Naren's indie round-up/ Aug 2023, Ep 3


BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Dee MC feat. Pratika/ Khoyi Si

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

Here's this marvellous bilingual desi hip-hop number by Dee MC and Pratika, who both rap fluently. The song talks about two female artistes trying to find a balance between pushing themselves harder and going slow, thus covering two extremes of a musician's life.

Music is by Sleeky, who works smoothly against the blend of straight rapping and melodic vocal parts. The video, directed by Dee (on left in picture), is in black n' white with a red heart sticker used as a motif.

In the film, Pratika raps in English against an urban backdrop, whereas Dee sings in Hindi in a natural outdoor setting. Both the song and the video have been produced immaculately. Asli vibe hai. Just needs the right people to support it.

Vasuda Sharma/ Manwa Bhaagey

Label: Song Nest

Rating: *** 1/2

In her latest release 'Manwa Bhaagey', singer Vasuda Sharma takes us on a nostalgia ride, reminding us how carefree youth can be. It's a simple song with a catchy melody and an appropriate video directed by Rupin Suchak, featuring throwback shots of a young girl and her babysitter.

It begins with the spoken lines, "Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional" before the Hindi song takes over. Written by Anjali Sharma and Vasuda, there are lines like, "Chaand ko paane ki chaahat mein awaara panchi udta jaaye" and "Apne hi man ka maalik hai man mera".

Sanjoy Das's guitar and Krishna Raj's violin add to the pleasantness of the song.

Stebin Ben & Gurnazar/ Tu Aaja Na

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ***

Singer Gurnazar Chattha teams up with the popular Stebin Ben on 'Tu Aaja Na', a song which mixes Hindi and Punjabi. Though the lyrics by Vishal Pande and Gurnazar tread familiar territory, the song has a welcome catchiness, with composer Khushagra Thakur creating the melody.

The main line is "Tere baajon jee nahin lagda ik pal vi sajna, tu aaja na haay, aaja na". Gaurav Dev and Kartik Dev's arrangements rely on guitars and keys.

The video by Gurinder Bawa blends a live band performance with shots of an attractive yet uncredited couple dancing. The Bhansali influence is obvious.

Darshan Rawal/ Dard

Label; Warner Indie Music

Rating: ***

As the title suggests, Darshan Raval's 'Haaye Dard' is all about pain and heartbreak. Even though the same theme has been covered a zillion times before, there's always a bunch of listeners who relate to a song like this.

Youngveer's lyrics are, "Tenu ki pata haay dard, tenu ki pata haay rona, toot ke judaa ho jaana, phir kisi aur ka hona". Slightly off-metre, but conveys the message.

Producer Lijo George produces an appropriately dramatic soundscape. This could be your next rona-dhona saathi.

Shweta Srivastava/ Paradise 

Label: Self-released 

Rating; *** 1/2

After releasing tracks like 'Home' and 'Saturn', singer-songwriter Shweta Srivastava comes out with 'Paradise', which talks about unexpressed emotions.

Shweta has a soulful and expressive voice, and her training is evident in her nuances. With Sagar Dhote handling production, the track blends pop, electronica and neo-soul.

The lyrics keep it simple, with lines like, "I wish you could see, you're all I need, your heart is my only place to hide; I wish you could see, believe in me, in your eyes, I seek my paradise". These are emotions one can relate to.





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