narenmusic

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...

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...