This is the week's best of Indian music across languages and states, covering more than 350 song releases from movie albums and the independent space1. Alle  Music: Ramesh Narayan Vocals: Haricharan Lyrics: Beeyar Prasad Language: Malayalam Genre: Melody Maybe this genius of a composer is like one of those Carnivores that only hunt when hungry. I mean Ramesh Narayan is a fantastic composer who is an expert in the field of Indian Classical music and when he scores in Malayalam movies, it becomes something to celebrate and treasure, if only he would give us that pleasure with more frequent projects. This week itself, we have two songs from the album 'Bermuda' with this Haricharan song topping India's charts. Some enticing notes get played on the acoustic guitars by Sanu PS and then Haricharan makes the grand entrance on vocals. He does possess one of the most likable, gifted and technically correct vocals in the Indian music space and it comes on full display here. You just have to nod your head in approval when he asks " Sugam alle" meaning "Yes everything is fine when we hear his voice". The string section is an important part of the sound that we hear in the song and it is by the Inspired Symphony Orchestra in Budapest. These segments in the opening lines remind me of the arrangements and grandeur of "Oh Butterfly" by Ilaiyaraja. We also now hear some strong bass guitar strumming by Brandon Trent, and woodwinds in the background and it is the same Orchestra responsible for the latter. The stanza is a way both these masters Haricharan and Ramesh showcase their skills with Hari showing his vocal range and Malayalam diction, and Ramesh enabling a wonderful tune with even better arrangements especially the strings in the background. The interjection of strings, woodwinds and Keys just takes the song into a different orbit altogether and there are immense contributions from Ajith A George on sound design and Music Programmer Sheron Roy Gomez. The sound engineers are Romy, Vybav, Bharath Arjunan and Pranay with Sujith Sreedhar on mixing and mastering. The second interlude feels like a separate chapter in a symphony and things start off from where they left at the end of the first stanza. Haricharan sounds even freer and tries to improvise with mild vibrato, compared to the first stanza.   2. Madhura Jeeva Ragam  Music: Alphons Joseph Lyrics: Joe Paul  Singer: Mridula Varrier Music Programming: Aby Tom Cyriac  Language: Malayalam Genre: Melody People I knew loved the movie 'Sundari Gardens', and it has Aparna Balamurali who not only has show potential as an actress but also a singer. This beautiful number is composed by Alphons Joseph and sung by Mridula Varrier, with lyrics by Joe Paul. Nikhil Ram plays the flute and the keys are played by Aby Tom Cyriac who handles the programming, mixing and mastering. Mridula's honey-soaked vocals take away all the pains and burdens of life as she sings with impeccable ease and when you wait a bit to hear the title line you are lifted into the heavens. Anu Thomas backs up as vocalist in the harmonies and the whole song feels like a walk in the Japanese Tea Gardens thanks to the tonality of the instruments and production. Nithin Sabu Johnson is the sound engineer with Anandu Pai, Amal S Varghese, Sreehari Raveendran and Feiga Meiphullung Gangmei assisting. The stanza has Mridula reaching into the higher scales and when you hear the strings, flute and rhythm programming and arrangements it is pure delight and shows why Mollywood music space is making the rest of the country feel left out, especially a deficit-stricken world of Bollywood. The outro segment with all the programming, vocals and flute brings a smile to your face.  3. Wajah  Singer: Pawandeep Rajan & Arunita Kanjilal  Music: Ashish Kulkarni  Lyrics: Rahul Kale  I have known Ashish Kulkarni since 2020 and I have been featuring his singles much before he shot to fame in Indian Idol, and it is not only his singing but his composition abilities as well. It is nice to see him provide an opportunity to two other co-contestants at the Indian Idol in Pawandeep Rajan & Arunita Kanjilal for the vocal leads in this number. It is Madhab Deka that shines in the beginning with the grand arrangements of Strings and rhythms and as the lead singers perform the closing stages of the opening lines sound as good as Ajay-Atul's "Yad lagla". It is just before the interlude that we hear Arunita sing a beautiful portion that sounds and feels like Raag Bilawal. The interlude has layers of Violins and Keys accompanying which give a very sober and "pathos" setting to the song. The composition is not straightforward at all, and one can hear all the unpredictable notes in the stanza which is why Ashish can pat himself on the back for trusting himself and not compromising with a mediocre and run-of-the-mill tune. The track needs a lot of effort in mixing and mastering the various segments and layers and this is where Rupjit Das comes into play. The recording engineers are Mrinal Das, Rahul Dayal and Pankaj Kaushik.   4. Pukaare  Composed and sung by: Madhubanti Bagchi Lyricist: Ginny Diwan  Music produced by: Siddharth Amit Bhavsar  Language: Hindi Genre: Indie-pop It is not the first time I am hearing and featuring Madhubanti Bagchi, and after almost a year she is back in my weekly India charts with a stunning indie pop number. It is also interesting to observe a sensational lyricist in Ginny Diwan who Madhubanti herself nicely addresses as her favourite bardess. The song has a very 1990s tonality to it like something that would emerge in a song from Sting. The guitars are resplendent and who else but Ritaprabha Ray and Ishan Das can come up with such sexy strumming? Madhu's tone is a mix of a sweet and a slightly coarse voice which makes the lower-scale notes that much better to listen to, and has this Shilpa Rao texture overall. Siddharth Amit Bhavsar plays no mean role in this song as he is the producer and if you listen to the song's sound it has some excellent rhythm and keyboard programming. I love how the decibel levels and arrangements drop at the beginning of the stanza, when all focus needs to be on the melody and the sharp and emotional delivery of the lines by Madhu. The stanza feels fresh and it has some excellent chords that remind you of the style adopted by Salim-Sulaiman for their scores. Oh and I love the way the stanza ends and the chords progress into the opening lines. Pankaj Borah has mixed and mastered the track at the Pavel Areen Studio. The introduction of the humming at the end is a nice addition to the guitars and rhythms.    5. Kelu Nee Composed and produced by: Narayan Sharma  Singer: Narayan Sharma  Lyrics by: Nagarjun Sharma Language: Kannada Genre: Melody, Semi-classical fusion Some of these musicians are really having a ball and I love it when the same album has a couple or more songs of superior quality. This movie "Nodi Swamy Ivanu Irode Heege", has 2 songs in the week's charts just like the Malayalam movie "Bermuda". Narayan Sharma has been a regular on my page and that is no surprise because he is one of the brightest musicians India has. He is a singer, Violinist and composer as well and he brings in all these facets to the forefront. The song is performed, composed and produced by Narayan with Palee Francis (from WCMT)and Narayan coming together and doing the programming. The initial Ukulele as well as guitars are played by WCMT's Achyuth Jaigopal who also does the music supervision for the track. Observe the bass lines gradually gain ground as the song progresses. I was stunned when the Violin intervenes and it is such a classical interjection into the scheme of things making the song precious within the first 1 minute. After this you will be surprised to hear the title line in a pop style with fast-paced guitars, that is some skilful composition. Narayan excels in delivering the song as he shows his wide vocal range as well. There is a jugalbandi with the Violin notes just following and playing catchup with the vocals. The outro has even better arrangements thanks to the vocal harmonies and catchy rhythms. The track is mixed by Palee Francis and mastered by Vivek Thomas. Nagarjun Sharma is the lyricist.   6. Taxi Driver Vocals, Lyrics, Composition: Prerona Producer: Zuboski  Language: English Genre: Alt-pop When Prerona reached out to me asking if I could listen to a new song, I began to without any expectations. Man, Did I get bamboozled by his vocals and the production. This is steamy thanks to the vocal texture and Prerona does a fine job in delivering the vocals with that uber-cool attitude. Just listen to him express  with a sensational set of lungs in the line "Right into the water, sick". Watch out for that drop in drop in pitch for the word 'sick'. I must appreciate the brilliant lines written by Prerona, and these are signs of a star in the making. Amidst the ordinary poetry I come across daily, he stands tall. Check out this line both lyrically and musically and it wants me to keep playing it on a loop, "So play your nightly hymns, I need a religion tonight". The acoustic and bass guitars are just fabulous layers but Zuboski kills it every second with his production. The keyboards and electric guitars come and play a mild interlude near the 3rd minute and then we have Prerona's vocals along with Anubis on backing vocals all through. Art-work is by Soham Joshi and Yaamini. The mixing is done by Zuboski who has also co-composed the track, and mastering is done at Gray Spark Audio.     