Amphitheatre in Mumbai in early 2023. That was a compact set, and I was hearing him the first time. As such, his performance at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) Studio on Thursday November 20 was more elaborate and gave him a chance to present the range of his repertoire. Titled Alif // Char-su , it was divided into four segments - Charsuu, Arzuu, Rafuu and Lahuu. As such, it was a thematic show. Alif sings in Urdu, Hindi and his native Kashmiri, using a lot of poetry that he's penned himself. The live set had a more rock-oriented approach compared to his studio recordings, with Tanmay Pawar on electric guitar, Aditya Bhandakkar on keys, Nikhil Nair on bass and Karan Chitra Deshmukh on drums, ghatam, rap and vocal harmonies. For two hours, Alif displayed marvellous expr...
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Naren's indie round-up/ Nov 2025 Ep 1

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  The Yellow Diary/ Yun Hi Kahin Label: Self-released  Rating; **** Rajan Batra, vocalist of The Yellow Diary, has a distinct voice and singing style. Accompanied by a tight band, he charms again on the group's latest single 'Yun Hi Kahin'. Kalpit Vora's video is about two childhood friends, played by Roohi Devgan and Suhani Mardia, who hope the warmth of the early days will return. Batra sings, "Yun hi kahin meri raahon mein tu phirse aana, yun hi tera sahi laage nahin door jaana". Joining the action are Himanshu Parikh on keys, Harshvardhan Gadhvi on guitars, Stuart D'Costa on bass and Sahil Shah on drums. Another smooth leaf in the Yellow Diary page. Umair & Maaidah/ Jaana Label: InHouse Rating: *** 1/2 On first impression, the Pakistani brother-sister duo of Umair Saleem and Maaidah reminds one of Zoheb and Nazia Hassan. Even the basic sound and dance-friendly video are throwbacks to the 1980s disco-pop era. But the similarity end...
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Various artistes/ Humsaaz by Aadyam Handwoven

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Various artistes/ Humsaaz Genre : Traditional Indian Presented by : Aadyam Handwoven  Rating : **** An initiative of the Aditya Birla Group, Aadyam Handwoven aims at preserving and promoting India's handwoven heritage, working with artisan communities across Bhuj, Bhadohi–Mirzapur, Garhwal, Kashmir, Pochampally and Varanasi. Drawing a link between handweaving and India"s cultural heritage, it has launched the album Humsaaz , featuring a mix of vocal and instrumental numbers using colour and shades as motifs. The album focuses on traditional styles, going with the rich legacy of Indian textiles. After Aadyam Handwoven business head Manish Saksena introduces the concept, saying heritage lives in music too, Swanand Kirkire recites his poem 'Sunehre Sapne', with 'sunehra' representing gold in the colour spectrum. "Dhaaga dhaaga jod ke hum, Jeevan ki chadariya bun laaye, yaadon ki sandookchi khol ke hum, chalo sapne suhehre chun laaye"...
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Gig review/ Steven Wilson

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Steven Wilson/ Live in Mumbai Genre : Progressive rock Details , Nesco Grounds, Goregaon, November 3 Promoter : Live Box Rating : **** 1/2 As luck would have it, it didn't rain in Goregaon on Monday evening. Maybe the rain gods wanted to have an overview of the concert taking place at the Nesco Grounds below, as British musician Steven Wilson began his India leg of The Overview tour. The crowd was considerably smaller than the one that paid twice the amount to see Enrique Iglesias lip-sync at the MMRDA grounds a few days ago. But they surely got their money's worth as Wilson's 135-minute set, break excluded, dazzled with scintillating live performance, aided by pitch-perfect multi-channel sound and Imax-equivalent visual effects. Wilson had come earlier with his progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, playing at IIT Mumbai and as a solo act at NH7 Weekender. The current visit is part of an international tour to promote his latest solo album The Overview , ...
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Gig review/ Enrique iglesias

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Enrique Iglesias/ Live in Mumbai Genre : Pop/ Latino-pop Details : MMRDA grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex, October 29 and 309 Presented by : Eva Live Rating : ** 1/2 As he proved at his shows at the MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex on October 29 and 30, Enrique Iglesias has some special talents. His voice can have the same volume whether his microphone is close to his lips or three feet away, or whether it's perched safely on its stand as he's dancing some 10 feet away. He can also trick the cameraman to show he's singing high notes on the giant screen when his mouth is shut.  Most of the audience, of course, didn't notice this brilliant improvisation of the art of ventriloqu-lipism. They had come to party, and a party is what they got. They had come to dance, and dance is what they did. The ladies in their early 40s wanted to remember their first real-life crush, and they did that secretly. They had come to sing along with their 'Hero', a...
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Naren's indie round-up/ Oct 2025, Ep 3

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Louiz Banks/ Morning Mist Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** One has heard jazz maestro Louiz Banks' composition 'Morning Mist' live in concert a few times. Each time one is impressed by the melody and musicianship. Now, the tune has been recorded live at the Island City Studios in Khar, Mumbai. The video shows bassist Sheldon D'Silva beginning with the outline, after which there are elaborate portions by guitarist Rhythm Shaw and Louiz on piano. Drummer Gino Banks provides perfect accompaniment. The track runs into seven minutes, but flows smoothly. It has a wonderful hook and some well-rendered improvisation, and lends an air of serenity that goes with morning mist. Incidentally, Louiz and his group have also released videos of 'Mercy Me', 'Stargazer' and 'Love Eyes' as part of the In The Studio series. Worth checking out. Swapnil Garg feat. Soubhagya Mohapatra/ Tu Udle Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 The video take...
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Naren's indie round-up/ Oct 2025, Ep 2

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Faheem Abdullah/ Teri Yaad Label: VYRL Originals Rating: **** Known for 'Ishq' and the Saiyaara title song, Srinagar-bred Faheem Abdullah has a resonant voice and very personal style. We now see him in the video of 'Teri Yaad', the first song he ever wrote. It's a sad song, beginning with the lines, "Hai yeh kismat ka faisla jo hua tu hai mujhse juda, hai yeh zindagi bewafa, jo liya hai mujhse mera jahaan". Qassam Hussain's rabab gives it a traditional Kashmiri flavour, and Amandeep Singh Soni's guitar adds a contemporary touch. The video, directed by Ruman Hamdani, features Faheem and the pretty Zainab Khan. It reflects the melancholic nostalgia of the song. Divyam Sodhi & Khwaab/ Achcha Lagta Hai Label: Sony Music  Rating: *** 1/2 Singer Divyam Sodhi has an extremely pleasant voice and smooth style suited for softer songs. His teamwork with producer and composer Khwaab has yielded numbers like 'Piya' and 'Baal...
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