Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman launched the official Commonwealth 2010 Theme Song Swagatham yesterday at a ceremony in Gurgaon. The song has been sung by ARR himself, and at the launch ceremony too ARR sung it to the audience. Sure the song is marked by signature innovative orchestral elements from ARR, starting with the harmonic a cappella-esque start suddenly graduating into the rock song punctuated with Punjabi elements. But when taken as an anthem, Swagatham is missing something somewhere. For an event being hosted by India for the first time, the song doesn’t sound as special as it should. Plus the lyrics don’t seem that appealing either. The arrangement would of course delight any fan, yours truly included, and this song shall form a part of my playlist for days to come, but if I were to make a list of the best anthem/theme songs of ARR, this might not feature in it. And for an event as big as CWG I was sort of expecting to hear a classic from the maestro.
You can listen to the song online here or here. No credits for singers or lyricist are out yet, and I could make out just Rahman and Blaaze on vocals.

A trained classical singer from Kolkata, she made her Bollywood debut with Rajesh Roshan’s Moksha. But her song that really got heads turning was Kabhi Neem Neem from Yuva, and she subsequently went on to become a regular feature in ARR scores, recording some memorable songs with him like Pal Pal Hai Bhaari (Swades), Tu Bin Bataye (RDB), Hum Hai Is Pal (Kisna) and also scores of other Tamil and Hindi songs. We present to you Music Aloud’s interview with playback singer Madhushree.

You were born Sujata Bhattacharya. Why the name change?

I wanted to be different and not get mixed up with other Sujata’s of the industry, and therefore took on this name.

Tell us about your musical upbringing.

From childhood i have been thought to be a singer. I come from a musical family and so started learning music from my parents. Only my father wanted me to be a classical singer and was not happy for me being a playback singer until he heard my song “Hum Hain Is Pal Yahan”

Though you debuted with Rajesh Roshan, the person who really made you a regular affair was A R Rahman. Tell us how you landed a chance to work with him.

When i came in Bollywood, there were not so many platforms for newcomers as today. So you had to get good connections to be heard by the right person. I made an album and sent to most of the industry music connections. And Javed Akhtar Saheb heard the album and directed me to Rajesh Roshan. But my doors really opened when A R Rahman and Mani Ratnam gave the chance to sing for Rani Mukherjee in 3 versions Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, Kabhi Neem Neem from Yuva. I met him through voice-over maestro Brij Bhushanji, who took me to ARR when he was recording for Lagaan in 4D/Worli. I waited till 2 o clock in the morning and then i met him, after which we recorded classical bandishein and from then he started calling me for recordings, continuing till today.

How has the experience of working with ARR been?

Recording with ARR is more than a recording experience. He is such a humble and good human being, that you easily feel home. and because of this you as an artist can deliver more than ever.

With ARR you also debuted down South. How difficult was it to get hold of Tamil? Do you speak Tamil now?

Yes he gave me the chance in Tamil too, but other music directors picked it up. I haven’t reached so far as to speak Tamil, but I’m learning Tamil form a good teacher, Prema

Though in Tamil you now work with an array of music directors, your Bollywood lineup is still majorly comprised of songs from ARR. Is it like you have been selective in your projects? Is there going to be a change in the trend soon?

In Bollywood I have in fact sung for other music directors too, like Rajesh Roshan, Shankar Ehsaan Loy etc…The trend will definitely change. I have an item number in Rajnikant’s Robot and Champak Jain of Venus told me that this would change my image in Bollywood.

Tell us about your debut album Lagan Lagi. The album didn’t quite get its due we felt, in spite of having some wonderful songs. Was it the marketing? Or the classical genre?

When making Lagi Lagan, we had a focus in mind and I got more than expected. Private albums in Bollywood generally don’t do well, but this album did get me some name in the industry.

Any more private albums in the pipeline?

Yes, I have more than 5 albums lined up…

What are your current/upcoming projects?

