narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Mansa Jimmy/ Seelan Ki Khushboo Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Sometimes, one discovers gems just while casually browsing. Mansa Jimmy's 'Seelan Ki Khushboo' is one of them. It's a song that brings back the nostalgia of living in a small town in the hills. Adding to the impact of the melody and lyrics is Sambit Dattachaudhury's video, which besides Mansa, features a butterfly researcher played by Peter Smetacek, a boy, a girl and clarinet player, portrayed by Piet Van Der Poel but actually played in the studio recording by Harmish Joshi. The main words are "Seelan ki khushbooen, kapdon pe atki hui khul chuki ki hai baat woh thi jin mein kab se dhoop padi". Guitarist-producer Raag Sethi and drummer Shivang Kapadia join Mansa, whose singing is natural and heartfelt. Nivid/ Bhram, Mazhab - Reimagined Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 The brainchild of producer and composer Aditya Virmani, Nivid is an edgy blend of electronica, trip...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Various artistes/ Waves Of India (EP) Label: Universal Music Rating: ** 1/2 This EP was launched at the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (Waves) in Mumbai earlier this month. The idea was to get the cream of India's composing talent to write songs revolving around the conference's title of 'Waves' and its theme of 'Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries,' combined with messages of national integrity and technological progress. What's happened is that composers A.R. Rahman, M.M. Keerawani, Shankar Mahadevan, Ricky Kej and Meet Bros seemed to have received the same brief, and have thereby produced six songs rehashing the same set of ideas. Phrases like 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram', 'Nayi hawayein, nayi dishayein' and 'Feel the waves of India' are repeated, with some of them translated into other languages and peppered by Sanskrit chants. A better idea would have been to stick to one theme song, most probably Ke...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Guns N Roses/ Live In Mumbai Genre : Rock Details : Mahalaxmi Race Course grounds, May 17 Presenters : Brought to India by Book My Show Live, globally produced by Live Nation Rating : *** Let's face it. Axl Rose's vocals have lost their zing. At 63, the man with one of the most powerful voices in rock history now seems a pale shadow of the past. He athletically soldiered on for two hours and 40 minutes at the Mahalaxmi Race Course last night, determined to play all the favourites. One should give him a nod for perseverance, but one could notice the strain. Of course, the Guns N' Roses show was more about nostalgia. It was more about hearing those classics performed by a group that has been part of a generation's upbringing. It was about wearing those black GNR tees to see two idols - Axl and guitarist Slash - together on stage, though both have performed in Mumbai separately. To everyone's delight, Slash was in his element. Those fingers, shown c...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Attyavashyak/ Raanjha and Baadal Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Attyavashyak is a group comprising Vidit Mithilesh Patankar on pianica, harmonium and vocals, Shruti Bhave-Chitale on violin and vocals, and Aatur Soni on drums. They have recently released two tracks exploring spiritual themes, as a build-up to their EP 11:11 . 'Raanjha', sung by Vidit, features the timeless poetry of Sufi mystic Baba Bulleh Shah. The lines begin "Raanjha Raanjha Raanjha kar di mein pe Raanjha hoi" and talk of dissolving boundaries between self and art, highlighting spiritual oneness through love. A strong hook and solos by the three musicians enhance the charm. 'Baadal', penned by the legendary Mirabai, has been sung by Shruti. The opening lines are, "Baadal dekh dari ho Syaam mein baadal dekh dari, Kaali peeli ghata umdi barsyo ek ghadi". Some wonderful violin sections lend a distinct flavour. Looking forward to the rest of the EP. Nilotpal Sinh...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Eva Kudwa/ I'm Only 13 Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Eva Kudwa is only 13, but she has a wealth of stage experience, having accompanied her guitarist-father Chandresh Kudwa on many shows. She's now out with her first solo song, and appropriately, it's called 'I'm Only 13'. And what a delightful rock n' roller it is. Besides the singing, Eva takes to the guitar herself, coming up with a crackling solo. Chandresh plays the very prominent bass-lines, besides co-writing and producing the song. The brilliant Gino Banks is on drums. The video is pretty straight-ahead, alternating shots of Eva singing and playing guitar. The song has a strong hook too, and one looks forward to hearing it live. Ditty/ Dunya (For Our Children) Label: Clouds Hill Rating: *** 1/2 Delhi-born, Berlin-based singer-songwriter Aditi Veena aka Ditty released her second album Kali two months ago. The album's title is a symbol for darkness, dark-complexioned women...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR International Jazz Day 2025, Mumbai/ Curated by Louiz Banks Performers : Louiz Banks Ensemble feat. Sivamani & Isheeta Chakrvarty, the Ranjit Barot Quartet, the Sanjay Divecha Trio Genre : Jazz, world music, fusion Details ; St Andrew's Auditorium, Bandra, April 30 Rating ; **** Appropriately, drums and percussion were at the forefront of the International Jazz Day show concert, which paid tribute to tabla legend Ustad Zakir Hussain. Like every year, the show was curated by jazz maestro Louiz Banks, and the major attractions this time were drummers Sivamani and Ranjit Barot. The annual event on April 30 was initially held at Blue Frog, Lower Parel, before being held at the Tata Theatre of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Nariman Point. This year it moved further north to St Andrew's Auditorium in Bandra. One could actually see a different audience, many of who are regulars at the venue. Organised by Gigatainment, comprising Neil Banks a...