Best Choice

KABHI TO NAZAR MILAO...
Magnasound, Rs. 55

This album marks the Indi-pop debut of Canadian-based composer, pianist and singer Adnan Sami, and must say what an impactful debut you have here. Adnan composes, arranges and sings eight love songs, some of which, as he says, are traditional, some modern and some a fusion of both. After listening to the songs, you realise that the musician knows his Indian and Western classical music very well, coming with such marvellous compositions, some of which have a completely new sound, and which touch you so deep, that you can’t have enough of them. The best part about the album is that Adnan teams up with the legend Asha Bhosle, who sings his compostions enchantingly. Some of the compositions are quite difficult, which could have been be sung only by Asha, and you marvel at how she makes them sound so easy. Her style, her improvisations, her nuances elevate the lovely songs to new heights. She proves to be a perfect foil for Adnan’s unique, deep voice, which reminds one of yesteryear singers Jagmohan and Hemant Kumar. All the eight songs in the album cast a spell on you, and you get hooked to each one of them. Be it the hauntingly composed title song, or the lilting Pyar bina or the peppy Mehndi masala and Dholki, the mellifluous Pyar hai or meloncholic Barsaat. All of them leave you awestruck. There’s a Pathani number with good beats Lift karadey, which strikes you for its amusing lyrics, and the title song repeated in Asha’s voice, only to the accompaniment of the piano played by Adnan, is captivating. The album is the best thing to have happened to Indi-pop, and we have got amongst us a superb musician in Adnan. Easy, unpretentious lyrics by Riaz-ur-Rehman Saghar add to the charm. Miss this album and you’ll miss knowing what good music is all about.

DIL PE MAT LE YAAR
Zee Music, Rs. 50
Composer Vishal composes scores few and far between, but when he does come up with a score, he makes sure it stands out and has a compelling presence. That’s the case with the score here too. The title song is the most striking of the lot, a snazzy mix of jazz and rock-n-roll, and mind-blowingly sung by Asha Bhosle. The singer, in her inimitable style, sings it teasingly and makes it sound delightful. We bet you’ll go for the rewind button again and again for this song. The lyrics by Abbas Tyrewalla, in typical Bambaiyya slang, are good. A zabardast title song here. Chal padi is a typical Vishal song, and yet another one with lyrics in Bambaiyya and Hindi belt lingo, penned again by Tyrewalla. Reminds you of Vishal’s earlier Sapne mein milti hai. Jee jee is endearing, very different, an easy mix of Western and Indian, with good lyrics by Tyrewalla, dwelling on a couple planning their married life. Udit Narayan is good here, with his easy rendition, and Kavita Krishnamurthy matches up to him. Swagatam sung by Hariharan seems straight out of an album released to commemorate Independence Day.

Side B has an interesting opening number Paagal, which is really a mad mix of opera style and Vishal’s Kallu mama. Abhijeet sings it zestfully. Lai ja re badra is a classical number in which Vishal adds a touch of difference by interspersing modern beats. It does makes for a nice hearing. Haule haule by KK is a slow, jazz type number, followed by a remix version of Chal padi, which isn’t fun to hear. The original touch is lost here, and there wasn’t really any need for remixing. Overall, a score which has its moments.

MERE KRISHAN KANHAIYA
T-Series, Rs. 34
A devotional album consisting of eight Krishan bhajans rendered by Anup Jalota, popularly known as Bhajan Samrat. He has not only sung the bhajans but also scored the music. Each rendering is distinct and different from the other. Chit na dharo, Hey Manmohan hey chatur Shyam, Kahan jaake chhupa hai chitchor and Laun kahan se chand are specially appealing. The other hajans in the album are Ram ramaiyya rata karoon, Karam ko bhakton bana ke sidee, Gwaal baal sang raas rachayo and Mayee Yashoda jab kahen. A must not only for bhajan addicts but all lovers of devotional music.

YAAD KARO QURBANI
Krunal, Rs. 35
A version album of popular and well-known patriotic songs, most of them from films. Timed with our Independence Day (August 15), the collection includes songs like Mera Karma tu mera dharma, Mere desh ki dharati, Ye desh hai veer jawano ka, Vande Mataram, Saare jahan se achha and Kar chale hum fida. The album opens with our national song Jana gana mana rendered by chorus singers and is followed by Ay mere watan ke logon. The singers who have rendered these songs include Vaishali Samant, Nitin Shirke, Sanjay and Vaishali Karnik. Paresh Shah is the music co-ordinator and Nitin Shirke the arranger. Shraddhanjali narration and patriotic dialogue are credited to Mukesh Advani.