7. Sab Kuchh Singer - B Praak  Lyrics & Composer - Jaani  Music - B Praak  Language: Punjabi Genre: Melody People who read my page know that I have always been a huge fan of B.Praak as a singer and producer. The fits time as a music reviewer I came across Jaani and B.Praak as composer-producer-lyricist was back in 2019 when I heard the amazing album of "Sufna". This time "Moh" is another testament to the great work these guys are doing in the field of Music in the Punjabi space. I will be doing an EP review of "Moh" pretty soon as I love 3 songs at least in it. This song is B.Praak's fantastic vocals being displayed and there is non like him to emotionally deliver a song. The flute by Paras Nath and the synth and keyboard programming by Gaurav Dev & Kartik Dev is mindblowing. We can also hear some strings in the background and it is this keen sense of arrangement that elevates the quality of the song. There is never a wrong foot kept in the song as every element like the Keys, rhythms and harmonies works so brilliantly to take the listener into an alternative space of tranquillity. The track is mixed and mastered by Gurjinder Guri and Akash Bambar.  8. Hona Mere  Composer & Singer - Dhvani Bhanushali  Music Producer – Abhijit Vaghani  Lyrics - Rashmi Virag  Language: Hindi Genre: Ballad Combinations work, and one can remember the last time when Dhvani Bhansuhali and Abhijit Vaghani worked together to give us that smashing number called "Radha". I sometimes get a little critical when singers pick bad songs to be a part of, like when Dhvani sings songs like "Candy" for Yuvan, and I feel even stronger about it when I hear some fantastic numbers like 'Hona Mere' coming from her own repertoire. Shomu Seal plays the guitars and we also have a layer of electric guitar mildly playing in the background. The strumming sets a very mysterious tone and Dhvani's vocals carry that extra bit of sadness meant in the song's messaging. This is a song on the protagonist thinking about her lover who she is separated from, so all these elements aptly create the scene. I am astounded by her vocal abilities and check out what she does when the line goes" Meri taraf mudh bhi ja", and the vibrato and attitude she brings forward with her voice is spectacular. Abhijit gets all the elements right, with the introduction of the Violins in the background, as nothing speaks pathos like that instrument. Abhijit's programming on keyboards and rhythms is perfect and he chooses moments of pause quite effectively. The track is mixed and mastered by Aftab Khan with Vatsal Chevli as the mixing assistant. The endearing and emotional lyrics are written by Rashmi Virag and the words convey the deep longing as much as the tune, singing and production. 9. Belakali  Music Composed, Arranged and Programmed by: Joe Costa Lyrics: Ramenahalli Jagannatha  Singer: Joe Costa  Language: Kannada Genre: Semi-classical Melody We have a massive list of regional songs this week, especially from the south, and this Kannada number is another semi-classical-sounding melody it is, even more, special because it comes from a composer I have not featured before today. Joe has composed, programmed, arranged and even performed the number with the lyrics penned by Ramenahalli Jagannatha. The song is from the Kannada movie 'Hondisi Bareyiri' and it has some stalwarts working as instrumentalists like Narayan Sharma on the Violin, Bhutto on Flute, and Varun Murali on guitars. The flute in the intro is pleasant and invokes feelings of divinity and I probably sensed some Ragam Kalyani (Yaman in Hindustani). It is accompanied by acoustic and bass guitars and Joe has a voice that suits the semi-classical style quite well. Narayan who already has his own composition in this week plays the stunning Violin solo in the interlude. Joe and Jathin Dharshan who have worked on the programming get the Keys and rhythm programming well executed. The second interlude is pure class with the flute in multiple layers and the Tabla by Venugopala Raju. Warren D Costa plays the additional guitars and the chorus we hear is from Manasa Holla and team. Abin Paul does the mixing and mastering. Towards the end of the second stanza there is a segment with the chorus, and the heart just swells in joy hearing this beautiful segment.  10. Shomudrer Dheu Music Director and Creative Producer: Neet Dutt  vocals: Durnibar Saha, Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury

This is the week's best of Indian music across languages and states, covering more than 350 song releases from movie albums and the independent space1. PariComposer: Gaurav ChatterjiLyrics: Hussain HaidryVocals: Neeti MohanMusic Production: Gaurav Chatterji, Ashish ZachariahLanguage: HindiGenre: MelodyCameos are never to be underrated. They are solid performances that turn around the outcome of an event single-handedly despite never getting the original shining limelight. Gaurav Chatterji to me is one of those unsung heroes who keep playing memorable cameos in Bollywood, and I sincerely hope he gets opportunities elsewhere in India where music composers are worshipped and celebrated. I did feature him in movies like 'Ginny Weds Sunny' where all the media focussed on 3 mediocre songs, but his two songs were fabulous. Even in a movie on Amazon Prime last year called "Jalsa" which was appreciated for the acting performances his music deserved more attention. Now in an Anurag Kashyap direction starring Tapsee Pannu, one can understand why this amazing song got hidden in the rubble of reviews, praise and criticism. The moment I heard this, I knew it was of supreme quality good enough to bag the number 1 spot in India. It starts like a run-of-the-mill number, but once you hit the 45-second mark and Neeti Mohan launches off into orbit with "Zidd hai meri". The guitars are fabulous to even say the least thanks to some phenomenal talents like Hrishi Giridhar and Ashish Zachariah with the former on acoustic and electric guitars, and the latter on nylon and acoustic guitars. The Ronroco is an instrument that looks like a guitar, but to me, it sounded like a Sarod and Tapas Roy enchants you with it in the interlude. The stanza is mesmerising and every cell in your body feels the magic of great music thanks to some amazing strings in the background. The strings are recorded by Roni Seiler and right through we have bass guitars played by Sajal Sharma. I have closed my eyes and nodded with every note and it is all because of the fantastic composition and arrangements by Gaurav. Can you imagine despite Neeti Mohan's steamy vocals, especially when she lands the low-scale notes in the stanza, the mind and ears still focus on all the live instruments around? This is because of the quality of the song, something that an AR Rahman or Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy would be proud of. Gaurav uses the keys in the second interlude predominantly and the bass guitars too come to be noticed more in the stanzas. Gaurav also performs as a backing vocalist in the song. The track is mixed by Alok Punjani, and mastered by Donal Whelan, with Jose Das as the studio assistant. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Helvetica Neue"; panose-1:2 0 5 3 0 0 0 2 0 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-452984065 1342208475 16 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"Helvetica Neue"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 2. Straight out the mud Performed by Ruby VelleWritten by Ruby Velle, Rune WestbergProduced by Rune Westberg, Ruby VelleLanguage: EnglishGenre: Jazz/BluesThis Canadian/American musician establishes her Indian roots with a very deeply religious and more accurately philosophical single. I couldn't think of anything positive when I heard the title, but when I read the message I was pleasantly taken aback. Based on Buddhist teachings the message is clear " The mud is needed for the lotus to grow". I m never a guy who pays too much focus on the lyrics, but this is gold. Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics keep performing together in the US as a band that was formed by Ruby, but this is her solo effort as she writes, produces and performs along with Grammy winner Rune Westberg. The guitars and the Jazzy soulful vocals of Ruby keep me glued, reminding me of greats like Tina Turner. The gospel-like harmonies work terrifically in the background, and when you hear them along with the Horns section, you feel inspired and satisfied listening to this beauty. Vocally, this is a supreme performance by Ruby and I have never heard such strong vocals other than Samantha Noella and Vivienne Pocha, up until now. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Helvetica Neue"; panose-1:2 0 5 3 0 0 0 2 0 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-452984065 1342208475 16 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin

