Naren's indie round-up/ April 2024, Ep 3
BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Divyam Sodhi & Khwaab/ Piya Label: first.wav Rating: ***** Hailing from Karnal in Haryana, singer Divyam Sodhi has been hugely influenced by ghazals and Punjabi folk. He has a very pleasant and emotive voice, and his reels have a sizeable Instagram following. On the song 'Piya', he teams up with producer Khwaab. It's a simple song about companionship, set against a catchy guitar line. Divyam sings, "Laut aao ghar, piya tera kaandha mera sar; maanguta umar, piya tera kaandha mera sar". The diction has a Punjabi trace. The variations he uses to sing 'maanguta' are fabulous. There are brilliant lines like, "Asar tujh mein hai, marham mein nahin, mushkil hoti hai, kurbat se sahi, jee le pal bhar, piya tera kaandha mera sar". Most important, the tune sticks. Mirande Shah/ Ranjha Label: Self-released Rating: **** Talking of voices, Ahmedabad-based singer Mirande Shah has a texture that's as sweet as they come. Her latest s