There are too many to speak about it and I would rather let it be a surprise ..

What kind of music do you generally follow?

I listen any good music.. From Classical to Hindi pop… From Western Classical to Hip Hop.

Another season of one of the best musical initiatives in the sub-continent in recent times aka Coke Studio, drew to a close last Sunday. The season saw some veterans like Abida Parveen and Arif Lohar make their debut for the show, and also some relative newbies like Sanam Marvi and Amanat Ali, while seasoned Coke Studio performers like Zeb & Haniya, Noori and Arieb Azhar continued their fantastic run at the show. Season 3’s biggest find was undoubtedly the Sufi singer Sanam Marvi, with her excellent choice of songs and brilliant execution in her rustic voice. The only quibble that remains is that the rock lineup didn’t quite display the quality that the rest of the artists did.

So while the wait is on for the next season, we present to you our list of the best performances from Season 3. Enjoy!

Episode 5 (Realisation) opens with Abida Parveen treating us to yet another of her typical renditions, this time with Soz-e-Ishq. Like her previous songs even this one is about 10 minutes long, and like her previous ones the tedium is nowhere felt. Starting from the unaccompanied ad lib segment you will be hooked to Abida’s voice. Even after the accompaniment kicks in their job is mostly nominal as the song entirely belongs to Abida. Amanat Ali follows with a patriotic song, Ae Watan Ke.. While he does a good job of the rendition part, the song lacks the energy that would generally be associated with a patriotic track, and Amanat Ali’s soft voice also sort of works against it. Good melody, but couldn’t really picture it as patriotic. Qawwali brothers Rizwan and Muazzam give another NFAK-esque powerhouse rendition in Jana Jogi Dey Naal. Though the song in itself is not very great, the exuberant singing sort of props it up.
Tina Sani’s previous performance in Episode 3 wasn’t a totally engaging affair, but in Episode 5 she manages to make it up quite a bit with Nawai Ney. But while her singing is brilliant as usual, what really gets you hooked to the song are the initial violin sequences and the soulful flute interludes towards the end, culminating in a mindblowing crescendo! And closing off a wonderful season is Sanam Marvi’s earthy sufi in Manzil-e-Sufi. Beautiful tune, and brilliantly executed. The choral sargam addition towards the end works totally for the song. Sanam Marvi really has been one of the best additions to Coke Studio this season!
Episode 5 is a step lower than its predecessors with just three standout songs, but Season 3 in its entirety has been better than the previous ones. Hope the upward graph continues in subsequent seasons too. And hope the next season comes soon! You can download the songs here.

Music Aloud Rating: 8/10

Recommended Tracks: Soz-e-Ishq, Manzil-e-Sufi, Nawai Ney

Coke Studio is one of the best things that happened to me last year. This whole concept of bringing musicians from different bands together and making them collaborate and reinterpret their music was simply superb. Coke Studio also introduced me to lots of Pakistani musicians like Noori, Javed Bashir, Arief Lohar to name a few. But the ones that impressed me the most was the duo Zeb and Haniya.

Zebunnisa Bangash and Haniya Aslam are cousins from Islamabad. Zeb is the singer and she is a classically trained one. Haniya is the guitarist and songwriter. What makes Zeb and Haniya stand is not just the fact that they are a two-women band from Pakistan but the sheer quality of their music. They are in fact making a statement simply by existing and performing at this level. Even Coke Studio for that matter while beaming thse beautiful songs out of Pakistan is doing something what hours of diplomacy fails to do.