GOVINDA AALA RE
Krunal, Rs. 35
A version album timed with Janmashtami and the Govinda celebrations, so very popular in Mumbai and Maharashtra. Though the title of the cassette gives one the impression that the songs are in Marathi, the audio actually consists of well-known and hummable film songs in Hindi like Much gaya shor saari nagari re, Govinda aala re, Teen battiwala Govinda aala and Shor much gaya shor. The singers are Vasi Raza, Sanjay Sawant, Shrikant Narayan, Vinod Sathe and Vaishali Samant. Ashok Wayangankar is the music co-ordinator.

JHAALE TUJHE DARSHAN SAI (MARATHI)
Sangeet, Rs. 35
A collection of bhajans of Sai palkhi, the album offers hummable lyrics rendered by Chandrashekhar Gadgil, Shrikant Narayan, Santosh Nayak, Suryakant Shinde, Nitin Diskalkar and Suresh Naik. Shravan Bala is credited with the concept as well as lyrics-writing, while Suresh Dabholkar and Madhu Redkar are the music co-ordinators. Two popular folk forms, gan and gavalan have been effectively used. The opening track of Side A is a gan with the words Yaawee rangat aaj gaayana, while Gavalya ghar chi mee, a gavalan is at the start of Side B. The title track Jhaale tujhe darshan Sai, is featured as the end piece on the flipside. The remaining hajans are Taal veena mrudung, Aawad tula belaanchi, Tu maajha aadhaar Sai, Shirdila jaawooya and Yaa ho Sainath dyaaho. A must for Sai devotees and bhajan addicts.

RAAKHEE KE GEET
Krunal, Rs. 35
Yet another version album consisting of well-known and popular songs from Hindi films about Rakshabandhan, highlighting brother-sister affection and love. There are ten tracks in the album, including Bhaiyya mere raakhee ke din, Bahenaane bhaaike kalai pe, Raakhee dhaagon ka tyohaar, Meri bahena deewani hai, Ye raakhee bandhan hai aisa and Rangbirangi raakhee leke. The singers include Priya, Arpana, Vasi Raza, Kumar Kanchha and Unmesh. Dharmen Padiya is the music co-ordinator.

GOKULI CHOR MAATALA GA(MARATHI)
Classic, Rs. 35
A collection of popular folk songs (known as gavalan in Marathi) about the childhood pranks of Krishna. Of the nine songs in the audio, the title track, Gokuli chor maatala ga, rendered by Pallavi Kelkar and Aboli Thosar, Krishna Holi kiti khelto sung by Bhanudas Deshpande, Turuturu turuturu by Prabhanjan Marathe and Shrutkirti Marathe, Thaamb thaamb Krishna by Aboli Thosar and Waat adawoo nako by Shrutkirti Marathe deserve special mention. The lyrics have been written by Vasant Madhav and set to music by Uday Chitale. Each song is prefaced by a brief narration by Bachhu Pandey. A album for the lovers of folk music, especially the gavalan.

AAMHEE PATIWRATA NAARI (MARATHI)
Krunal, Rs. 35
An audio of Gourigeete festival songs which has been timed with the ensuing festival season. There are ten songs in all rendered by Shakuntala Jadhav, Madhuri, Devyani Girdhar and Sonali Kalambkar, with Ashok Wayangankar as the music co-ordinator. The songs are embellished in popular tunes heard before in films and elsewhere, and are ideally suited for group dancing. The album opens with the title track rendered by Shakuntala Jadhav and is followed by Ya ga Gourabai by Madhuri, Ya sayaano ya by Sonali Kalambkar, Mangala Gavar by Shakuntala Jadhav and Waarula jaawoo by Madhuri. The flipside offers Naach ga ghuma by Shakuntala Jadhav, which is the pick of the lot, Chal ga saye by Madhuri, San warshaacha aala by Devyani Girdhar, Aamchi Gourabai by Madhuri and Run-jhunatya paakhara by Shakuntala Jadhav. The audio is bound to be popular among girls and women.

Reviewed By Salma Khatib And Pandit Shimpi