1. FishMusic & Performance: Rum and MonkeysLanguage: EnglishGenre: RockThe great music from the Northeast never ceases to amaze me. At the number 1 spot, this week have a young band from Shillong called 'Rum and Monkeys' and I very much enjoyed their new album 'Tales of a Tasteless Kid'. The Shillong-based band has five, fine members, Meban Atom Marbaniang on vocals and rhythm guitar, Anon Cheran Momin on keyboards and synth, Shantre Mandy Lamare on bass guitar, Daniel Dian Kharumnuid on lead guitar and Vivian Kharumnuid playing the drums. I fell in love with the song "Fish" and felt "Blind" was another sensational number. The immediate impact on Synths and Keyboards hits you hard thanks to Anon and you start imagining that you are in the middle of a Coldplay concert. Meban has this voice that ticks all boxes for a rock band frontman, as shifts scale with great ease and has a fine falsetto mode too. Daniel comes on board to sizzle from time to time on the electric guitar and is accompanied by Shantre on bass. Vivian's drums are vibrant, and the best part is after the 3rd-minute when the guitars and drums pause and get smashing when Meban sings " Last fish is in the pool, but I'd rather swim with you" and he gives a sick evil laugh. "Thought I had the upper hand, but you played me like a fool" are great lines with a typical rock howl at the end. Get some face-melting electric guitar solo towards the end and the vocals and drums follow, but it's a finale on Synths, guitars and drums to revitalize you for the whole day. I'll be doing an EP review soon. But do listen to this slightly more fun and punk-rock-styled "Blind". Two things truly stand out for me from this band 1. Funky synths and 2. lyrics that make you smile and think. "They say the beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but what if I am blind?". Wow, you judge for yourself. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}   2. Gulebakavali Singer: Chinmayi Sripada Music: Chirrantan Bhatt Lyrics: Ramajogayya SastryLanguage: TeluguGenre: Dance A lot of period films depicting great kings get released these days, and music in terms of the background score becomes an essential part to drive the sentiment and portrayal forward. The songs are much less important because I think it is difficult to depict the timeline through modern instruments. 'Bimbisara' is one such example, where I feel the songs don't particularly feel like belonging to 5th century BCE. One can argue that since the movie is about the king time-travelling to modern-day India, the songs need not sound historic. Getting back to the songs I loved " Gulebakavali" and "Eeswarude'. Both these were composed by Chirantann Bhatt who I have featured before for a fantastic song called " Ankhein Mili" from the movie 'Sanak'. Chinmayi sings it like a breeze and I am so glad because more often than not she is handed out serious songs that traverse in the 'pathos' zone. This is supposed to be an item number and wow, you feel the pulsating energy thanks to the tune, rhythms, live instruments and vocals. Ramajogayya Sastry is the lyricist. The best line is the one that goes "dhimi tha dhimi dhhim tara" with lead and backing vocals aiding the delivery. One can hear the strong presence of synths and keyboards. The song also feels like "Chikkini Chameli" but that can only be a compliment because it was composed by Ajay-Atul. In fact, the ghamaka that Chinmayi does right at the end also feels like Shreya's delivery in the Ajay-Atul number. The rhythms and horns section also makes it one flamboyant number that feels like a massive endless party. "Eeshwarude" is another fantastic song and CHirantann brings in composer-vocalist Kaala Bhairava to lend his voice. Shreemani is the lyricist and the tracks are mixed and mastered by Vinod Verma and G Jeevan Babu. The grand orchestral sounds come to life and with a team of backing vocalists, we get terrific harmonies. I do sense some influence of Raag Malkauns(Hindolam in Carnatic). The strings and percussions are magnificent and I hope this album gets Chirantann the much-deserved attention down South. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 3. Mohabbat ZindagiMusic: Mikey McClearyLyrics: Ankur TewariVocals: Lucky AliLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie PopI never thought about it that way, but I read that the song translates into "Life is love". I too, like this song's message, am a person who loves to celebrate the smaller moments in life but there is nothing small about this song. Just get up clap your hands and dance and listen to this belter of a song and start celebrating your existence from this moment on. Lucky's voice still sounds the same as it was 25 years ago and it feels like time has stood still. The combination of Lucky Ali and Mikey McCleary is really shaping up to be something ominous and I have featured the duo before with their single "Intezaar" back in April 2022. The Choir team sounds amazing and they are like a secondary soul to this song, the team has Alisha Pais, Ella Castellino Atai, Mimosa Almeida Pinto, Raynah Braganza, Marie Paul and Karen Rebecca Dsouza. The guitars and rhythms play second fiddle to some fantastic lead and support vocals. I just love the lines where Lucky pauses and sings " Suno,ooo oo ooo, ye pyaar sa silsila", and then when he finishes "jo khoya hua" followed by beautiful harmonies arranged and sung by the Choir team. Mikey is brilliant in this number and this feel-good song just sticks to your head for a long time.  @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 4. Nammalani UndiMusic, lyrics - Kalyan NayakVocals: Haricharan, Ramya Behra, Kalyan NayakLanguage: Telugu

This is the week's best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 350 tracks released in the week ending 24th April 2022, I have rated and reviewed the 16 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week, without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country. 1. Swimming They are like the pride of women indie musicians in India and their singing and compositions represent the best of talents we have in this country today. If only Indians who think it is pretty cool to listen to a Ellie Goulding and Selena Gomez just took a few minutes of their lives every day to listen to songs like this!!! Kamakshi Khanna and Sanjeeta Bhattacharya are A-listers and they have been obviously featured on my playlists and reviews numerous times, not because they are popular, but they ooze quality. The duo write, compose and perform together with production by Kamakshi. Kamakshi starts off the vocals with her delectable and soft tones and you fall in love with the song, and just then to make matters worse for your vulnerability Sanjeeta broaches on stage with her Opera-like thrust in her voice. Kamakshi herself plays the Piano that you hear along driving the songs sober and lullaby-like undertone, and she also plays the live Ukulele in the track. Listen to her trembling voice as she singing “against the flowâ€? and you hear notes of the song flowing like the water itself. Ajay Jayanthi kills you with his solo violin playing mildly, almost as if he is putting his fiddle up and when Kamakshi sings “can somebody help me up. Ajay also handles the live strings in the song. This is a well-written song about the female bonding and friendship which gets drowned like needle in a haystack among all the love songs. I love the thump in the drums produced by Karun Karunapilly, and something I felt and noticed was how Kamakshi’s voice sounds vulnerable calling for help, and the assertive Sanjeeta comes to the rescue as her friend and all this gets expressed through the vocals. Adil Kurwa was just here on my list last week with the band ‘The Colour Compoundâ€? is at his best on the bass guitars and Apur Isaac plays the tender acoustic guitar. Behold the moment when Sanjeeta sings “She knows, the tide is lowâ€?, but I felt like I was downing in a high tide of musical goodness. The closing stages are a treat with the vocals, harmonies, strings and drums all in unison. The wonderful mixing for the track is done by Ashyar Balsara. The video is directed by Parizad, with Tithi Rohilla as the AD and Abhinandan Sharma as the DOP, Sonal Garg as HMU. Ashna Katoch does the beautiful choreography with Tanya Suri and Ashna as dancers. Aanchal Rai is the stylist, with Pritiza as the photographer and Akshiena Khanna as the art work specialist. 