Coming back to Zeb and Haniya, their first album Chup was produced by Mekaal Hasan and figured the who’s who of Pakistani Rock scene as session musicians. The song Aah is beautifully rendered by Zeb, the fusion of her Hindustani classical-based vocals and the blues arrangement of the orchestra is surreal. Kabhi na Kabhi starts off like a jazz number in Urdu but progresses into a rock interlude only to slip back into its initial Jazz groove. The singer is ably complimented by the trumpeter in this track. Daam is a track in the traditions of smooth jazz, the usage of flute as the instrument of choice has paid off and the instrument gels well into the mood of the song. If I am right, Haniya joins Zeb in singing in this track.
The song which I have repeatedly listened, the one which I have kept on singing for days is Chal Diyay. This is one killer of a song. It has that ability to haunt and make you listen to it again and again. I first heard the Coke Studio version wherein Javed Bashir jams with Zeb and Haniya. Coke Studio version is more rooted in Hindustani tradition, while the Chup version is much more westernized with fusion realized only the form of Zeb’s singing and she has delievered it with aplomb. The song scores for its simplicity and it is this quality which makes it listenable in a loop.

Paimona Bitte is a song attributed to Omar Khayyam the Persian poet, it is written in Dari. Dari is also known as Afghani Persian and is one of the two official languages in Afghanistan. The Coke Studio version has a rubab intro which takes the song back to its place of origin. The Chup album version has a flute intro and is an easy listening track. Again Zeb’s voice does wonders here. I have a feeling that Jazz songs sounds the best when sung by women singers. Jazz fusion is not new in the sub-continent, Bollywood composers right from O.P. Nayyar to A. R. Rahman have composed tunes inspired by Jazz. Shankar Jaikishan even came out with a Jazz-Raga fusion album, as early as 1968. Susheela Raman’s carnatic-jazz fusion works will probably make a good comparative study. But what makes the Zeb and Haniya unique is the choice of elements of fusion. At one end you have smooth jazz, swing and funk and the other the Sufi folk traditions. Out of the whole gamut of Jazz, these styles are the most captivating to a beginner, jazz standards by masters can leave a new listener completely baffled by their time signatures and other intricacies. And Sufi folk music, need I say anything more? Folk music is music of the people, it is the music which is etched into our DNA eventhough we are totally unaware of it. These tunes have been reverberating in the atmosphere for centuries, that is probably why you develop an instant liking to it, the moment you listen. As if you are remembering something from your past life. What Zeb and Haniya has done is to mix milk and honey and what we have is “Chup”. Go give it a listen on their fb page and be enamoured.

On recent developments, Zeb and Haniya have recorded some new songs for the latest Coke Studio Season. You can read our reviews of Coke Studio Season 3 here – Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4.

(To view each song, click on song title.)

Noori opened Episode 4 (Form) with a family affair, so to say. The song, Hor Vi Neevan Ho, featured the duo’s mother Noor Zehra playing the Sagar Veena, an instrument developed by her father. The instrument kind of reminded me of the Chitra Veena with its equal-sized gourds, the slider etc, except that Sagar Veena sounds lighter. Coming back to the song however, another gem from the band, a mellow semiclassical-folk song. Karavan followed next with Kaisay Mumkin Hai, a performance way better than their act in Episode 1. Of course, the melancholy was still there and so was the rock flavour, but the violin made all the difference! The tune was also more engaging this time.
Zeb and Haniya, quite unsurprisingly, entered with another entertaining tune. This time they chose a Turkish song, Nazaar Eyle, and the highlight of the song is its beat structure. And the vocals, both Zeb’s western tinge in rendition and the choral harmonies. AND the duel between the instrumentals and the vocals for the last 1.5 minutes! Two outstanding singers were up next, Amanat Ali and Sanam Marvi, with another sufi song called Haq Maujood. From the initial alaap the raag seemed to be Ahir Bhairav. And it is the singers’ brilliance that is the standout factor, the trance-like progression bound to get you hooked. The episode ended with Arif Lohar’s rendition of Mirza Saahibaan. While Lohar’s delivery was energetic enough, in this composition he had the entire orchestra following in at a frenzied pace. But the song sort of went crazy towards the end, the electronic elements a bit of an overkill.
With four more super tracks from Episode 4 to its tally, Coke Studio’s fantastic run in Season 3 continues unabated. Noori and Zeb & Haniya..absolutely out of words!
Music Aloud Rating: 8.5/10
Recommended Tracks: Hor Vi Neevan Ho, Nazaar Eyle, Haq Maujood

Ajay Parasuraman

I know I promised that the next post would be on Ragas but there was a concert review in the pipeline as well. So, this comes before that.

