Top Indian Songs of the week 7th May 2023
Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 7th May 2023.
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1. Mathado Gombe
Singer: Siddhartha Belmannu
Lyrics: Pramod Maravanthe
Arranged; Composed by Judah Sandhy
Language: Kannada
Genre: Ballad/Filmi Melody
It was pre covid days 'Shivaji Surathkal' was released and it was one of my earlier encounters with the musical abilities of Judah Sandhy, right from then, I have always been keeping my eyes and ears ready for his next foray into brilliance. I have featured him a few times in this period, but once again Judah rises above everyone else this week with a phenomenally beautiful melody aided by some astounding vocals and accompaniments by live instrumentalists.
Siddhartha Belmannu sings like a man on a mission and every time he utters a syllable or a note, the heart melts. Butto's amazing flute solo, aided by the heartwarming strings by the Bangalore Strings Ensemble just glorifies the song within seconds. It all reminds me of a tone that Anirudh adopts in his melodies like from movies "3", "VIP" and "Thiruchitrambalam".
Siddhartha moves from one octave to another singing the title line and his vocals and all of Judah's arrangements work perfectly in unison. Eric Gerald plays the guitars, and when he sings " aararo aararo aarirao", I feel like the Gods like Ilaiyaraja have been invoked. The interlude is a symphony of the flute solo and the strings and when the stanza arrives, there is so much bewilderment left. I wish the music and the singing never stopped. The lyrics are by Pramod Maravanthe and the song is mixed and mastered by Judah.
@judahsandhy @siddhartha_belmannu @pramodmaravanthe_lyricist @meghanagaonkar @bangalorestringensemble
2. Waiting For a Rainbow
Vocals and Production: Sanskar Vaidya
Language: English
Genre: Indie Pop
For a while as the song begins and treads along we think, rightly so that song's hero is Hrishi Grirdhar with his standout electric guitar strumming. Jeet Pathak joins the part as the bassist and just then Sanskar Vaidya introduces himself as the vocalist, there is a noticeable shift and from then on it feels like a duel, a battle of wits between Sanskar and Hrishi.
Don't forget to count the contributions of Sanket Pahurkar on drums and Rameses Fernandez on the Piano. I realised that the collective effort of this team of vocalists and instrumentalists far exceeds anyone's solo and there are traces of resemblance to the phenomenal global hit "Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty.
The song gives hope and makes become perennial optimists like the lyrics "I'm a colour-blind man waiting for a rainbow". We have a brief interlude with the conjoined forces of Piano and guitars and bass and at every given instance Sanskar dominates with his string vocals and great tone. Aman Julme and Harsh Karmakar are reg recording engineers with Cico Raju doing the mix and master for the song. The second interlude with the electric guitar solo in the 'November Rain' mode and the drums and bass guitars aid perfectly. The mild end to the song on the Piano kind of brings us back to the ground after a long ride into musical tranquillity.
@musicinsilences @hrishigiridhar @ramzferns @_aman_julme_ @sanket_pajurkar @bass_ki_aawaz_kesi_hoti_hai @harshkarmakar @hiculture_studios
3. Jungle
Composers: Amit Kilam, Asheem Chakravorty, George Brooks,
Himanshu Joshi, Nikhil Rao, Rahul Ram
Lyrics: Arjun Raina
Produced by: Big Bad Wolf Studios & Indian Ocean
Producers: Dhruv Jagasia, Amit Kilam, Rahul Ram & Dev Bhatia
Language: Hindi
Genre: Folk/Rock fusion
Here we have the second single to be featured from the Indian Ocean album "Tu Hai" and the band continues to prove that they still got it. Goerge Brooks is spell-binding on the saxophone solo right at the start and the closest reference I have is Kadri Gopalnath in the movie album 'Duet' scored by AR Rahman.
Himanshu Joshi lends his voice as the frontman, Nikhil Rao on acoustic guitars, and Rahul Ram on bass. Amit Kilam plays the drums and percussions and the Tabla is played by Tuheen Chakravorty. The combination of the Sax, the bass guitars and the acoustic guitars feels like Paradise on Earth. To me, this has definite influences of Raag Yaman and the Western colouring from the saxophone, bass and drums fades away mildly with the introduction of the Tabla. Nikhil sizzles away with the guitars and almost feels like a Sitar in conjunction with the Tabla. Not a word is sung until we approach the 4th-minute mark and we are already sold.