2. Theher I was so impressed with Gaurav Chatterji for his 2 songs in ‘Ginny weds Sunny’ but unfortunately some of the other songs which were far inferior in quality and pure remixes got more attention. If you haven’t kindly listen to “Phoonk Phoonkâ€? and “Rubaruâ€? from the album. He is now rising with every new composition and “Theherâ€? is the perfect example of his prowess. Shilpa Rao is the perfect vocalist for this endearing yet mysterious number that is rich in emotions and quality. The use of the orchestra and especially components of the strings section really kept me hooked and obsessed and kudos to Gaurav for the score and production. The 3 instruments that stand out are the Violin and Viola played by Jitendra Hansraj Javda, and the Cello played by Leo Olavio Velho. The words and the musical tone and arrangements are apt, as she sings “ Theher, Saas le zindagiâ€?, and the pause is used to fill the void with the flurry of Violin and Viola. The Budapest Art Orchestra deserves applause for this symphonic exhibition with Peter Pejtsik as the conductor, David Lukacs as the Protols engineer, Gabor Buczko as the recording engineer and Miklos Lukacs as the Session Producer. Alok Punjabi does a fabulous job mixing for this track, as it so difficult to get the sounds and amplitudes right amidst all the instruments. Donal Whelan has mastered the track. Jose Das has assisted on the mixing and Sandeep Gaur writes the meaningful lyrics. The outro on guitars and Violin and Viola is stunning and makes you wish it never ended. 3. Njan Aara Avial the Indian alternative rock band can never be forgotten and despite the many changes that have transpired in terms of band members, thankfully their brand of music hasn’t gone through any decay. In the last released album, there are 8 tracks and I found this to be the absolute best. “Who am Iâ€? is the existential question that this song is trying to ask and Tony John's captivating vocals draw you into the number. Rex Vijayan, a composer I have really fancied thanks to some of his scores and production capabilities plays the lead guitar and bassist Binny Isaac and accompanies him. In-fact Rex slays rather than plays, and that would be an appropriate description of his prowess. The lead and bass guitars are so stunning that after the initial vocal segments, it feels like an instrumental on a standalone bassis. Mithun Puthanveetil blasts away on drums as Tony reaches for the high scales singing the title lines, and his precision in the emotion and delivery is befitting the lyrics. There is some synth related sounds as well and that too is by Rex. The harmonies towards the end are well arranged and provide a breather from the other wise hard rock content 4. Moonrain I over the last couple of years have really taken a liking to fusion, especially the Indian classical/ Rock fusion and Param the band falls right smack in the center of this genre. They call themselves a Hindustani Progressive Rock Act and Moonrain is a perfect depiction of that. It starts off with a disco-like duel with Shreyas Urs on lead guitars and Sanketh Kumar on bass. Vijay Hegde then begins his very classical Hindustani delivery and it apparently an extraction of Raag Bhoop which is known as Mohanam in Carnatic music. The percussions are a mix of both Indian and western worlds with Mayur GS on drums and Vishal Kalbad on Tabla. Vijay is simply excellent with every aalap he delivers and nothing seems overdone or forced. The interlude progresses in the disco style but the bass guitar solo is invigorating, just after the completion of the lead guitar bit. Vishal does some magic with his fingers on the Tabla at break-neck speed and the last minute feels like one scintillating ride on the roller-coaster with guitars and drums taking us in to the heart of rock genre. I am eagerly awaiting their next as this one truly won my heart and the whole song is like a fantasy like wondering how it would feel and seem to have rain on the moon. 5. Zameen We complain and crib about the life in a concrete jungle, but its all haphazard like an incoherent though. Listen to sing splendid number that combines the lyrical mastery of Psya and singing and composition of Dhi Harmony. The guitars are splendid and they are not just sidekicks, but equal heroes for the output of this track. Pratyay Mishra handles the guitar arrangements and Anand Masrani can be heard sizzling away on the bass guitars. Shanaia Puskar Shrotri and Prarthana Wagh hit a nice emotional nerve on the harmonies and we get some good accompaniment on the drums thanks to Baajewala’s recording and Aditya Ranga’s Rhythm arrangements. After the 2.30-minute mark we get a full blast rock genre energy and this shift is delightful and inspirational. Dhi is trained in folk and Indian classical music and that shows in his vocal delivery and understanding of music is reflected in the arrangements. Hersh Desai does the mix and master with Sarthak Ray as the recording engineer. And when all the storm perishes, the guitars followed by Dhi a.k.a. Tanmoy’s vocals is pure gold. 6. 'Naina' It Is some inspiring and tantalizing music and an even better story of a Gaurav Rudra who was determine to write, sing and record this despite some great hindrances to his physical being. I heard it from the horse’s mouth and I got a sense of the man's passion. Just listen to this song and that will do enough to please your heart as Gaurav writes and performs and Pallav Jyoti Mahanta plays the guitars and Keys. You might hear fragments of “Iktaraâ€? by Amit Trivedi at least I heard some notes where the scale resembled and I presume there could be an influence of Raag Khamaj. The guitars are like the driving force behind the song whether acoustic in the foreground or electric guitars in the background. “Tu Roothe aaâ€? and the notes here and that follow also remind me of RD Barman’s “Ek ladki ko dekhaâ€?. Amazer Sanger plays the bass guitars and Abhay Dohar is on the drums. The track is mixed by Arpan Jain, with Abhay, and Kartik Ganotra mastering. We can also hear maybe a Ukulele or pluck in the background to soften the emotions up but the moment that truly stuns you is the electric guitar solo in the interlude past the 2nd minute. It is in the stanza that Gaurav explores and exhibits a lot of his vocal range. Vadik Sehra does the lyrical video and Abhay Kalia handles the artwork. 7. 'O Manuja' He has been away for a bit and I really did miss Prashant Pillai’s scores, and finally he is back and that too for a movie that looks exciting just form the title and poster featuring Soubin Shahir. Prashant arranges and has programmed for the track as well. The clear front runner for claps and ovation is Sithara Krishnakumar the vocalist as she sings it in a fashion and tone you wouldn’t have heard or expected from her. I hear a strong sense of Raag Abheri but the background instrumentals are mind-blowing thanks to Prashant and the additional programmers in Sreerag Saji and Rakesh. The way she sings at the low vocal scales is astounding and creates mystery and a sense of a scare, and maybe that is intended. The electric guitar riff is good as it keeps coming about and the track is supremely mixed and mastered by Vivek Thomas, with Rahul Narayan as the recording engineer. Santhosh Varma is the lyricist. 8. Saamna I don't know if I have this before in my reviews, but Vayu is one of the best composers/producers around and just like he is named he breathes air and life into a song. Here he is writing, composing and producing, with Stav Beger co-composing for the track. AKASA who has worked with Vayu before once again performs with gusto and rock-solid delivery here. The song apparently deals with the trauma of separation from a loved one and meeting the person again. The rhythm programming is top-notch and the entire tone of the song is one that oozes of superior production values. What follows here around the 1.20-minute mark is truly stunning. It sounds like a stringed instrument but this programed sound with rhythms in the background is captivating and lets you lose control, and all you want to do is groove and dance. Stav does the programming for the track. You can hear some excellent flute sounds also intervening in the stanza. As a music lover, all I want is a brief episode of magic in every song and Vayu does that for me along with Stav here. Strangely enough, I felt that the tune had a mild influence on Raag Bhimpalasi and Vayu believes it could just have been unintended. 