Due to travel issues and budget constraints, I was forced to stay out of T.M Krishna and Sangeetha Sivakumar’s concert at Narada Gana Sabha. While strolling aimlessly, I chanced upon one other concert which was supposed to be happening at one of the closest venues from my home – one of Sudha Raghunathan(more likely to be identified with this song), which was held as a part of the 75th Avatara Mahotsavam of Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal at Krishna Gana Sabha on 19th July 2010. The audience — with grey-haired men and women all around, I was probably the only one who brought down the average age of people present there, which was about 55 — were made to wait for about half-an-hour from the scheduled start during which the chief guest, Sri Sri Jayendra Swamigal, made his way through to the stage amidst loud chants of ‘Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara’ and variations of the same.

The mini-concert (as it wasn’t an actual full-fledged concert as such) started off with a piece popularized by M.S Subbulakshmi in her times — a shloka on Dakshinamoorthy. Then, she sang the very popular Muthuswamy Dikshithar kriti Vatapi in the Raga Hamsadhwani. The song as you know is in praise of Lord Ganesha and usually, it sets the pace for the rest of the concert to follow. Blame it on the audio system or the constantly murmuring crowd, the performance didn’t live up to expectations. Sudha lacked her usual ferocity as she delivered the sangatis with effort. Her usually vibrant voice refused to abide by her wishes. I frankly felt like the adjudicator at one of the High School Carnatic competitions.

Then she started off singing the anupallavi of the Thyagaraja composition Mokshamu Galadha in the Raga Saramati — Now, I’m opposed to such antics as singing the composition from the last and moving on to the start of it. Picture a composition in praise of Rama that starts off with Hanuman landing in Lanka and ends with Rama’s Pattabhishekam. How would it be if one sung the Pattabhishekam first and then of Sita being held captive in Lanka. The entire intended meaning of a song is reversed. In any case, I’ll let that one go by for now.

The mini-concert took a ‘mini’ break for an hour or so, and we were treated to a very enlightening discourse by Kanchi Periyavaa himself! The concert resumed as soon as the related festivities were done with. The second-half, so to say, began with Mamavatu Sri Saraswati in the Raga Hindolam. Then, the evergreen song extremely popular at Navaratri concerts, Annapoorne Visalakshi in the Raga Sama was sung.

On the whole, we were treated to a lacklustre and mediocre performance from someone whose reputation ranks among the highest in their field. Sudha’s voice lacked the usual tenacity of sangati delivery and effortless brigas. The Chennai kutcheri crowd are among the most demanding and ardent rasikas there are. Did Sudha satisfy their palates? I don’t think so.

I know I promised that the next post would be on Ragas but there was a concert review in the pipeline as well. So, this comes before that.

Due to travel issues and budget constraints, I was forced to stay out of T.M Krishna and Sangeetha Sivakumar’s concert at Narada Gana Sabha. While strolling aimlessly, I chanced upon one other concert which was supposed to be happening at one of the closest venues from my home.

Pic courtesy: Varun Thotathil

“Naveen has given the flute a new identity, creating extraordinary music with his unique genius.” – A R Rahman’s quote for the cover of Naveen’s debut fusion album called Fluid. Rahman couldn’t have summed up in better words the man who has represented a paramount part of his music, from Roja to Raavan, and is even as I write this, with him as part of his World tour somewhere in Europe. Not many know however, that Naveen has been in the industry much before Rahman came in, and over the nearly three decades he has been around, has played for almost every major composer from South to North, and even outside of India. Kal Ho Na Ho’s instrumental theme, Zara Zara from RHTDM, Talvin Singh’s Butterfly (Veena) – if you happen to like any of these tracks there isn’t a chance you would miss Naveen’s woodwind magic in each of them. So here is a nice way to engage your lazy Sunday afternoon as we take you through Naveen’s musical journey in an exclusive interview. For best results play some of Naveen’s classics in the background. We would advise you not to miss the videos at the end, especially the last two.

