Naren's indie round-up - Oct 2021, Ep 2


BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 


Salim-Sulaiman ft Sunidhi Chauhan/ Ghar Aao Na

Label: MyN

Rating: ***

As part of the Bhoomi 2021 series, music directors Salim-Sulaiman get in Sunidhi Chauhan on 'Ghar Aao Na'. It's a classical fusion track with pop-rock inflections.

Shraddha Pandit writes the words about a woman waiting for her lover. Pianos and guitars blend with sitar and tabla, with Shakti Hasija's video capturing the live performance.

While Sunidhi's singing is creditable, the sudden western 'heh eh yeah' twist at the end is jarring. It's like an athlete almost reaching the finish line but collapsing 10 metres away.


Mukul Dongre/ Baaje Re Muraliya - Reprise

Label: Self-released

Rating: *** 1/2

Earlier this year, drummer Mukul Dongre released the pop love song 'Dil Jo Chahta Hai', composed by him. Now he gets into the classical fusion space.

'Baaje Re Muraliya - Reprise' features singer Vijay Prakash, flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, guitarist Sanjay Divecha and Germany-based bassist Kai Eckhardt. Kathak exponent Aditi Bhagwat appears in the video.

Rajan Ranade writes this tune on Lord Krishna and his flute. Dongre's tight drumming and the strong melody add to the charm.


Tanzeel Khan/ Yeh Dil

Label: Self-released

Rating: ** 1/2

Content creator Tanzeel Khan gets into singer-songwriter mode on 'Yeh Dil', the first single from his forthcoming album Dastaan. It's another heartbreak song, influenced by hip-hop.

The words have lines like "Raatein lambi lagne lagi hai, neend nahin aati" and "Yeh dil bhara hai dard se". However, the singing needed more variation after a point as some monotony creeps in.

Vaibhav Patil's video goes with the script, with Chahat Tandon playing female lead. Tanzeel's personality comes across perfectly on screen.




Shachi Pathak/ October

Label: Self-released

Rating: ***

Also using the theme of heartbreak, Shachi Pathak sings about how one realises the impact of loss much later. She has an expressive voice which suits the song's mood.

"There's no way I'll be okay but they tell me time will heal, slowly the time will fly and I'll forget your face," she sings, blending sadness with hope. 

The song has been produced by Suyash and co-produced by Saurabh Trivedi, with subtle guitars lines by Sagar Saluja. The instrumentation is just right, and complements Shachi's vocals.


Janapriyan Levine ft Meenal Jain/ Bajre Da Sitta

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ** 1/2

Okay, this is an old Punjabi folk song first popularised by Surinder Kaur and later by Pakistan's Musarrat Nazir. After many other remixes, California-based Janapriyan Levine comes up with the 2021 rendition.

Luckily this isn't just another remake, as Janapriyan plays many instruments like double bass, guitar, jaw harp and keyboards which he showcases in the funky video. Meenal Jain joins on vocals.

The song is about a woman trying to charm her angry lover back. Of course, it's most likely that many listeners will just hum 'Bajre da sitta' without knowing what the song signifies.





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