The song is produced by Dhruv Jagasia, Amit Kilam, Rahul Ram & Dev Bhatia and when the vocalists get on board and sing in unison there is a better impact instead of the lone voice of Himanshu. The master stroke is at around 5:55 seconds when the 180 degrees shift happens from an Indian folk style to a western Jazz and Blues style.
The ending segment is a return to a folk style and that is why the 10-minute long track is a journey through musical flavours. Deepak Kattar handles all the video animation.
@indianoceanmusic @amitkilam @tuheenchakravorty @dnikhilrao @rahulnram @khujlihaikyakare @bigbadwolfdotin @gbrooksjazz
4. Midhunam Madhuram
Music - Joel Johns
Lyrics – Titto P Thankachen
Singers – Vidhu Prathap, Mridula Warrier
Language: Malayalam
Genre: Pop/Melody
Sensational is one word to describe this song that got me headbanging in the middle of the road as I was listening to it on my way back from work. Joel Johns is the brains behind this chartbuster and it is Godfray Emmanuel's guitars, the reverberating piece on the Keys and the Nadaswaram solo by Bala that left me going bonkers in public. The fantastic programming and arrangements have to be credited to Joel Johns and all the additional programming is done by Abjaksh KS.
The lead vocalists are Vidhu Pratap and Mridula Warrier and they have been featured before by me, and Malayalam music scene is blessed with such amazing vocalists and they perform like seasoned pros no matter what their experience. The way the Nadaswaram solo in the interlude mixes with the rhythms and keys is just magic. The stanza has some demanding notes with both vocalists exploring the high pitch and coming out with success.
Titto P Thankachen writes the lyrics and Balu Thankachen is the mix/master engineer with session assistance by Paul J Daniel and Hariharan. The use of the local folk percussions along with the Konnakol sung by the female vocalist, gets a lot of brownie points.
@joel__johns_ @mridulavarier @vidhuprathap_official @titto_p_thankachen @godfray_immanuel @thebaluthankachan @nadaswarambalaganesan
5. Tu Jab Aayega
Vocals, Lyrics, composition: Nishi Chauhan
Producer/Keyboardist/Bassist: Anindo Bose
Language: Hindi
Genre: Ballad/Pop
Here comes a debutant on my weekly charts and Nishi Chauhan seems to be a brilliant find not only as a singer but also as a songwriter. When She sings "Ti Jab Aayega" it is impossible to resist the temptation and her partner better run back towards her. The team of musicians is ground-breaking for this one and hence it is hardly surprising that this song is in the top 5 of the week across India.
Anindo Bose the producer/engineer from 'Shadow and Light' had worn multiple hats here, as the bassist, keyboardist and mainly the songs producer. If that is not striking enough we have Shrikant Biswakarma plays the guitars and he gets started from the opening notes. There is an inherent sadness in Nishi's message and vocal tone and Sayan Sinha adds to it with the lone Violin. I feel her pain and longing like I am standing right there in the middle of the action when Nishi sings " Tu jab Aayega, gale se lagayega" and kudos to her for the writing and singing. Avik Roy can be heard playing the mild drums.
The song's structure is basic, but the arrangements of the violin and guitars add spice and vigour. The bridge section allows Nishi to explore her vocal range further and with the congregation of drums, violin and guitars we get a change in the song's pitch that works like magic. The whole team deserves appreciation and well done Anindo for the magnificent production.
@nishisinghchauhan @anindobose @strings_of_karma @royavik21 @questioningconsciousness
6. If I Could Fly
Performed by Bhrigu Sahni, Tejas
Written by Bhrigu Sahni
Produced by Zain Calcuttawala
Language: ENglish
Genre: Ballad/Pop
Bulli Bainbridge a.k.a. Zain Calcutawalla was quite impressive in 2022 with an EP from which I did feature a couple of songs. He has produced and mixed this very engaging single and vocally the song soars thanks to Tejas Menon, a pioneer indie musician and a debutant on my weekly charts Bhrigu Sahani
Bhrigu has written and performed it. The sound of the acoustic guitar strumming hits me like pointed arrows leaving the bow of a champion archer. The vocal texture of Bhrigu makes you take notice and feels almost like in the Baritone scale, and to complement him Tejas starts performing and here we have the soft and tender vocals. The writing is deep, witty and convenient at the same time.
