narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Shadaj Godkhindi & Others/ Drake Passage Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 The son of flautist Pravin Godkhindi, Shadaj Godkhindi has been showing promise among the younger generation of artistes. He now comes up with a genre-blending track 'Drake Passage', inspired by the stretch of water that connects South America with Antarctica. The idea is to use the passage as a metaphor to describe the free flow of sounds. Giving Shadaj company in this journey are guitarist Rickraj Nath, bassist Sheldon D'Silva, drummer Gino Banks and tabla player Ishaan Ghosh. Thought It's almost seven minutes long, the tune keeps one glued with the intense playing and spontaneous improvisation. It's a smooth amalgam of Indian classical with jazz, rock and world music, appropriately depicted in the video. Aparshakti Khurana/ First Sight Wala Love Label: T-Series Rating: **** Actor Aparshakti Khurana, known for the film Berlin and the OTT series Jubilee , composes...

  BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Ta Dhom Project/ There Ain't No Borders Label: Self-released  Rating: **** The brainchild of Mumbai-based mridangam exponent Viveick Rajagopalan, Ta Dhom Project blends Carnatic and assorted rhythms with rap phrases sung in different languages. As such, the sound is high on energy and coordination The project's new track 'There Ain't No Borders' has a self-explanatory title, as the five elements and the rainbow are used as metaphors to convey unity and togetherness. The rap portions are sung in consecutive spells by MC Khoj in Hindi, Arts Lord in Tamil and MC Dehaati in Bhojpuri, with dhol by Swarangi Savdekar and Yamini Khamkar, tasha by Pranav Dixit and jhanjh by Gaurang Dixit. The brass section adds to the sonic mix. All this is captured in rapidly-moving frames in the video by Sherrin Varghese. The passion and intensity of the musicians comes through clearly. Rahul Shah / Duur Jaane Par Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 All it takes is a...

  BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Elton John & Brandi Carlisle/ Who Believes In Angels? Genre : Pop-rock Label : WAB Recording/ EMI Rating : *** British superstar Elton John had earlier teamed up with the marvellous American singer Brandi Carlisle on the song 'Simple Things' in the 2021 multi-artiste collaborative album The Lockdown Sessions . The song had the Elton stamp written all over it, in terms of vocal construction and piano playing with some great harmonising between the two singers. The musicians now get together on an entire album Who Believes In Angels? , spread over 10 songs across 44 minutes. Naturally, one would expect the duo to continue from where they left off, but even after a few listens, one feels that isn't actually the case. A few numbers do shine but that is a given. Overall, there are portions that seem too experimental and incoherent, with a few fillers reducing the impact. Those who've grown up on the Elton of the 1970s may find his trademark sound ...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR TV Dinner/ Non Believers Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 TV Dinner is the new project of Nischay Parekh, after his earlier outfit Parekh & Singh announced their disbanding. After releasing his song 'Guessing Games', Nischay is now out with 'Non Believers'. The song has an interesting story. He began writing it in 2016 after heartbreak, but completed it recently after marrying his best friend and becoming a father. As such it's about the promise of true love and never giving up. With a simple pop melody and relatable lyrics, Nischay has a winner here. A colourful video by Kevin Chris Johan goes perfectly with the lines that talk of numbing the pain and making it better. Tarun Balani/ Lajpat Nagar Sometimes Label: Berthold Records Rating; *** 1/2 New Delhi-based jazz drummer and composer Tarun Balani is due to release his debut album Kadahin Milandaasain . The.single pays tribute to the refugee colony he grew up in. 'Lajpat Nagar Somet...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Andorra/ Live in Mumbai Genre : Modern jazz Details ; NMACC Cube, April 3 Rating : **** There's something about north European jazz bands that gives them a unique touch. Maybe it's the adventurous in playing or the level of improvisation. Danish quintet Andorra proved that once again at the Cube theatre of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) on Thursday. On a nine-concert tour of the country, organised by Gatecrash India, the band gave a bravura display on their Mumbai leg. From the very line-up, one would have expected some magic, and they gave exactly that. There were Mads La Cour on flugelhorn, Simon Krebs on guitar and Peter Kohlmetz Moller on keyboards, assisted on rhythm by bassist Morten Jorgenssen and drummer Nikolaj Bundvig. Though the artistes have known each other from music school 20 years ago, this band is only five years old, with three album releases - the self-titled debut, Current and their February release III . They belong to Od...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Hanumankind/ Run It Up Label: SLDM Enterprises/ Universal Rating: ***** After the super-success of 'Big Dawgs', Kerala rapper Hanumankind, producer Kalmi and video director Bijoy Shetty get together on 'Run It Up'. Once again, we have a first-rate video,  this time showing various martial arts, Kathakali dancers and energetic drummers. The song has its own charm too, with Hanumankind singing, "Now we go from angry young man to happy and glad, to find a solution for us" and "So run it up, the sun is up". The athletic singer appears in various crowd shots, filmed marvelously. The song has boundless energy that keeps you glued. And those percussion bouts propel you into another zone. One must admit here that it's the video that lifts the song considerably, leading to the optimum star rating. Diyatom Deb/ Repeat Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Shillong-bred Delhi-based singer Diyatom Deb has been associated with the groups SkyEy...

  BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Santana/ Sentient  Genre : Latino-rock Label : Starfaith Rating : *** 1/2 In the 1999 album Supernatural , rock band Santana collaborated with different artistes with varying styles. Its success prompted frontman Carlos Santana to repeat the formula on subsequent releases Shaman , All That I Am and Blessings And Miracles . The new Santana album Sentient has its share of collabs too, but this time many songs have been dug out from the vaults. There are tunes recorded with pop legend Michael Jackson and jazz great Miles Davis, who are both no more. There are songs recorded with rhythm n' blues star Smokey Robinson and fresh takes on earlier pieces. And there are also remade versions of Santana's own tunes. The songs are compiled in a way that the listener gets to experience Carlos Santana's quintessential guitarwork consistently. The Mexico-born American guitarist is known for his signature style. Though he has tended to sounded repetitive and formul...