9. Chirakaarnnu Palavazhaiye How do they just keep producing melodies aty this incredible frequency, I am talking about the Mollywood music industry collectively. This one is composed by Rahul SUbramanianan and sung with that coarse husky tone by Narayani Gopan. The two instrumentalists who immensely impress in the opening stages are bassist Anuraag Rajeev Nayan who is killing it in the background and he also plays the guitars for this one. The other one is a composer I like Sachin Balu who plays the Veena, and wait for the interlude bit, to his proficiency. Arun Alat writes the lyrics and Rahul’s arrangements and programming keep the tone fresh with a tinge of pathos that is also apparent in the vocals. Harishankar V has mixed and mastered the track. 10. Sukoon Last week I mentioned Kashmira Khot the young singer-songwriter who has 3 on 3 of her singles reviewed and featured by me and just like that we have here Neyhal who is a star for the future and just like his 2 earlier singles that both got featured, Sukoon is here to bring a smile to your face. It starts off with some wind instrument magic as Harmish Joshi plays that Clarinet. Neyhal’s vocals are just tranquillity and love encapsulated, and as he sings these beautiful lines that we all can relate to, Meera Desai joins in on the backing vocals adding some beautiful layers. Neyhal writes, sings, composes and plays the guitars, but one cannot quantify the immense contribution of Raag Sethi as he produces, arranges, and also plays the bass guitars. The home of some of India's best music a.k.a. Compass Box Studios is where the magic transpired and got recorded. A brief bridge is introduced where all the drums by Shivang Kapadia come to a halt and only Neyhals voice and guitars guide us through. It is symbolic of the volatile emotions that run through our veins and hearts as we glance at someone we like. This part reminded me very nostalgically of “Papa Kehthe hainâ€?. Kudos to Protyay Chakraborty who does the irreplaceable work of mixing and mastering so many elements and instruments. Neyhal does so well when he alters the notes just a tad to sing Lage sachh tu the second time around. The song simply signs off in memorable and stylish fashion thanks to the clarinet again just like the start.  11. Phase The title of the song is apparently the English words phase, which refers to a period in time, during a feeling of longing for happiness, success or love. I thought the title however was the Hindi word meaning “getting caughtâ€? and since the lyrics come in both English and Hindi and I assumed I was right, because with every second that passed, I was ‘getting caught’ in the song’s web of melody. Sarthak Saksena has written, composed and performed, and his vocals are soft and tender and could just rock you off into sleep. Shahzan Mujeeb has worked on the programming, arrangements as well as mixing and mastering. He does bring some mastery as the Hindi lyrics begin and the percussions take over brilliantly. That is not all, there is a brilliant interlude with a Sitar Solo and it give me vibes of Raag Yamuna Kalyani. The way the song transforms at the end of this interlude like a western Pop is truly scintillating and this where the composer great skill and versatility. Mustafa RK has his contribution in backing vocals and harmonies and he doesn’t miss the target either. The percussion element is the Cajon Box probably along with programmed drums. 12. Zindagi The song is by Goyell Saab Collective and it talks about the pandemic and its lasting impact on humanity. The song has a stylish and cool coloring that mainly oozes from the vocalist’s delivery and attitude. Goyell Saab is the singer and he also has written, and produced this track. The rock styled texture is brought about thanks to Karn Kapoor on drums and Srived Datta on electric guitars. Kunal Kambli is the bassist and he delivers all the oomph non-stop and you can imagine the efficacy of this whole set up when Goyell sings “ koi jeeth na sakeâ€? so casually. The humming too comes off quite well as an extension of the track’s main vibe. 13. Icarus Rushaki Ghosh has written, composed and performed this synth laden and Piano heavy piece and ever since I opened myself up to all styles of music I have appreciated Lo-fi and modern sounds of the electro variety and this song is exemplary in that regard. There are a zillion sounds here and I can only have words of appreciation for Rushaki and Bharg Kale who have produced the track together. They fly high definitely like Icarus towards the sun, but unlike the mythological character, the duo certainly succeeds in reaching higher and higher. The last segment where they sing “That’s what we’ve been told to do, with the Keys, harmonies and all the sounds feels cathartic with a drop of a tear rolling down my cheeks. 14. Entra Adhrushtam Mark K robin produced the best song in India on my list last week with “Reppe Vese Logaâ€? and now he has made it to the list with another out-of-the-box kind of song from the film ‘Mishan Impossible’. He ropes in superstar Haricharan for the male lead vocals and the two do a fabulous job here. It starts off in perfect Reggae or Calypso style with rhythms and bass guitars doing the needful along with the trumpets. Mark composes, arranges and produced the single while also accompanying Haricharan in vocals. Keith Peters is the bassist with David Joseph on drums and Allwyne on percussions. It sounds like a UB 40 song and a good one at that. Mark also plays the Keys and we can hear some excellent interventions on the Harmonica as well. Full marks to creativity! The track is mixed and mastered by Toby and lyrics are penned by Sanapati Bharadwaj. Some of the vocal arrangements and improvised singing is just quite catchy towards the end. 15. Jalwanuma Is it ok to blow my own trumpet? Well fine let me go ahead and still do it. I am quite elated and cautiously proud that Pooja Tiwari, who I rate highly as a singer/ composer, has sung for AR Rahman as the female lead vocalist, but she has featured in my list and my reviews multiple times since 2020 and in fact just last week I reviewed her single amongst the top 5 Indian songs called “Rang Daroongiâ€?. Ok now let me come back to earth, and state this is a fantastic number by the genius, and it has been long overdue. Pooja Tiwari sounds fabulous as she sings it with a mix of tease, sadness and confidence and she sounds nothing like if you hear her talk. I wish Pooja all success from here on in and hope she capitalizes on her big break. The song reminds us and shows fragments of his early works and this has a strong influence on Raag Charukeshi. There is another point I will like to notify here, Sarthak Kalyani who too has been a regular on my lists and reviews does the additional vocals along with Swagat Rathod and the boys easily match up to what is expected of them. Pooja Tiwari blows away in what has to be a golden debut and she has the seasoned Javed Ali on male vocals. The percussion and rhythms are a major component in the success of the song and we have a huge ensemble, comprising Keyur Barve, Satyajit Jamsandekar and Omkar Salunkhe. Satyajot plays the gentle Tabla and heavy Dholak as well, with Ratnadeep Jamsandekar also on Dholak. OMkar and Parag Chhabra conduct the rhythms section and hence a huge round of appreciation to them. I am surprised I am able to write so much considering I have been swooned away by Pooja's high-pitched delivery of the title line. Tapas Roy plays the Bazuki and Mandolin which come to the fore during the interlude but Omkar Dhumal steals the show right towards the end with his Shehnai solo. Be wowed by Pooja's display of vocal range and how she is in the lower scale in the stanza. Chris Jason plays the electric guitar and the technical team is pretty strong as well with Hiral Viradia as the music supervisor, TR Krishna Chetan on mixing along with Pradvay Sivashankar and Pradvay the mastering. The mastering for Apple Digital is done by Riyasdeen Riyan, and the sound engineers are Suresh Permal, Karthik Sekaran, and Aravind Crescendo. Mehboob and Jyoti Nair are the lyricists 16. Try Again SURII is an Indian music composer/producer and he first caught my attention when he featured the singer Sid Sriram called “You’re not aloneâ€?. That totally floored me thanks to some excellent creative vocals by Sid, and to make matters more tempting for the listener it had Shilpa Rao as the female vocalist. This one has endearing and thumping sounds and SURII a.k.a. Surya Giri has written, produced arranged and performed this number. Musicians from Chennai Ashwin Vinayagamoorthy and Sivanesh Natarajan who have been featured multiple times on my website and lists come in with their strong points of mixing this track while Alex Gordon at Abbey Road Studios masters the track. The Chennai duo of Ashwin and Sivanesh are also the recording engineers. SURII’s vocals are mesmerizing, as he goes into falsetto and executes it brilliantly and I am always reminded of Chris Isaak, the American musician who sang “Wicked Gameâ€?. The rhythms are just what the doctor ordered, and the guitars are spectacular and feel like a booster shot to the ears. This is one of the best electro-pop/ dance numbers I have heard in recent times.

