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.

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.

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

Pee Loon is delightful. Mohit Chauhan’s rendition has a magical quality and lingers on. The chorus is very effective; Kailash Kher rendering with restraint works well and so do the harmonium phrases. The interplay of various styles in the arrangement is great and the transitions all through the song are seamless.  This song is being hummed all around, already!! The remix version has a different interlude with a new chorus phrase. However, it lacks the charm of the original. The other song promoted is Tum Jo Aaye. The track starts interestingly with earthy sounds; the chorus kicking in with prominent bass, promisingly. However, Pritam gets it wrong with the vocalist!! Tulsi Kumar’s singing lacks the expressiveness the tune demands. Tum jo aaye Reprise paints another story altogether. The interplay of instruments is brilliant once again. The tabla and guitars are noteworthy in the sound scape. Both the interludes are also done well; the alaap layered with the chorus; the harmonium solo; and whats probably santoor in the second interlude. Raahat singing the whole track this time around makes a lot of difference. I am in love is another gratifying track.A strong tune with KK in the lead. The track uses harmonies through out the song effectively. The sound track has another version with excellent vocals by Karthik; the voice texture just perfect. The backing vocals shadowing the lead vocalist in the second verse is more effective in this version. The arrangement with minor modifications is more crisp in this version and complements the vocals beautifully. Too bad that we dont get to hear Karthik very often in Hindi!! Babu Rao Mast hai seems out of place in this album and is ordinary. The track with lots of electronic sounds, lacks in cohesion; The vocals dont add any value either. Parda, probably intended as a tribute to Pancham Da’s “Duniya mein” has Sunidhi in the lead. I would personally pick the original any day!!

The album has been worth the wait, for just Pee Loon, Tum Jo Aaye Reprise and I am in Love(2 versions); These in themselves provide a wholesome musical experience! You can listen to the soundtrack here.

Rating: 8/10 rating just the above four tracks..

Vivek Nenmini

“All I really had was my talent. Without that I wouldn’t be welcome at the White House.” – Sammy Davis, Jr.

Chicago based, originally formed in Nashville, Welcome to Ashley (WTA) is plentifully talented. Soaring guitars (Pete Javier), taut old-school drumming (Sherrlia Bailey), effortlessly thumping everyone in line on bass (Jeremy Barrett) and a deep soulful voice (Coley Kennedy) keep you engaged throughout the thirty minute record Beyond the Pale. A follow up to their 2009 release Absent Man, Beyond the Pale is at once lyrically darker and with short and punchy tracks comes through as a record showcasing the bands musical influences of post-punk and new wave.

At first playing, they do sound much like The Smiths; Coley Kennedy’s vocals are quite uncannily reminiscent of Morrissey. But on a second (which eventually leads to more) and keener listening WTA promises more and move a couple of notches up on the ‘potential’ meter. What a Day It Was For Dying bleeds through as a morbid opener with dark, drug/alcohol fumes-enveloped lyrics. The gloomy undertones continue on Destination before they make a complete turn from dismal to cheerful in the upbeat Those Dreams of Mine. The Catbird Seat sets Pete’s guitar and Sherrlia’s drums pacing a fast conversation with Coley as they walk the streets of their adopted home, Chicago.

Gotta Get Back to You is a typical alt-country belter. My favourite I Love Monday Mornings is soulful with a cathartic refrain, ideal to get past those dreadfully blue hours. Light of Love is that quintessential pop-rocker which will get all the working youth’s heads bobbing in unison at the local pub. (If only the pub played more than the ubiquitous classic anthems. Sigh! I shall for now leave the rant against such pubs to a later piece.) From Monday mornings WTA proceed to the crisply arranged, intelligently written love ode- Thursday Afternoon and conclude with the haunting End of the Line.

In an interview to Rolling Stone a while back, Coldplay frontman, Chris Martin stated “There’s still incredible merit in making albums.” WTA’s Beyond the Pale, at once validates the pronouncement completely and is indeed incredible. With such powerful talent WTA could one day, if not sleep at the White House like Sammy Davis Jr. managed to, take centre stage at a show that can bring down the house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

You can listen to Beyond the Pale in its entirety on their website.