You have been in the film industry since 1983. But not much is known about your career

before the point when Roja’s music took everyone by storm. Can you tell us a bit about your

works till then? How did you happen to join hands with A R Rahman for Roja?

Mr.Ilayaraja introduced me in his film Thaavani Kanavugal. With him I played for many hits like Raasathi Unnai and the movie My Dear Kuttichaathan. I made use of Chinese flute for the background music of My Dear Kuttichaathan. Also played for a flute-oriented film called Sirivennela. I composed music for 7 Telugu films and 35 devotional albums. Being a free-lance musician I used to work in those days with the Telugu music director Mr. Ramesh Naidu. It was there that I met A R Rahman. He then invited me to play for him. I am proud to say that I have been working with him from his commercials stage.

Lets talk about your 2 private albums, Fluid and Cafe Fluid. Both of them had a lot of classical

influence to them. For instance Mohanam or Fantasyflute is a pure ad-lib sort of a track. So

how much of the albums were pre-composed and how much of them were sort of like live

jamming sessions?

Actually my working style when composing is slightly different. I draw inspiration from simple things. And try to sound more natural. Giving it a little storyboard and then putting tune. Being a self taught musician I am influenced by different kinds of music, so I am able to express myself easy with the music I compose.

How has the response been so far to Cafe Fluid? What do you think of the direction in

which fusion music, more specifically classical fusion, is headed?

Cafe Fluid is doing wonderfully. It has found a place in the music charts and I am very happy for it. Nowadays people are more open taking in different forms of music and interacting with it. Its great that we are able to understand the beauty of music. Music has no langauge, so whatever comes from the heart with pure elements will definitely be accepted, whether it is classical or world. Specially in case of music like classical, people like it because that is their tradition. So its fun to make such music.

A lot of your compatriots, like Sivamani, Louiz Banks, Mandolin Srinivas etc are part of a lot

of fusion ensembles. Are you part of any such group? Or are the film assignments keeping

you too busy for all that?

I am performing with the title Fluid in public. Have done a couple of shows locally, Jaipur and Delhi. Also being a free-lance musician I have also played with Mr. Sivamani, Louiz Banks, Sultan ji, Mandolin Srinivas etc. We have done a show with Mr. John McLaughlin. I have also performed in places like Blue Frog Mumbai. But I am mainly into sessions with composers, working in main stream Bollywood and commercials.

Tell us about the experience of performing live with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

It was a wonderful opportunity to be playing along with them. With our music (ARR’s compositions), and the Symphony playing with a lots of dynamics and different variations being introduced by them it sounded so..ultimate! I was so thrilled to play, felt a sort of happiness equivalent to coming back home.

You have worked with almost every leading composer in India over your long career, though,

your best contributions almost always happen for ARR. How would you compare the

experience of working with ARR and with others?

I am so well branded as ARR’s musician that whatever I play gets likened to ARR’s tunes. Of course I always try to give my best output with every one. All my work with Pritam, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Sajid-Wajid, Salim Sulaiman and others have been very good. Dhoom,Veer Zaara, Taare Zameen Par, Rab Ne Banaa Di Jodi, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi..lots..
Not many people know that I have also sung seconds for about 20 songs in Tamil, for ARR, MM Keeravani and Deva. Songs like Kaadhal Sadugudu from Mani Sir’s Alaipaayuthey and Deva’s Salam Gulamu from Hello.

Flute is an instrument which is highly expressive and capable of portraying a complete range

of emotions. How much of the same depends on the skill/technique and how much on the

instrument itself?

It needs a personal touch for any instrument, the way you play. An instrument is an instrument at the end of it. Unless you try to put ur heart on it it will never sound its best. This requires a lot of practice, and belief in God and his works.

