Naren's indie round-up/ Feb 2025, Ep 1
BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Harini Rao & Saikat Basu/ Ae Ri Sakhi Label: The Songsmiths Rating: **** There have been various renditions of Amir Khusro's 'Ae Ri Sakhi', including ones by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Shujaat Khan. What differentiates this one by Harini Rao and Saikat Basu is the addition of English lyrics, sung by the latter. The version begins with a section from Khusro's 'Sakal Ban Phool Rahi Sarson' after which Harini sings "Ae ri sakhi morey piya ghar aaye, bhaag lage is aangan ko". Saikat's English lines go, "They say there lies no fear, and tears got no place, they say there lies no ugly truth to face", with the song then getting back to Khusro's lines. Joy Solomon's piano and Shreyas Iyengar's saxophone go well with the blend. Sateesh Saladi's video captures the musicians in different performance shots. Hailing from Hyderabad, Harini has strong command over the nuances. Kaushiki Chakraborty & Shweta Mohan...