For example, we have lines like "Your silhouette a shimmer flows like a river. To an ocean of certainty" which engage us and make us ponder, but we also have these simple lines like "oh we fell out so easily, distance parted our comfy ways". The two vocalists singing in unison is an auditory treat. Zain brings in his magical touches thanks to the forefront with the strings section in the background and the in bridge section, the Piano enhances the effect. I love the shift of notes in the line " Let that remain, Your mystery". The song is mastered by Ayan De
@bhrigu.sahni @tejas1989 @radheyeah @bullibainbridge
7. River Red
Vocals: Century Khoury
Written, Arranged, and Produced by Taz James
Language:
Genre: Metal/Fusion
This feels like a brilliant instrumental piece by Project Polyphony and it has multiple musicians from across the globe displaying their musical prowess. I have taken the liberty and featured it among India's best songs of the week owing to the presence of some Indian talent like Shravan Sridhar, Varun Kumar, Suman Misra, Roshni Peters, Madhur Dabney and Parvati Kulkarni.
Taz James has played the Keyboards and guitars and he also is the person behind the creative arrangements and production. The supremely energetic drums are played by Chris Joseph and the bass guitars are played by Jakub Kalousek. Century Khoury is in total control and dominates with her vocals. The flute, the strings, the electric guitar, keyboards all provide their flavours and garnish the song.
The solo violin by Shravan Sridhar just close to the 4th minute is sheer brilliance and it reminds me of Raag Shanmukapriya. Sanjay Kumar of the band Foi, plays the electric guitars, Meruyert Tursunbekova of the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) plays the solo violin too, along with Kristne Balache. The dreamy flute solo is played by Varun Kumar. The closing stages with lead and backing vocals singing "Come to me deeper down, down to the river bed" feel special, especially with all live instruments converging into one grand symphony.
@centurykhoury @_tazjames @chrislioneljoseph @project.polyphony @varun.kumar.flute @nonviolinistproject @jeringomson @foimusicindia @mikoshammusic
8. Aaina
Sung and Composed by Jazim Sharma
Music Produced by Muheet Bharti
Lyrics - Aslam Mir
Language: Hindi
Genre: Ghazal/Pop Fusion
A solid team, well that is what struck me when I saw the names of Jazim Sharma, Muneet Bharti and Merchant Records Label. Jazim is a fantastic vocalist adept at the Indian classical music style and his Ghazal-styled delivery can inspire many a singer to try and emulate him. Jazim has also composed the underlying melody here with lyrics by Aslam Mir.
Muheet Bharti is an exceptional talent and he is a composer/producer/vocalist who has been a regular on my weekly Indian reviews. Here he produces the song with terrific poise and creativity taking the song towards the Blues genre. The influences of Raag Charukeshi are apparent and as Jazim sings with such eloquence, Muneet creates his magic with the Keyboards. The acoustic guitars, bass and drums create their own subtle but sufficient impact on the song's tone and outcome.
@jazimsharma @muheetbharti @shivansh.j @salimsulaimanmusic
9. Banjara Mann
Composed, Produced: Guru Dhanoa
Singer - Varsha Singh Dhanoa
Lyrics: Alok Ranjan Jha, Guru Dhanoa
Language: Hindi
Genre: Ballad/Semi-classical pop
This song is part sad part haunting and we have to thank the composer, and singer for bringing these effects to the music listener. Guru Dhanoa has composed and produced this song and here too I feel there is a Raag Charukeshi influence this brings in the pathos and this is especially clear the second time when she sings the title "Banjara Mann", and even when she hums the mild alaap in the interlude.
Shomu Seal is brilliant as usual on guitars and plucks your heart like the way he plucks the strings. Varsha Singh Dhanoa sings with such a calm yet passionate disposition and she gives off a Rekha Bharadwaj vibe with this performance. She is an expert and Varsha has been a super successful YouTuber, Singer /Songwriter she also launched her own Music Studio Groovy Baby. All the engineering for this song has happened from there.
The team of Guru, Varsha and Shomu show us that a simple song with a good tune, minimal instrumental intervention and great vocals can do enough to pull a song into the top 10 in the country. The stanza is simple in structure but the notes are beautiful with some emphatic singing that touched your heart. Shomu also plays the Dobro in this song.
@varshasinghdhanoa @alfaaz2602 @gurudhanoa @shomu_seal @anafilmiofficial
Author
I write album and song reviews of Tamil music every month for Behindwoods. You can also call me a sports nut, especially football, and I used to write articles on sportskeeda.com. I am a die-hard Argentina football fan and have travelled to South Africa and Russia to witness the FIFA world cup games. It is not just music, I love movies as well and you will find me quoting dialogues and moments from a lot of movies, as I believe every movie teaches me something new about life itself.