This is the week's best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 350 tracks released in the week ending 17th April 2022, I have rated and reviewed the 17 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week, without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country. 1. Reppe Vese Loga It has been a while since Tollywood music really cranked up things a notch, and finally just as I was getting worried, this smashing number came about. Harika Narayan sings like Tina Turner in Golden Eye OST and her vocals are rousing like an Opera performer. The strings are another highlight in the track and Mark K Robin composes and arranges this humdinger. He also plays the rhythms and guitars in the track. Chennai Strings Orchestra blows you away in the interludes with B Yensone conducting it. The orchestration which deserves massive applause is by Antony Karuna and he also mixes for the track. The strings remind me of an Ilaiyaraja song, that is how magnificent the score is. Harika continues to sing and captivate further in the stanza, despite all our attention on the multitude of instruments. The bass guitars mildly accompany and they are played by Naveen Napier. In the far end, you can also hear that solo violin, making you wonder if this is Britney Spears’ “Toxic�. Sai Shravanam does the Stem mixing and mastering and Harika sings Krishna Kanth’s words. This is one wholesome number and anyone who loves an experience of a symphony of live instruments will fall for this track. 2. Isolated There was a time, maybe a few years ago I used to wonder who Papon is! I was raised in the south and to many like me, Ilaiyaraja was the only musician worth even talking about and so singers like Papon were unknown to me. The reason I entered the field of music reviews was to stop being the frog in the well, and then decide on the best in music. After 3 years now I can say with certainty that there is no one like Ilaiyaraja around, but Papon is a fabulous singer and since 2020 I have also enjoyed his compositions and featured many. This is one more of those splendid vocal performances but a lot of the credit must go to Arnab Bashistha who has produced and composed the music. The way the song carries that attitude and coolness of a modern sound, yet when the lines are sung it transforms into a classical rendition. That piece of Sitar introduced in the interlude is so sudden and sounds magical, with Subhankar Hazarika playing. It follows a soft and pop-like harmony and that is why it amuses me even more. The influences seem very much like Raag Bilaval, but upon speaking with the composer I get that it is based on Raag Khamaj and Raag Desh and the Sitar is aided by string arrangements in the background. Kaysee is the female vocalist in the song. The interlude doesn’t stop here, as there is one more moment of magic with Ustad Murad Ali Khan on the Sarangi. The casual yet very committed way of delivering the lines is why Papon shines. The guitars are played by Ishanu and he also produces the track with Arnab. Pankaj Borah does the mix and master and the sound engineers are Pinku Das, Rajbir Singh, with sound design by Debajit Gayan and assisted by Sulagna Handique. The way the Saramgi continues all along in the stanza and in the outro feels like an angel reaching out from a distance. Hiranjit and Anshuman are the lyricists. 3. Holding on to the hope It feels like good old American country music as Rohan Mazumdar sings with his confident vocals and excellent diction. He also plays strongly charming acoustic guitars. Aditya Ashok on drums has complete control of the tempo of the song and it moves and shifts beautifully from slow to catchy. Aditya also joins Bradley Tellis on vocals with Bradley playing the electric guitar. You can hear those minor yet mindful interventions on the electric guitar. It feels amazing to listen to the singing when Rohan sings “Maybe we could get there� and you really want to feel the hope that the band is expressing through the words, vocals guitars and drums. The faster tempo is symbolic of a scenario of rising hope I guess and Adil Kurwa supports adequately on bass guitars. The Colour Compound as the band is called clearly has heightened expectations for me. 4. Intezaar It has been a long wait or Intezaar for Indie music fans to listen to that man Lucky Ali again. In the 1990s when Bollywood music was sticking to a set formula, musicians like Lucky explored out of the box and gave us fresh resplendent music. It is only fair that legends like him get a shot at the indie scene now, and last year I featured his collaboration with Israeli composer Botzer for a song called “Amaraya�. Here we have Lucky and his old time associate Mikey Mcleary giving us a taste of novelty and breaking away from the monotony. This Chennai born NZ musician has been around making waves in Bollywood movies and commercial jingles. Unlike Amaraya which had a mesmerizing and serious tone, Intezaar is like joi-de-vivre. The acoustic and bass guitars are bursting with energy, but I also particularly loved the resonator guitar which has its unique sound in the mix of things. IP Singh and Lucky write, while Mikey produces and composes the track along with Lucky. It is straightforward but the humming bits and the introduction of the Trumpets and vocal harmonies along with a shift in scale do enough magic to keep your attention hooked. It is shocking to hear Lucky sound exactly the way he did and he hasn’t dropped from his A game in the last 30 years. 5. Kahi Katai Songs about the mental state and how humans understand and treat those with mental fatigue and depression are thankfully coming in plenty these days. Apurva Tamang has written, composed and performed this lullaby and I don’t follow a word of what is sung in Nepali here, but I’m in 7th heaven. The title line sung in a slightly higher scale with bass and acoustic guitar sounds galore elevate the sentiment and purpose of the track. This song has a fairly elaborate stanza that keeps you wondering where the trajectory of the scales and notes would lead to. This Darjeeling born musician never lets your interest or mood shift away and when he ends the song, his vocals are soothing like a good hot cup of Darjeeling Tea itself. The songs tone and background flourish feel like “Puthu Mazhaiyai� sung by Shreya Ghoshal and composed by Gopi Sunder. The track is recorded, mixed and mastered by Chandan Tamang, and the video is shot and edited by Aahan Mewang Rai. Aadarshika Hangma is cast in the video 6. Chaand Tare 5 of the 6 musicians in this weeks top 6 are new to my page and list and that makes me feel confident about the abundance of talent and my method and mode of song listening and reviewing. Razik Mujawar impressed me within seconds when I hear this track and it does feel like viewing a starry night on top of that when Razik performs we get a full moon to go along with it. This is the 3rd single in his upcoming EP called ’24’ as Razik writes, sings and composes the splendid tune. Ashish Bajpai showcases his abilities with his musical production and he also does the tedious job of mixing and mastering along with it. Strings start things off but soon we hear a pluck and Razik’s ravishing vocals. The array of sounds from the strings section in the background as Razik sings “Janoon itna Main, hua hai pehli dafa, fills your heart with joy and enchantment. The introduction of the Tabla following this line is unexpected and pleasant. The production tends further to a classical style as the Harmonium is played in the interlude. The arrangements of instruments and vocal harmonies both are quite exquisite and well-timed. The song is co-written by Zorawar Sangha, and the guitars are played by Razik himself. 7. 259 This is a one-man show, as Akash Chopra writes, composes, plays the guitar and performs this manic beauty. The man's voice is like an addictive substance/habit you just can’t stay away from. He sings it all in the lower scales and executes every note with utter mastery. He also does a fine job in the arrangements and programming as we hear a strings section in the background along with Keys all acting as eye-catching garnish. A few months ago I had shared my feedback about his strong vocals, and I am glad I got an opportunity to feature and showcase this number to the world. 8. Muklawa When people over-simplify Punjabi music into something that is redundant and lacking creativity, they are entirely right. Here every week the effort is to pick some of the best of Indian music leaving aside any biases and preconceived notions, and when music like this comes through, I hope listeners can break away from their misconceptions as well. This EP "Ve Geetan Waleya" has a few good numbers but "Muklawa" was my favourite. The Keys are just fabulous, and it is just not that the rhythms are impressive Bir Singh uses elements of the strings and brass section that glorify the experience. You can hear even the upright bass and that is this is like no Punjabi Melody you will hear. Bir has written and composed the music with Gurmohh being the producer and Ranjit being the vocalist. 