Episode 2 titled Will opened with an Urdu version of Khaled’s classic Aicha. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa fame Amanat Ali got a well-deserved opening on the show, and made good his debut with a soulful rendition (though nobody can quite replace Khaled’s brilliance!). The lounge-ish orchestration adhered to the Khaled version for most part. A good cover all in all. Song no. 2 was a poem by Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai called Moomal Rano (or is it Momal Rano?). Wiki tells me Momal Rano is a tragic love story like Heer Ranjha. Fakir Juman Shah and his four-men Sufi ensemble rendered this song. The song has a beautiful old-worldly feel to it, right from the raw voices to the mostly traditional instruments backing the vocals. Even the video is very quaint, five singers fervidly strumming on their tanpuras. And in a trance-like manner the song gains speed as it progresses. Very addictive track!
Two sterling performers from Season 2, Noori and Zeb & Haniya, came together on the next song written by Noori’s Ali Hamza, which was called Tann Dolay. And once again they produced a super number! This one stands out for the vocal excellence of the four singers complementing each other so well. The arrangement was spot on as usual. Lahore-based rock band Entity Paradigm debuted on Coke Studio with Song No. 4 which was a cover of Sajjad Ali’s 1993 track Bolo Bolo. The cover pretty much followed the original in its arrangement, just raising the tempo a bit. But I would rate this version below Sajjad Ali’s, the vocals not quite upto the mark I felt. One more reason is the guitar solo which formed the second interlude of the original song being done away with. Bringing up the rear were Rizwan and Muazzam, qawwali singing brothers who are nephews of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, with a song originally sung by their uncle, Naina De Akhay. The duo sounded almost like the maestro with their powerful rendition, especially in the sargam portions which they delivered with mind-boggling speed and accuracy.
Another episode, and another set of wonderful tracks. I look forward to the July 4 episode. And totally in awe of Noori and Zeb & Haniya’s consistency!  You can download the songs here.
Music Aloud Rating: 8.5/10
Recommended Tracks: The only track I didn’t find that upto the mark was Bolo Bolo. Can’t really pick a top 3 from the rest!

We are happy to present to you our newest guest columnist-on-the-block, Vivek Nenmini!  He starts off with this review. Read on..

When I first heard of ‘My Pet Dragon’ I thought it was an interesting potential sequel-title to that animated movie about Vikings and serpentine creatures released a few months ago- How to Train Your Dragon. Casting aside movie and mythical aspersions, My Pet Dragon’s maxi-single ‘Lover in Hiding’ is a mélange of contemporary sounds and voices- genre bending, covering a range from art rock to alternate.

Todd Michaelsen (vox, guitar, keys, programming) and Reena Shah (vocals, percussion) an Indian dancer/actress bumped into each other while exploring and experiencing the heady art rock scene of Brooklyn. A shared passion for music and art, roughing it out in a cold-water flat in Bushwick, Brooklyn and a cultural and romantic awakening in India later the couple formed My Pet Dragon (MPD). Rajeev Maddela (drums), Vincent Mascolo (guitar) and Mario Padron (bass guitar) complete the current line-up.

Their first album First Born received a cult underground following by rock fans and DJs including some air time on BBC Radio. It also caught the Indian American producer, composer and musician Karsh Kale’s attention, for whom Todd wrote and sang three songs on the album Broken English (2006). Todd also appeared on the Breathing Under Water (2007) album a joint release by Karsh and Anoushka Shankar. In 2009, another collaborative effort saw Todd composing the score and original songs for the brilliant multi-award winning animated feature film Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley. Reena not only voiced the title character but also choreographed and performed the dance sequences which were rotoscoped for the animation. Most recently in May 2010, MPD was one of the winners of the FUZZTOPIA and ESPN NASCAR NOW contest, which had fans and viewers rooting for the song Lightning Inside.

The recently released single features the title track in four variants and two other tracks- Between Us and New Nation. Lover in Hiding opens with a lilting guitar and drum exchange into which Todd erupts with his frenetic guitar and soaring vocals. Evoking clandestine yet joyful meetings it is a mid-tempo strummer which gets you up onto your feet and clapping along in no time. Between Us runs through a hypnotic drum-synthesizer loop and talks about the ‘energy/chemistry buzzing’ between a couple “that Science hasn’t found”. Todd’s vocal range is at once immense and intense in the anthemic New Nation a hopeful paean to a new world order devoid of guns, fights and divisions.

With MPD’s eclectic mix of styles and discerning lyrics, ‘Lover in Hiding’ is an excellent primer to their full length album scheduled to be released later this year.