Following from the above question, from the vast array of flutes that you use, which is

your favourite and why?

I like the bamboo flute the most, because that is the one I have had from the beginning. It was presented to me by my dad Sri. Dharma Chari. And whenever I have a very sorrowful or very happy time in life I play it and get comfort from it.

What was the inspiration behind “The Naveen Flute”? Are you working on more sounds/flute

structures?

Once in studio while I was doing riyaz I noticed a sort of vibrating sounds, some kind of reverb. I found that it is coming from a guitar. So I thought why not introduce a string by the side of the flute. Thats how it started. I also invented a glass flute and an overtone flute. A lot more are coming up.

Could you tell us a bit about the current/upcoming projects you are engaged in?

Right now I am travelling with ARR for his world tour. Heading to Europe this week. Have done a couple of sessions for Pritam n SEL. Other than that I am doing a devotional album. And also my 3rd flute album. I am in fact looking forward to Hollywood, and have been getting a few offers.

Which are your favourites from tracks you have played for?

Some of my favourite tracks are Bombay Theme, Meenaxi movie album, Veer Zaara, Kal Ho Naa Ho title track, Harris Jayaraj’s Zara Zara from Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein and Jab We Met

Just out of curiosity, is there any ARR project that you have had to miss?

Actually I have missed some of his projects, though very few. My last work was for Raavan, Khilli Re. I moved to Mumbai 7 years back, so whenever I go to Chennai I record projects for him if thats manageable, or at times when there is urgent requirement. For movies like Couples Retreat I played from Mumbai and he recorded me sitting in L.A. Having said that I am sure he doesn’t miss me. Whether I play for him or not he will complete his projects with full satisfaction.

By Vivek Nenmini

An old chestnut at most popular music quizzes involved identifying a man in long raven wavy hair, twisting his hands in not exact unison with another adorned in a fro- two steps to the right of a balding black man in a red karate gi. The camera then follows two other black men in gis, who spar with each other in choreographed harmony involving faux karate chops and the subtlest of shakes of the heads and hips while the balding protagonist urges his predominantly white audience to get the swing on. The denouement would follow, first that the man in question was Indian, then an expansion on his epoch defining bio-data including having launched the career of the voice behind Aap Jaisa Koi, Nazia Hassan, hand held Alisha Chinai through Made in India, that the song on the screen was Carl Douglas’ Kung Fu Fighting and eventually his name, Biddu Appaiah.

The video was definitely fascinating with the flashing strobes and an alien-ship interior like stage, but what took a grip of our auditory attention was the eerie mix of the stereotypical oriental riff, the funky beats of disco, the power of Carl Douglas’ soulful voice, all interjected with savage ‘hoos!’ and ‘haas!’, “Like someone was giving somebody a karate chop” explained Biddu, who produced the song, in an interview in 1988.

“Kung Fu Fighting”, written by the Jamaican born Carl Douglas and Vivian Hawke was initially recorded as a B-side track to Brooklyn songwriter Larry Weiss’ I Want to Give You My Everything. On presenting it to the Pye Records’ A&R ‘big boss’ he thought it would be a good A-side and released it in the late spring of 1974. A quick aside on the state of martial arts in the West- the 70’s saw the rise of karate. 1973 saw Bruce Lee in an inspired blurry of swishing limbs and snapped necks etch kung fu as a popular martial art in the mindscape of movie goers and others through Enter the Dragon.

The business acumen of the people at Pye Records, who were probably equally inspired, anticipated a big hit in the making and true to their intuition it rose to number one on the British charts within five weeks of its release, whipping sales of more than nine million copies. It was released in the United States by 20^th Century Records entering the Billboard charts at 94 and chopping its way to the top of the iconic magazine’s Hot 100 pop chart in eight weeks.

