Naren's indie round-up/ July 2023, Ep 1

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

The Anirudh Varma Collective/ Nirbhay Nirgun

Label: Self-released

Rating: *****

The Anirudh Varma Collective from New Delhi excels in blending traditional Indian compositions with contemporary arrangements, played in a live setting. Their latest video of the Kabir bhajan 'Nirbhay Nirgun' is from a performance at the India Habitat Centre in the Capital in January.

The song is known for the rendition by Kumar Gandharva. Here, it is sung by Aastha Mandle, whose voice fills in the right mix of melody and expression. Adding to the charm are Anirudh on keyboards and Rohit Prasanna on bansuri, besides the lovely choir accompaniment and the interaction of tabla, ghatam and dholak.

The words "Nirbhay nirgun gun gaaoonga main" exhorts one to be fearless. The entire vocal rendition and orchestration bring out the song's meaning beautifully.

Rahgir/ Rahgira Mila Kabira Se

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

This blogger discovered this song purely by chance while browsing. It features Sikar (Rajasthan)-bred singer-songwriter Sunil Kumar Gurjar, better known as Rahgir.

This too revolves around Sant Kabir, but there's a difference. It talks of an imaginary musical conversation between the singer and the mystic saint, as though they've met in a train (as shown in the video).

'Rahgira Mila Kabira Se' begins with Kabir saying, "Kya leke aaya bande, kya leke jaayega, do din ki zindagi hai, do din ka mela". Rahgir responds to that, and the two-way chat makes for interesting listening, with Shakti Vishwakarma's music giving a nice, earthy feel.

Osho Jain feat. Sanchi/ Tu Jae Jahan

Label: Indiae Records

Rating: ***

With his melancholic and romantic melodies and pleasant voice, and his live stage presence, singer-songwriter Osho Jain has attracted a good following. His latest song 'Tu Jae Jahan' is a collaboration with Sanchi, who sings harmonies.

The lyrics are the kind you've heard often - "Tu hai agar nadi toh, main naav hoon koi; to hai agar zameen toh, main gaanv hoon koi" or "Tu jae jahan, le ja mujhe bhi wahin, kal ka kya pata, keh do jo kehna abhi". Yet they have a simplicity that makes them relatable.

Jayesh Malani's video shows a couple in a boat, heading in the direction of the sun on the horizon. Despite the monotonous movements, the visuals sway to the song's flow.

Advait Sawant feat. Hriday Gattani/ Bekhabar

Label: Merchant Records

Rating: *** 1/2

Composer Advait Sawant teams up with singer Hriday Gattani on 'Bekhabar', a guitar-driven pop song that begins by talking of unrequited love but ends with a ray of hope.

Deepak Yadav's lyrics have interesting wordplay like, "Main bekhabar hoon, khud se magar hoon khabar main bas teri". The word 'bekhabar' is enunciated in an innovative manner. While Brecilia Dsouza sings harmonies, three guitarists and a bassist give the song suppleness. The guitar coda wraps up the piece.

Complimenting the song is Aqeeb Siddiqui's video, which uses an orange foliage backdrop. It's a routine video, but it looks good. 

NATE08 feat. Azamaan Hoyvoy/  Inna Minute

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ***

Mumbai bassist-producer Nathan Thomas aka NATE08 blends soul, funk and house music in 'Inna Minute', where he collaborates with vocalist Azamaan Hoyvoy.

The song has a peppy, uplifting beat, but it's the motivational lyrics that add depth. It talks of how, despite "a million ways to go dark", one can find God in everyone. As Azamaan sings, "Lacked the feeling, lacked the faith, I realised I can't complain".

The video blends outdoor shadowy silhouettes with live footage from AntiSocial. It's good a trendy look.