narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  SOI Chamber Orchestra & Friends From Scandinavia  Conductor : Maria Badstue, feat. piano soloist Soren Rastogi Programme : Nielsen, Ingeberg, Rachmaninoff, Sibelius Genre : Western classical  Details : Tata Theatre, NCPA, June 27 Rating : **** (Pic taken by blogger) Mumbai's western classical lovers will be looking forward to the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) Autumn 2025 Season, scheduled from August 12 to 26 at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). American Andrew Litton and Britisher Martyn Brabbins will wield the baton. Almost as a prequel, the city witnessed two western classical concerts at the NCPA. On June 24, a Brass Ensemble comprising musicians from academies in Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark, were conducted by Niels Ole Bo-Johansen. I couldn't attend the Experimental Theatre event which featured the compositions of Carl Nielsen of Denmark, Jean Sibelius of Finland and Henri Tomase of France, among others, but received s...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Van Morrison/ Remembering Now Genre: Rock/ eclectic Label: Exile Productions Rating: ***** How does one describe the genius of a man who's been on the scene for 57 years, and yet sounds so inspired and kingly on his 47th studio album? Irish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Van Morrison may not be spoken of in the same vein as some of his  contemporaries, but talk of longevity and quality, and he's very much up there. It may be argued that his latest album Remembering Now comes after a few insipid records containing cover versions or remakes of his own songs, not to talk of the controversy his statements on vaccination attracted during lockdown. But the heartening thing is he's back in form, writing 14 originals that carry the Van glory stamp from yesteryear. Okay, there's no point comparing it to Astral Weeks, Moondance and Veedon Fleece , three of the best records he created early in his career. But it's definitely in the vicinit...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Meba Ofilia/ All Night Label: Emerdgence Rating: **** Shillong-based singer Meba Ofilia did a charming show at the Studio theatre of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) on June 20. In three diverse sets, she showcased her extensive discography that covered acoustic pop, rhythm n' blues, soul and hip-hop. She also performed her latest single 'All Night', which aired on the streaming platforms and YouTube from the following day. It's a nice, peppy and danceable number backed by a well-choreographed video. Whichever genre she sings, Meba has remarkable control over her vocal delivery. Here she begins, "It's the way you get under my skin (I'm trying), but I'm losing it (oh I'm trying), not saying I'm innocent, I don't want to fight it, keep cruising with you, all night". Produced by B4NDIT, the song has a club-friendly RnB flavour. The video, directed by DP-BG and choreographed by Dephisha Kharbani, has some b...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Sanjay Divecha/ Leela (album) Label: Self-released  Rating; **** At the International Jazz Day show held at the St Andrew's Auditorium, Bandra, on April 30, guitarist Sanjay Divecha had played a beautifully melodious piece called 'Afrika'. It appears as the fifth tune of his new album Leela , and it's something that sticks to you. The writing credits are shared by him and Cameroonian jazz composer Andre Manga. 'Afrika' is one of the highlights of Leela , a collection of marvellous pieces driven by his guitar. It's a showcase of Sanjay's immense talent, and it's played with a lot of soul. The other tunes are composed solely by Sanjay himself. Beginning with a gorgeous instrumental 'When Mountains Meet The Sky', it moves on to a tribute to guitar great John McLaughlin on 'Song For John Ji', where Apoorv Petkar has some intricate sargams . The album has a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks, with appearances by singer...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Pooja Gaitonde & Cosmic Yatra/ Sanson Ki Mala Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Powerful-voiced singer Pooja Gaitonde has been active on the ghazal and Sufi circuit for over a decade. She's also been open to experimentation, even collaborating with jazz maestro Louiz Banks and his band on the Sufi-Jazz project. Pooja now tries her hand at Sufi-rock with her new project Cosmic Yatra, coming out with a new version of the spiritual song 'Sanson Ki Mala', popularised by the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Sticking to a shorter rendition with two verses, this one has a keyboard intro, tight drums, heavy distortion guitars and a neat guitar solo by Soumil Pandit. The choruses to give it a classical flavour. The video, directed by Alqama Ansari, has Pooja rocking in a red saree. Way to go. Of course, one wonders why except the drummer, different people appear in the video as musicians. Musically, it's a good variation of a classic. Mekaal Hasan Band/ ...

  BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Jesus Molina/ Live in Mumbai 2025 Genre : Latin jazz Details : Tata Theatre, June 5 Rating : **** When Colombian jazz pianist Jesus Molina played at the Tata Theatre two years ago, he was accompanied by two drummers who sat facing each other and majestically operated a jumbo kit. He himself played a grand piano along with a Nord Stage 3 keyboards, while the bassist provided company. For his latest show, held at the same venue on June 5, he obviously wanted to provide something different  He had three Nord keyboards, and also played saxophone and keytar, besides singing a couple of tunes. Like last time, he also did a short burst on timbales. But the band was different, with electric guitar by Rock Choi, bass by Alex Polydoroff and drums by Cain Daniel. He also had some wonderfully chosen visuals in the backdrop, enhancing the overall effect. The part at the end where the Indian flag fluttered on screen to a 'Tunak Tunak Tun' chant was a stunner. It waa pro...