Douglas, a former engineering student, attributes the idea for the song in three parts- a kung fu movie screening, followed by a jazz concert by Oscar Peterson, and the hazy side-effects of pain killers (Douglas had injured his foot playing football). His homage to martial art movies earned him a Grammy for Best Selling Single in 1974. Sadly it overshadowed the rest of his career with a reprise in Dance the Kung Fu which reached number 48 on the Billboards in March 1975 and another Top 30 on the UK Singles Chart with Run Back in 1977. Fading into the background with the ‘one hit wonder’ label, Douglas has appeared on cover versions of the song including the 1998 version by British dance act, Bus Stop which reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. The track has had its fair share of cover versions including a punk version by Merrill Nisker (who now goes under the moniker of Peaches), and reggae versions by Lloyd Parks, The Maroons and The Cimarons. It even has a Finnish version by Frederik and is titled Kung-Fu Taistelee. In 2008 Cee-Lo Green (one half of Gnarls Barkley) and the inimitable Jack Black paid their tributes while credits rolled for the hilarious animated Kung Fu Panda.

The song’s influence on popular culture is noticeable in its various appearances on TV shows, movies, theme songs for games including a re-recorded version featured in Lego Rock Band & Band Hero. In the same 1988 interview Biddu reflected on the international success of “Kung Fu Fighting”, “If I had a theory why the record was a hit, I’d have more hits! You never know why a record is a hit. It had street appeal, I think. It was a bit of a novelty, but… it was a hit all over the world. Maybe it was just a good pop record without us knowing about it.” Good pop, funky beats, fun lyrics, turn the strobes on, pump up the volume and now sing-a-long, “The sudden motion made me skip, now we’re into a brand new trip… Everybody was kung-fu fighting” After all those years, we still are.

In the Behind-The-Scenes video an artist described singer Sanam Marvi as possessing a true and honest voice coming straight from the mitti of the Pakistani land. And the song Pritam with which Sanam Marvi opened Episode 3 (Conception) in every way justified this description. A Rajasthani style folk tune belonging to the league of such songs as Yaara Sili Sili, Sanam Marvi delivered Pritam in a manner that would make it hard for you to stop listening to it! Especially brilliant was the 2 minute long alaap ending in a soaring crescendo! And with a simple yet effective arrangement Rohail Hyatt provides excellent background. Meesha Shafi, who accompanied Arif Lohar in Episode 1, did her solo next with Wey Main Chori Chori, another Rajasthani folk tune and the original of Yaara Sili Sili, actually rendered by legendary folk singer Reshma. Meesha has got a good voice, but rendition-wise she didn’t quite match up with Reshma. But it still makes for a good listen for its beautiful orchestration, the mellowed-down trance-ish effect working wonders.
Tina Sani entered with a semiclassical track titled Mori Araj Suno (Raag Desh I believe). Towards the end of the song she was joined by Arieb Azhar with a recitation like he did to open this season. While I loved Tina Sani’s singing, traversing the classical nuances with practised ease, I didn’t find the song on the whole that engaging. The song seemed to be lacking something somewhere. After Karavan and Entity Paradigm, the staple rock band lineup for Episode 3 was the amusingly named Aunty Disco Project. Fortunately they didn’t go their predessors’ way, instead producing a pretty engaging track in the form of Sultanat. Especially liked the Arabic flavoured guitar solo in the second interlude. That said, I did get reminded of Euphoria’s Dhoom on hearing the starting lines of Sultanat! Abida Parveen made her second appearance this season to close the third episode, with Nigaah-e-Darwaishaan which featured lines by poets like Bulleh Shah, Sachal Sarmast and Baba Farid. The song is close to 10 minute long, but even if it were much more than that you would hardly notice as you let the magic of Abida Parveen’s singing wash over you. Whatte voice!
Two songs not quite upto the mark, but the remaining three are enough to make your day. You can download the audio/video here.
Music Aloud Rating: 8/10
Recommended Tracks: Pritam, Nigaah-e-Darwaishaan, Sultanat