9. Ee Mazha Barkha We have heard him before sing and perform with noteworthy finesse for young composer and the likes of AR Rahman. It is however a new page when someone goes that extra mile to compose a song, and when I opened the song, I was nervous for Sreekanth Hariharan. Within seconds I felt an easing of pressure with his soothing voice and the tone of the song. Sreekanth and Srinath Nair compose and sing the number which has influences of Raag Kalyani (Carnatic). The Keys and the Konakkol merge well and when the humming also begins the beauty of the Raaga comes to the fore. Srinath Nair sings the Hindi lyrics and that feeling of a moist and flourishing rainy season is created in our imagination. The Malayalam lyrics are written by Sreekanth and he also arranges this initial portion, while Srintha arranges the Hindi portion of the song with lyrics by Avinash Sharma. Srinath impresses with his mild aalaps and it feels like listening to a Hindustani Classical piece in Raag Yaman. Sreekanth captivates you with the stanza like we have known him to do as he also produces the number. Balu Thankachan the expert engineer, mixes and masters the track with Avinash Satish, Sanjai Arakkal as recording engineers. Pavisankar works on the album art and Akash Nath does the lyric video. The outro portion with Sreekanth singing, and Srinath accompanying in the deeper layer in Hindi is memorable. 10. Aapki yaad Saacha Sahib was gold, and it just blew me away, and now the second single from his upcoming EP “Surmayi� is here with not an iota of disappointment from Kanishk Seth. So strangely the song reminds me of “Aapki Aankhon mein Kuch� and the first few notes and the first words of both songs are a 100% match. Maybe that is what I am tempted to say that there is some Raag Kedar influence. The words are from the original poetry by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and they simply go speechless. The song is about remembering your loved one, and when music and lyrics are this wonderful what else can once focus on? Kanishk is at his emotive best in his delivery as the vocalist and he also has produced and composed the tune. It is heartwarming to see a global union of musical talent like Luca Bordonaro on the Clarinet, Steven Stoffels on all Orchestral arrangements and Nicholas Phang as the recording engineer for the vocals. The interlude has apathos-laden solo on the Sarangi by Momin Khan and as it ends we have a brief intervention on the Clarinet leading into the antara, and it follows in the background layer with some excellent backup vocals. Some synth programming is heard as we approach the end, but the live instruments take the cake, who would have thought that the Clarinet and Sarangi would go hand in hand this well. Kanishk has mixed and mastered the track. 11. Saiyara Nikhil Dsouza is to my mind quite under-rated as a musician, as I feel he doesn’t get deserved recognition, following and praise. I have featured his song on at least 5 occasions and he never tends to disappoint me as a music listener. This one is composed and performed by Nikhil and truth be told, my expectations are sky high and so I always end up wanting more from the artist. Nathan Thomas produces this very soft number with Pinky Poonawala as the lyricist. Chinmay Harshe does the mix and master for the song. Thank God for his vocals which are not an imitation of some of the major Hindi Vocalists which has now become a regrettable trend. The pain and passion are both telegraphed effectively when Nikhil sings a love song, and it is dreamy how he lands the falsetto. The guitars and Piano intermittently touch on the emotions of love and gravity and Pink does write these wonderful words that touch a nerve. The use of backup vocals in multiple layers works amazingly. 12. Tum Tejas Gambhir is the front man of the Pune based rock band Amritaansh, and he composes the tunes for them. It is like he continues from where left things off in his previous hit single “Muskuraiye�. The vocals straightaway entice you and some clever harmonies aided by Keyboards makes this song a delightful listen. There is a clear attempt to compose a tune, which is just not mundane, with the line “Aisa lagta hai, mere zindag mein� which is a concatenation of notes you wouldn’t have expected. Tejas improvises vocally t many instances and they all comes off quite well. 13. Here I go I aim to go beyond the obvious geographical lines drawn between states, but sometimes it does feel nice that artists from your own backyard go on t achieve great things. I am a Chennai –bred guy, but when Sanjna Banik from Puducherry sings and composes like this, it brings a smile to my face that you cant wipe off that easy. Singer-songwriters these days are immensely mature and when you hear the words and the intention behind the song you are amused how at such a young age, artists like Sanjna want to talk about some intense philosophies of life. “Here I go� is meant to talk about the vicissitudes of life and how human beings should both stop feeling overtly attached and find a away to move on when plans perish. She writes, composes and performs this wonderful number but Mrityunjay Sathyanarayanan composes the portion on the Piano. Jerry Silvester Vincent plays the Piano and he hits things off from the very beginning. Sanjna carries the gravity of the songs message in her vocals and delivers with great honesty. Jerry’s production is fantastic as we also have a wonderful segment on the strings that kind of possesses you. He has programmed and arranged for the track as well and the quality is there for you to hear. Ishit Kuberkar does the mixing and mastering and Joy Srivastava handles the photography. 14. Museum of Innocence Musicians and artists take inspiration from every object around us, and pain, sadness, break ups are as good triggers as love, joy and success. Javaad Ahmed a.k.a. ‘Judy on the run’ names this song after a book which he bought with his girl who left for someone else a little later. Once can feel his pain through the words and the vocal delivery is a reflection of that anguish as well. As a listener, I am stoked as long as good music emanates from any feeling even thought my heart goes onto him. The Piano is strong and guides the track until the sadness sinks, at which point the song moves into more of an exasperated burst of energies bringing in the electric guitar and higher scaled vocals. Sparsh Jain plays the guitars and also is the music producer but the lyrics and composition credits go to Shaq. Manish das has assisted on guitars and he along with Sparsh join on the vocals in the track. The thumping drums are played by Keshav Chopra, and when all these combine it feels like a rock number by American band ‘Green Day’. Rushik Patel and Sparsh do the mix and master and with Atharva Kamat on album art and Joel Joseph on photography 15. Aakasham His music has been featured before and that too twice on my lists and website before with “Veyil� and “Castle in the Sky�, and they were both gems. Aromal Chekaver is a hot talent in the Malayalam indie space and he is living upto that hype. His vocals are really cool and casual without a hint of strain, and you wish you could keep listening to his voice. Aromal writes, composes, produces and performs in the track. The other highlight is definitely the Nadaswaram interventions by Siva Prasad and at cerrtain segments I could hear some Neelambari Raagam. You can also hear a mild Saxophone in the background and all these sync well with the rhythms. Jay Stellar co-produces the track with all additional arrangements by Nivedh CJ. Amal Mithu plays the guitars and Mahenth MB does the vocal supervision. The track is recorded by Jomon Joseph with Arun K Ramachandran working on mixing and mastering. BM Maheck assists on the mixing and Jijo SV is the musician co-ordinator. 16. Badalon se Vishal Khtari and Dhaval Kothari are flagbearers who really work hard and well to get Gujarati folk and indie music up and running. I have featured them individually before in a few tracks and her we have the combined skill set of both artists giving us a fabulous tune. Dhaval composes and performs while a good mix of guitars, Keyboards and harmonies accompany the vocalist. Vishal does the musical production and arrangements and there is an effort to combine some EDM amd modern Lo-fi sounds with a folkish tune. Unnati Shah just sizzles in her lines in Gujarati as here saccharine oozing voice compliments the soothing Hindi Vocals by Dhaval. Muzzafal M generic is the lyricist and Prasad Maha does the mixing and mastering. Palak Jain does all the artwork while the video is directed and conceptualized by Prachi Arya, with Pritesh Patel as DoP. 17. Last woman on earth Mrunal Shankar a.k.a. Mrunal S Dhole writes and performs this fantasy lyrical wondering how the world would see to the last woman on earth. Dhruvan Moorthy has produced, mixed and mastered the track. She ha skind of done it all, been part of a rock band from Pune, performed as a rapper and shes a singer-songwriter. This song requires some very capable singing and Mrunal is upto the task. She moves between English and Hindi lyrics with consummate ease and it is not only the rapping bits, but the high pitched singing which is where I was impressed. The Keyboard and rhythm programming is also amped up for this high octane number. Some of the lyrics are also nicely penned with thoughtfulness.