You can download ‘Lover in Hiding’ at the My Pet Dragon official website-  and listen to more on MySpace

Kuch To Baaki Hai falls straight into Himesh’s Aashiq Banaya Aapne league of songs, complete with his vocals. In spite of the engaging arrangement with its semiclassical flavour brought about by the usage of tabla, harmonium and the occasional sarangi, the tune gets tedious as the song progresses. The song however is sure to invoke nostalgic feelings among the fans. There are two remixes of the song. For a change the remixes are called “Bright” and “Dark” mixes! The kind of names DJs invent to sell remixes! Nevertheless, the mixes have been decently done, the trance elements melding quite well with the original. Part 1 of the title track sees Alka Yagnik and Himesh’s assistant Jayesh Gandhi make a return after a break but for a lost cause. The song is a middling affair with a banal arrangement. But it is in the Part 2 of the same song that Himesh pulls off a winner! With its haunting 90’s-ish arrangement with the occasional middle-eastern addition in between this song is undoubtedly the pick of the album. I couldn’t quite believe it was Himesh accompanying Shreya on the vocals. He sounds totally different in this one! The only grouse I have is regarding the corny English lyrics at the start which was not at all required.
Barring Suzanne D’Mello’s English backing, Tum Chain Ho is again pretty 90s in its arrangement. And Alka Yagnik joining Sonu Nigam on the vocals adds to the yesteryear feel. Unlike Milenge Milenge though the tune isn’t as engaging. The composer makes amends in the soothing Unplugged version though, Sonu Himesh’s protege from Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2005 Vineet Singh crooning to the backing of an acoustic guitar. In fact Sonu sounds different, slightly younger if you will, in this version! (Thanks a lot to Omran Nasir for pointing out the mistake. Most places have credited Sonu on this song) The 90s fixation continues, more strongly, with Ishq Ki Gali rendered by Jayesh Gandhi and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Had Udit Narayan taken the place of RFAK, this track would surely have passed off as a track from the early 90s. As a result the repeat factor hits harder in this one making it more wearisome. In fact the remix is a better listen, the addition of more Punjabi elements working in the song’s favour. Things close on the retro note itself with another 90s-ish marriage song, Yeh Hare Kaanch Ki Choodiyan, rendered fittingly by Alka Yagnik, a singer who made her career singing such tracks. However this song is more listenable than Ishq Ki Gali and Tum Chain Ho, bearing faint shades of Himesh’s Kyon Ki.
While Milenge Milenge wouldn’t be counted among Himesh’s best soundtracks, this mixed bag score for me rates above Kajraare. And Himesh’s singing in Milenge Milenge Part 2 was the real surprise package of the album! You can listen to the soundtrack here.
Music Aloud rating: 7/10
Recommended Tracks: Milenge Milenge Part 2, Tum Chain Ho Unplugged, Kuch To Baaki Hai

Starting off the album is the breezy romantic melody Khuda Mere Khuda. While Sachin-Jigar do a fab job on the arrangement part, they show their astuteness in choosing the singers as well, handing that part to KK and Shreya Ghoshal who do their part faultlessly. Inspiration from Pappu Can’t Dance Saala is pretty obvious in Chhote Tera Birthday Aaya, be it in the song’s general progression or the pulling-leg scenario that the song seems to be set in. And may be its coz the comparison mode set in, I didn’t find the song as impressive as such an elaborate lineup consisting of artists like Mika Singh, Anushka Manchanda, Hard Kaur etc. would be expected to deliver.
The composers’ rock take on Vande Mataram in the form of Lau Jali doesn’t score as big on the entertainment factor as it might on the functional side. Jigar’s strong vocals deserve a mention however, and I hope he starts taking assignments from other composers like Vishal Dadlani currently does. The duo finish off with a folksy item number sung by Anushka Manchanda and Master Saleem, Firangi Paani, quite engaging for its innovative arrangement. However I got a feeling that Anushka sounds a bit too sophisticated to be rendering this sort of a song. The composers could have gone for someone who sounds more desi. Nevertheless a good listen this.
Four tracks with three passing muster. Sachin-Jigar impress in their second album too. And like their debut album no remixes here either. I like that! I sincerely hope this movie doesn’t face the fate that Teree Sang did, causing the songs to get wasted (though the trailer does seem foreboding!). You can listen to the songs here.
Music Aloud Rating: 7.5/10
Recommended Tracks: Khuda Mere Khuda, Firangi Paani
PS: Quite interestingly, the title hook of Firangi Paani sounds quite similar to the starting line of a 1979 Malayalam track composed by Salil Choudhary and sung by Yesudas and Vani Jayaram. Salilda had previously used this tune in the 1961 Hindi movie Sapan Suhaane. Not accusing of plagiarism or anything, but since I strongly felt the resemblance thought of putting it down here. You can watch the Sapan Suhaane song here. The line in contention starts at 1:38.

Director – Mani Ratnam
Producer – Mani Ratnam
Banners – Madras Talkies, Reliance Big Pictures
Music – A R Rahman
Lyrics – Gulzar
Cinematography: Santosh Sivan
Cassettes on – T-Series
Release: June 18, 2010
(Click on the song title to listen to the song online)
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