Various artistes/ Humsaaz by Aadyam Handwoven


BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Various artistes/ Humsaaz

Genre: Traditional Indian

Presented by: Aadyam Handwoven 

Rating: ****

An initiative of the Aditya Birla Group, Aadyam Handwoven aims at preserving and promoting India's handwoven heritage, working with artisan communities across Bhuj, Bhadohi–Mirzapur, Garhwal, Kashmir, Pochampally and Varanasi. Drawing a link between handweaving and India"s cultural heritage, it has launched the album Humsaaz, featuring a mix of vocal and instrumental numbers using colour and shades as motifs.

The album focuses on traditional styles, going with the rich legacy of Indian textiles. After Aadyam Handwoven business head Manish Saksena introduces the concept, saying heritage lives in music too, Swanand Kirkire recites his poem 'Sunehre Sapne', with 'sunehra' representing gold in the colour spectrum. "Dhaaga dhaaga jod ke hum, Jeevan ki chadariya bun laaye, yaadon ki sandookchi khol ke hum, chalo sapne suhehre chun laaye", he says, bringing in references to "daadi ki sooti saadi" and "kachhe dhaagon mein bandhe rishte".

The colour 'neel' (blue) is represented by the devotional song 'Jamuna Kinare More Gaon, Saanware Ai-jaiyyo', sung by Ananya Gaur. Other vocal tracks are Vidya Shah's kajri 'Chaayi Ghata Ghanghor', representing 'siyaah' (black or dark), and Sonam Kalra's naat 'Wohi Khuda Hai', where she mixes Urdu with the English lines "In you I am lost, in you I am found, of you I was born, to you I shall return". This song conveys 'shwet' or white.

Of the instrumental tracks, sarangi exponent Murad Ali Khan plays an interpretation of Amir Khusro's 'Mohe Apne Hi Rang Mein', with accompanying vocals to lend a mood of 'surkh' or ruddy/ brown. Shehnai player Ashwani Shankar plays a Banarasi dhun for 'Kesariya' (saffron). The father-son duo of Sharat Chandra Srivastava and Raghav Chandra convey their version of 'hirwa' (green) with the violin duet 'Aranya', peppered with vocal taans and sargams.

After Swanand's reprise of 'Sunehre Sapne', the album concludes with 'Gulaabi' (pink/ rose) on 'The Loom Song', with Kathak dancer Shinjini Kulkarni, granddaughter of the legendary Pt Birju Maharaj, reciting bols, and the other musicians on the album contributing with small parts.

Humsaaz aims to bring out the link between handicraft, colour and melody, and the choice of tunes is appropriate, with tunes flowing into each other like handwoven textiles. Add to that a melange of colours and moods, and you have wonderful thematic album. Aaj rang hai ri ma, rang hai ri.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gig review/ Guns N' Roses

Image
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...
Read more

Naren's indie round-up/ June 2024, Ep 4

Image
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 ...
Read more

Naren's indie round-up/ Jan 2023, Ep 4

Image
BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Kamakshi Khanna/ Breathe Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** Everything seems just right about Delhi-bred Kamakshi Khanna's new single 'Breathe'. She sings from the heart, vents out, expresses anxiety and self-doubt, creates an impact. Kamakshi has written the lyrics herself, using lines like, "Every day's a fight, but now I search for the light that was there inside". The main line goes, "I just have to breathe", and there's beauty in the way she sings 'breathe' each time. Add to that a crisp production, with gentle ukulele, subtle rhythms and Ajay Jayanthi's angst-filled strings. Anjali Kamat's illustrated video adds to the vibe. The best thing is that it's a song many will emotionally relate to in the quest for peace. Shehzad Ali & Siddharth Kasyap/ Ishqbaazi Label: SK Music Works Rating: **** Composer Siddharth Kasyap has maintained a good balance between fusion projects and pop tunes. His new song ...
Read more