narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Marma/ Chandana Bala Kalyan  Genre : Devotional Details : NGMA auditorium, January 24 Rating : **** Merlyn DeSouza, Vivienne Pocha, Chandana Bala Kalyan & Shruti Bhave/ Indiva  Genre : Multi region folk-fusion Details : NMACC Studio, January 25 Rating : **** Two shows in Mumbai last week provided a good variety of music from different parts of India. On January 24, singer Chandana Bala Kalyan showcased songs from her album Marma: Myriad Hues Of Devotion  at the National Gallery Of Modern Art (NGMA) auditorium in Fort. The following day, she was back on stage at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) Studio as part of the eclectic group Indiva, led by pianist-keyboardist Merlyn DeSouza, and also featuring vocalist Vivienne Pocha and violinist Shruti Bhave. The Marma concert focused on devotional music, moving from a Carnatic composition and Kannada bhajans to Marathi abhang and qawwali. The set was a mix of songs from the album and pieces sh...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Like an obedient teenager, I did what he said. He asked me to clap, and I clapped. He told me to wave at a stranger in another corner, and I did that. The problem arose when he said, "Phones in the pocket, hands in the sky". I mean, how on earth could I watch the Coldplay live telecast with my phone in my pocket? I was sitting in a bus, travelling from Mumbai to Hubballi when the band's frontman Chris Martin was giving all these orders in distant Ahmedabad on January 26. He had 134,000 people for company at the final gig of his India tour. I had only 14 fellow travellers who were least bothered about why I was suddenly jumping up, screaming 'oh-oh-oh' and flashing my watch imagining it was a razzle-dazzle 'star-in-the-sky' wristband. I was in total Chris Martin mood, saying a British-flavoured 'dhanyavaad' to anyone in sight, and changing my tee twice in the journey. Even my bus was painted 'yellow' and the low AC temper...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Kavita Seth/ Maine Muddat Se Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** Though singer Kavita Seth is generally known for the hit 'Iktara' and the film version of the traditional 'Rang Saari', her repertoire is much wider. Here she comes out with the stunning nazm 'Maine Muddat Se', based on a poem by Waseem Barelvi. The song has been produced by Kavita's son Kanishk Seth, and a highlight is the way ID Rao's clarinet and flute, Zion Matthew's piano and Bhushan Chitnis's guitar have been used in the backdrop. The video, directed by Pankhuri Ranjan, shows the singer expressing different moods. Of course, it's the words that stand out, as Kavita sings, "Maine muddat se koi khwab nahin dekha hai". Roses, dew, the sun, moon, distant villages and streams are used as metaphors before she ends, "Haath rakh de meri aankhon pe ke neend aa jaaye". Brilliant. Jonita Gandhi/ Channa Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Can...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Elena Gilliam/ Live with the George Gilliam Quintet  Genre : Vocal jazz Details ; Tata Theatre, January 12 Rating : **** In the middle of her concert at the Tata Theatre on January 12, American jazz vocalist Elena Gilliam brought back memories of the 1956 film The King And I , starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. She sang 'Shall We Dance', a Richard Rodgers-Oscar Hammerstein II song from the movie, which is also the title track of her latest album. Gilliam displayed perfect phrasing and marvellous expression as she sang, "Shall we dance, on a bright cloud of music, shall we fly?" Like all the songs she performed, it was an example of how a simple, soulful rendition can really create an impact on the audience. Even her scatting was done with remarkable control and finesse, never getting into the histrionics that many singers resort to. At one point, she even produced the sound of a trombone, and it sounded so natural. Equally commendable was the p...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Joy Sengupta & Kinjal Chatterjee/ Tasveer Label: Merchant Records  Rating: *** 1/2 Composed by Joy Sengupta and sung by Kinjal Chatterjee, 'Tasveer' is about the pain and memories of separation. The tune's effect is enhanced by the orchestral flavour. A highlight is Nandini Chaudhury's writing, using poetic expression and impactful words. Examples are the lines, "Saazish karein chanda taarein kyon, alfaaz hai zubaan ki zanjeer kyun?" and "Jal jaaye har khwahishen, par na ho khatm ishq ki yeh bandagi". Pooja Relan's video blends live performance shots with a storyline featuring the couple played by Husne Shabnam and Akshat Sharma. It's got some stylish choreography done by Akshat himself, with body paint adding a fresh shade.  Prajakta Koli & Outsky/ Saanvare Digitally powered by: One Digital Entertainment  Rating: *** To promote her new book Too Good To Be True , author, actress and singer Prajakta Koli has come up...