Naren's indie round-up/ Sept 2022, Ep. 5

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

MC Altaf feat. Zaeden, Shah Rule/ Samjhe Na

Label: Gully Gang Records, Believe India

Rating: ****

Three singers blend their individual styles in one of the better desi hip-hop releases of the year. Rapper MC Altaf is joined by singers Zaeden and Shah Rule on 'Samjhe Na'.

Zaeden delivers the catchy hook and the others flow in seamlessly. With classy production by Stunnah Beatz and an underlying rhythm n' blues meets hip-hop touch, the song talks about how busy schedules of artistes affect their relationships. The interchange of Hindi and English lines is well-done.

The video by Arsh Grewal goes well with the song lyrics, as the men are supported by models Nisha Joshi, Riyaa Sharma and Anushka Laha. The end result has a 'hard vibe'.

Tubby/ Yaar Mila Nahi

Label: Inkk Audio

Rating: *** 1/2

Composer and producer Indrajit Sharma aka Tubby plays the role of a singer in 'Yaar Mila Nahi'. It's a melancholic number, with lyricist Sonam Saini writing about the feelings of a person after dear ones have passed away.

Lines like "Saansen tu le le kuchh mujhse udhaar, lauta do tu mujhe mera yaar" bring out the song's emotions. While Tubby plays a grand piano besides singing, a violin solo by Sanjeev Rao is a highlight.

The song has also been released in Tamil as 'Nee Varavillai', written by Jayameera. In his first attempt at the language, Tubby is impressive.

Nishant Singh feat. Kingshuk Talukdar/ Pahadon Mein Thi Mili

Label: Suno!

Rating: ***

New Delhi-based composer Nishant Singh has been collaborating with different singers on his songs. Earlier releases include 'Hua Hua' with Neelasree Basu and 'Alvida' with Vaibhav Singh.

His latest song 'Pahadon Mein Thi Mili' features Kingshuk Talukdar on vocals. It's about meeting one's love in the mountains. Ashish Ahuja's lyrics are full of imagery, and the main lines are "Jab tu mujhe pahadon mein thi mili, o piya".

It's a pleasant composition with a good melody line, though one wishes Kingshuk hadn't tried to force himself to sound expressive. The natural route would have been more effective.

Amruta Kale/ Bhavani Ashtakam

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

We conclude this week's blog with two devotional compositions released to mark Navratri. The first is by singer Amruta Kale, daughter and disciple of Pt Raja Kale.

Written by Aadi Shankaracharya, 'Bhavani Ashtakam' has been composed by Jaya Kale. It is dedicated to the deity Bhavani with the lines "Gatistvam gatistwam tvameka Bhavani".

Shantanu Herlekar's musical arrangements lend a spiritual ambience, and Amruta's singing has the right expression and polish.

Nivedita Padmanabhan/ Algiri Nandini Stotram

Label: Times Music Spiritual

Rating: *****

This is an absolutely brilliant rendition of the 'Algiri Nandini' strotram by 10-year-old Nivedita Padmanabhan. It's a 13-minute composition in 21 stanzas, and the young singer brims with confidence, displaying marvellous diction.

Music is by Narayan Mani, who also plays the veena. The Sanskrit composition is attributed to both Ramakrishna Kavi and Aadi Shankaracharya. They talk of various ways in which Devi Durga protects her devotees. The tune stays on in one's mind long after one has heard it.

Nivedita had last year released her rendition of Narsinh Mehta's 'Vaishnav Jan To'. With Gandhi Jayanti approaching, it would be appropriate to hear that song too besides the new gem.