narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR The PropheC/ Secrets Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Indo-Canadian singer and producer Neal Chatha, who goes by the name The PropheC, has been consistently churning out catchy Punjabi songs for over a decade. His first single 'Sohni' made him popular among the expat audience. The new PropheC release 'Secrets' again falls in the bhangra-pop space, with a catchy hook, strong choruses, vibrant rhythms and smart production. The lyrics talk of knowing the secrets a lover keeps in her heart. The song is reminiscent of the group Stereo Nation, with its Indo-global feel. Hector Toro's video is an asset, shot in snow-capped locales with The PropheC and model Esha Jas. The melody and visuals are in good sync. In fact, The PropheC has had some fantastic videos earlier too. Mirande Shah/ Krishna Nee Begane  Label: Self-released  Rating: **** In 1996, the Colonial Cousins Hari and Lezz gave their own twist to the traditional Kannada bhajan 'Krishna N...

  BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Artiste: Veronica Fusaro Genre: Pop-rock Details: Tata Theatre Mumbai, August 28 2022 Rating: *** 1/2 Even though the Indo-Pak cricket match was being simultaneously telecast, a moderately-sized crowd turned up at Mumbai's Tata Theatre on Sunday night for singer-songwriter Veronica Fusaro's concert. The Swiss artiste had come for smaller shows in Mumbai and Bengaluru three years ago, but this time she was playing live with her band. With the concert scene opening up, one may see a steady stream of international acts in India, including some at the Lollapalooza festival early next year. Fusaro's show may well mark the beginning of this 'comeback'. Her appearance was preceded by a performance by indie singer-songwriter Raghav Meattle, whose simple voice-and-guitar set set the mood. The young man has a sense of humour, which was evident between songs that talked of pub conversations ('Bar Talk'), Mumbai ('City Life') or the girlfrie...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Brodha V feat. Niharika NM/ Bujjima Label: Self-released  Rating: **** One of the most consistent hip-hop artistes in India, Brodha V talks about toxic relationships in his new song 'Bujjima'. The video, created by Inflict, is a spoof set in a courtroom. There are direct digs at the Joker and Harley Quinn, Will Smith and Chris Rock, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, besides subtle parts hinting at rapper Emiway. Niharika NM plays the female lead, and a host of characters fill up the plot. The tune sticks to you, as Brodha sings, "Bujjima crazy like Annabelle, you was a savage like animal, we was just never compatible, Bujjima, Bujjima". And the more you watch the video, the funnier it gets. Nikhita Gandhi & Siddhant Bhosle/ Tu Hi Bata Label: Self-released  Rating: *** Singer Nikhita Gandhi, who's been quite prolific in Bollywood of late, teams up with Siddhant Bhosle on the independent single 'Tu Hi Bata'. They had earlier worked together...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Vinay Ramadasan & Anuja Zokarkar/ Haveli  Sangeet Genre: Devotional music Details: Nehru Centre, Mumbai; August 17 Rating: **** The aim of the concert was two-fold - to present Haveli Sangeet on the eve of Janmasthami and to pay tribute to Mewati gharana legend Pandit Jasraj on his second death anniversary. After all, Jasraj had played a major role in popularising the art form among contemporary audiences. Singer Vinay Ramadasan and his wife Anuja Zokarkar took the Nehru Centre stage on August 17 in the concert presented by JSW, conceptualised by Grace Foundation and managed by Pancham Nishad. They were accompanied by a large ensemble, comprising veena, bansuri, harmonium, pakhawaj, other percussion and three tanpura players. Haveli Sangeet, or Pushtimargi Devalaya Sangeet, has its roots in the temple music of the 16th century, and is part of the Vallabh Sampradaya formed by Shri Vallabhacharya. Bhakti towards Lord Krishna is the core element of this ge...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Biki & His Buddies/ High Time You Make Her Believe Label: Self-released  Rating: **** 1/2 Biki & His Buddies is a collective of Kolkata musicians led by Sarbik Guha aka Biki. Their latest song is a tribute to children who miss out on their childhood, and is also about the pain of losing loved ones. Accompanied by an extremely creative animated video by Deepayan Purkait, thus one touches a chord. It's a deeply emotional number with the lines, "But deep inside the well, she wants to be free; it's high time you pull her out, high time you make her believe". The song has a smooth narrative, and Biki's lyrics need to be heard in their entirety. The song builds up slowly, and moves on to a rousing guitar-vocal interaction towards the end. Swarnabha Gupta and Nabhoneil Samajdar pump up the electric guitar parts. All in all, a brilliantly constructed song with lots of depth. Vernon D'Souza/ With You Label: Throan Of Art Music Rating: **** A...

  BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Mickey Hart & Planet Drum with Zakir Hussain, Giovanni Hidalgo and Sikiru Adepoju/ In The Groove Genre: Global percussion Label: Valley Entertainment  Rating: ***** In 1991, rock band Grateful Dead's drummer Mickey Hart got together with renowned percussionists from around the world to release the album Planet Drum. The idea was to bring together different global rhythms, and the project went on to win Grammy for best World Music Album. Hart has now released In The Groove , after the similarly-themed ventures  Supralingua  in 1998 and Global Drum Project in 2007. Joining him are three members of the original line-up - tabla great Zakir Hussain, Puerto Rican conguero Giovanni Hidalgo and Nigerian talking drum maestro Sikiru Adepoju. On djembe, balafon, shekere and vocals, they are accompanied by Melissa and Ophelia Hie of West African country Benin. The six tracks seamlessly fuse different rhythmic styles, with a prominent use of electronic ...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Raj Pandit & Sukriti Kakar/ Haal Chaal  Label: Merchant Records  Rating: *** Raj Pandit and Sukriti Kakar get together on the Punjabi dance track 'Haal Chaal', both on vocals and in the video. The tune very smartly uses a line from the folk song 'Jutti Kasoori', with Simran Choudhary on guest vox. It's a catchy tune, suited for the dance floor, and Sukriti and Raj complement each other well. The balance between dance music, electronica and folk is well maintained, with Muheet Bharti on guitar, mandolin and bouzouki. Lyricist IP Singh writes, "Dafaa kar de yeh doori, fanaah kar de majboori, kar de behaal haal chaal ve". Though the choreography (Riya Sood, Rishi Sharma) suits the song, Tushar Mahajan's video looks routine, like many in the club-dance space. Overall, the song's peppiness keeps your haal chaal going. Aabha Hanjura/ Madano Label: Self-released  Rating: **** The title of singer Aabha Hanjura's new release ...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Vasuda Sharma feat. Layth Sidiq/ Believe Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Singer Vasuda Sharma, who started her career with the Channel V-promoted band Aasma, has been doing some interesting collaborations. After teaming up with Delhi-based Arnav Maggo on 'Tere Bina', she has now released the track 'Believe' with US-based Iraqi-Jordanian violinist Layth Sidiq. The song, which has a new age/ loungey vibe, talks of the power of self-belief. "Do you believe in the birds that fly, do you believe in the colour of the, of the sky?" asks Vasudha, lacing the song with a lot of imagery. Layth's violin-playing is brilliant, acting as a perfect foil to the vocals and Jack Haigh's acoustic guitar. The video, shot amidst natural surroundings by Pamela Hersch, adds value to this wonderful song. Nisa Shetty, Simetri Sisters, Heat Sink/ Rollercoaster Promoted by: Nexa Music  Rating: ** 1/2 Nexa Music has begun its Season 2 with 'Rollercoaster...