narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR The Anirudh Varma Collective feat. Divyam Sodhi & Kavya Singh/ Mausam Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** Delhi-based The Anirudh Varma Collective has been doing some exceptional work, blending classical melodies with contemporary sounds in a rather subtle manner. The new song 'Mausam', from their forthcoming album, is another such gem. It's a song about longing, sung fabulously by Divyam Sodhi and Kavya Singh, who also complement each other very well. The lyrics by Likhari uses lines like, "Mausam badalta jaaye, balma na aaye". A highlight is Anirudh's arrangement, which makes good use of sarod, guitar and ghatam. All musicians get their space and the fusion is seamless. Captured live in the studio in Saubhagya Saxena's video, with a guest appearance by model Vrinda Chadha.  Utsavi Jha/ Kaise Kaise Label: first.wav Rating: *** 1/2 Singer Utsavi Jha has been releasing songs for the past four years. After 'Piya' in April, she

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Ridi Oswal/ Make It All Make Sense Label: PROTunes Rating; *** 1/2 Switzerland-bred Indian origin singer Ridi Oswal has been releasing singles since 2021. Her latest 'Make It All Make Sense' blends western dance-pop with a dash of Rajasthani folk. The song celebrates women's strength, and has lines like, "Fire in my soul and it's burning, and I like it when it hurts, think I'm falling, and once you're really freaking here, there's no returning". The line "Padharo mare desh re" is used intermittently. The video, produced by Varitunes, is well-choreographed, with Ridi alternating between western and Indian attire, in keeping with the song's mood. Makes sense. Pelican Shuffles/ Catch A Cab Label: Self-released Rating: *** 1/2 Having earned a following with their pre-lockdown EPs Battleground Dreams and All Shuffled Up , Kolkata group Pelican Shuffles continue with their journey of producing neat songs. Their new si

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Artiste : L Shankar & Group Concert : Aditya Birla Group Masters of Music  Genre : Fusion/ Carnatic  Details : June 16, Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, Mumbai  Rating : ***** The sudden excitement was palpable when violinist L. Shankar announced that he and his group would play many Shakti tunes at Sunday's concert in Mumbai. He had already opened the evening with a dazzling rendition of Carnatic composer Muthuswamy Dikshitar's 'Vathapi Ganapathim', and if one thought he would focus on classical fare, that was not to be. Five of the remaining six pieces belonged to the repertoire of the original Shakti line-up, comprising him, guitarist John McLaughlin, tabla genius Zakir Hussain and ghatam maestro Vikku Vinayakram. Together, they had pioneered the Indo-jazz fusion sound in the 1970s, before going different paths over a decade later. Playing those old Shakti classics had a major issue though, at least for fans. They had originally been written for two mel

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Siddhant Chaturvedi, OAFF & Savera feat. Wamiqa Gabbi/ Ittefaq Presented by: Anshul Garg Rating: *** OTT star Wamiqa Gabbi had a great run in 2023, with Jubilee, Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley , and Khufiya . Now she makes a brief appearance in the music video of 'Ittefaq', along with actor Siddhant Chaturvedi ( Gully Boy , Gehraiyaan ). It's fine for Siddhant, as he's written the lyrics and is one of the singers, along with Savera. Music directors OAFF and Savera have a catchy disco-styled hook and a rap stretch using a smattering of English within the Hindi lines. The song talks of a chance meeting between two people, and the wish to make the best of it. Sadly, there are no close-ups of Wamiqa, and one barely notices those famously gorgeous eyes. Music videos, that too with only a few dance moves, may not be the best thing for her at this stage. Seasons/ Farishta Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Formed in 2015, Delhi band S

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Bon Jovi/ Forever Genre : Rock Label : Island/ UMG Rating : **** There was a time in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Bon Jovi was THE rock band and frontman Jon Bon Jovi a pin-up favourite. Somewhere down the line, and despite a few individual hits, the consistency came down. The departure of long-time guitar genius Richie Sambora in 2013 was a setback. Now, after a lean phase, and with Jon undergoing a vocal cord surgery in 2022, the New Jersey lads are back. A few weeks after the release of the Disney/ Hulu documentary Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story , we have the latest album Forever . Their 16th studio effort, Forever is almost like a return to old form, and arguably the most consistent record after the 1990s releases Keep The Faith and under-rated These Days . We say 'almost' because Jon's voice has obviously changed, both with age and following the surgery. It's rougher and a shade more nasally twangy, and he avoids high-range

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Yohan Marshall & Maalavika Manoj/ Just For Once Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Singers Yohan Marshall and Maalavika Manoj aka Mali team up on 'Just For Once', a pleasant duet about how everything is possible if one tries. Mali begins the song with the lines, "Just for once, for me, could you believe that you, you could do anything, just for once, for me, could you believe that you, you really care". Yohan takes over after that, and the tempo increases. Chaitanya Bhaidkar's guitars and the back-up arrangements blend well with the voices. At three minutes, it's a bit short but creates an impact.  Pataka Boys / Bappi Lahiri Label: Azadi Records Rating: *** PAV4N and Sonnyjim, UK-based underground rappers, team up with Indian producer Kartik to form Pataka Boys. Their first collab is called 'Bappi Lahiri' - obviously named after the late music director, who if he had heard it, would wonder what the connection is. Joining them