This is the week's best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 350 tracks released in the week ending 10th April 2022, I have rated and reviewed the 17 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week, without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country. 1. Payaliya Jhankaar I used to stay away from cover versions of songs and avoid new renditions of golden hits and classics. But that makes no sense, to review a song just because it is called an original. There is always some inspiration and some influence of an olden gem somewhere even in an original. So here is the best song of the week and it tops the charts beating a few others which would have topped the charts any other week. There cannot be a greater moment of pride when your offspring & disciple gives a fantastic rendition of your original composition. Here there are two mind-blowing vocal performers viz. Anjali and Nandini Gaikwad singing the bandish created by their father and Guru Angad Gaikwad. This is a soulful tune set in Raag Puriya Dhanashree, and the Raag itself boasts of a nature that will taunt you and compel you into surrendering to your senses. Kshitij Tarey is the man who re-creates this beauty and what we hear is pure bliss and creativity of the highest order. Modern instrumentals can add a color you never imagined and that is what has happed to this original even Pt. Angad Ji will be proud of. Vinayak Pol blasts away on his drums and Abhishek Dasupta adds function and style with his guitars. The violin solo intervention by Manas Kumar is like the bridge between the traditional and the modern elements of the song. The sisters bring such poise and passion through their voice and the aalap they produce is next to unimaginable in difficulty levels. The track is mixed and mastered by Reena Gilbert and one can imagine the work that has gone into mixing the track with so many elements. Strumm Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Is the music label. Stop read now and just enjoy the magic and thank the heavens that creativity and fusion music continues to carry our gems to the wider listening audience. 2. Theeyanu He is a well-respected and dependable musician in Mollywood and Kollywood and when he shared one of his recent compositions for me to hear, I was thrilled. Most of Jakes Bejoy’s scores have a modern color suiting the tastes of the younger generation, but he never deviates from the core melody, while doing that. This is a mild and teasing melody and he gets one of my favorite vocalists on board in Kapil Kapilan to deliver the lines. The song is produced by Jakes, Alan Joy Mathew and Glady Abrhaham and I have featured Alan multiple times on his forays into indie music. Goutam Vincent starts proceedings on the Melodica, soon enough Godfrey Immnuel’s guitars set the tone and mood. I can only stick to my claim that Kapil is the hottest property now in India amongst all male lead vocalists, and you just need to listen to his singing where he caresses you with his voice. The chorus arrangements are precise and interesting thanks to Amal Anthony Augustine. The stanza is so unpredictable as the trajectory of the notes is like nothing that you can foresee and it is a huge compliment to Jakes’ skill. Napier Naveen plays the bass guitars, and Joe Paul is the lyricist. The line “Ethethan Thottam, Aarum thannalum� is an exhibition of A-grade singing. The song ends on a beautiful pacified note with the Keys. The track Is mixed by Sujith Hyder Thaha and mastered by Pradeep with recording engineer Midhun Manoj. 3. Saiyan More We are amidst greatness, with another genius Purbayan Chatterjee at the helm now composing a thumri in the classical-rock fusion genre. This is set in Raag Charukeshi which is one of those scales which has an innate sadness attached to it. The Sitar played by Purbayan replaces the electric guitar in the usual rock performances and Anusha Mani is the vocalist. Purbayan’s finger dexterity is awe-inspiring and the tempo is maintained by Darshan Doshi on drums and Ishaan Ghosh on Tabla, especially you will enjoy Ishaan’s mastery in the stanza after a massive drop in pace from that we heard in the interlude. Nakul Chugh can be heard playing the Keyboards behind the low scale vocals of Anusha. Can you imagine it is the same person who sang catchy fast pop tunes like “Nafarmani� and “Hua Mera� released in the last year or so. It is a testament to her prowess and diverse skill. Priyani Vani is the lyricist and Megha Rawooot and Joy Sengupta handle videography. 4. Tera Uthke Yoon Here we have duo who simply were one of the best composers/producers in 2021 giving a smash melody every couple of months and each and every one of these slow numbers made a steady and saccharine impact on our hearts. Aabhas and Shreyas Joshi have composed the music for this web-series called ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’. They continue the trand of creating pathos-laden gems and who better to emote it than Rekha Bharadwaj as the lead vocalist. The Keys play slowly to give context to the emotion but the strings in the background add depth and gravity. The aalap and the way Rekha holds the breath for a few more seconds than you would expect all work so well in conveying the message just like Ravi’s solid words. Every element speaks volumes about the helplessness and vulnerability seeing the metaphorical ‘forbidden fruit’. The song gives you pain that you want to experience time and again! 5. Rang Daroongi Festivals in India are not just about celebration and family gatherings, but also about music and dance. New releases around such events always start rising and Holi is definitely one of them. Here comes one of my favorites Pooja Tiwari who is not just a fabulous singer but also a talented composer. I have featured her multiple times and almost every time she releases a new single it gets featured. Her precocious skill comes out in the refurbished rendition of an old folk song based on Raag Pilu (Kaapi in Carnatic) as she adds a R&B style instrumental arrangement and production. The original is by Ustad Gulshan Bharti but the strong bass guitars and rhythm influences make the song sound uber cool. Bhargav Gandhi works on the production and Advaitham works on the additional production work. The Harmonium along with the bass guitars is something we rarely hear in the same audio output and IM blown away by the creativity. A lot of rhythms follow a Latin Jazz style. The interlude on the Sitar is inspiring and it is so easy to focus on all these elements even though Pooja is simply at her flowy best delivering the lines, making improvised vibrato. She is destined for higher and better things and as we read this Pooja is already makes with the best in Bollywood music. Alena Darmel has worked on the video 6. Canvas Young musicians are fearless and when they have their sight set on the prize, they go straight for it. That can never be misunderstood as haughtiness and this applies perfectly to Kashmira Khot. She now scores a hat-trick with 3 releases and all 3 being featured among the nation’s best music. It is no ordinary feat considering the competition she is facing. What is even more amazing is that ever since her debut single, I have been rising the bar and she just crosses it with great comfort. This one is written, composed and sung by Kashmira and she oozes confidence and quality in each of these aspects. Adity Gopalakrishnan joins the bandwagon with his guitars and drums and he also plays the strings. The composition and arrangements are not run-of –the-mill and it is this intent to create something fresh that sets Kashmira apart. The joy of live instruments shows up in every note and corner her as Ojas Bangale plays the bass guitars, as well as Organ and Piano. We can also hear a layer of background vocals well arranged. There is a short solo on the electric guitar by Aditya and what follows is a terrific detour of notes in the most unexpected fashion singing “Say that you can’t erase�. Aditya has produced, mixed and mastered the track and Canvas is that single which paints a different picture in every listener’s heart. 7. Knight in Shining Armour Klanjan Borah, I’m hearing him for the first time, and this was like a bashing baptism. The song moved from strength to strength as the string guitars, harmonies act as base for Klanjan’s vocals. The singing style kind of felt like a Calypso to me as Klanjan writes, produces and performs this energetic and breezy number. The humming just lets the hearts soar with Klanjan showing immaculate control and his vocals. Kalvin Sinam on bass and Sanket Pahurkar on drums simply elevate the song and stay true to its intent to lighten and inspire the mood. The way he sings “ I…. will always be true� just is an icing on an already delicious cake. Manish Bal and Sashank Sahu are the recording engineers and with Vivek Thomas working on mixing and mastering, Klanjan does all the additional mastering. Vidhi Maheshwaro does the choreography with the Teen Hearts as the cast members comprising of Kimmy, Pranjal, Zillie, Kassi, Bisola and Evelyn. 8. Udhero Na When I listened and picked this song for the week, she was just nominated, but by the time this article is getting published, Arooj Aftab becomes first ever Pakistani Grammy awardee for Best Global Performance. This was a song created back in 2005 but unreleased, and thankfully it finally found the light of day. The project is features Indians artists and half sisters Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones on the Sitar. The vocals are deep and create a feeling of mystery as Arooj sings in the lower scales. The sitar interventions are apt and to compliment the pathos in Arooj’s voice the instrumentals add some life and joy, so the combination works well. Arooj has produced, composed, written, sung, and arranged for the track. There is also that mild and delightful Harp being played by Maeve Gilchrist and he also plays the Snyth bass. Around the second minute mark the Sitar interludes soud more like Raag Bhimpalasi to me and are just a celebration of great music and life itself for a good minute. She sings ‘Udhero Na’, apparently meaning ‘Please Undo’, but how can this magic and impact of the song ever be undone? There are also bits of the Flugelhorn played by Nadje Noordhuis right at the start of the song. Joshua Valleau has mixed and Damon Whittemore has mastered the track. Petros Klampanis has worked with Arooj on the arrangements. 9. Bill Hilly & Fools will learn This 3 piece Bengaluru based band simply brought me back the good old days of simple, soulful and stunning all at the same time. I really wished I was a guitarist so that I could do this kind of magic and impress people. Anirudh Ravi plays the guitars and sings like he’s walking on the clouds. I can understand and see that it is not easy at all to sing at this break-neck speed and still hit every note perfectly. The whole EP “Rooftops� is probably named so, because the brand of music is simple without any massive complex apparatus needed like how it could be performed on a rooftop. Abheet Anand plays the bass guitars and Bharath Kasyap accompanies on acoustic guitars. The writing is so funny and impressive and that deserves a special mention as well. The best track for me was ‘Fools will learn’, which had a strong and witty messaging snuck into the lyrics. The melody element was rich in this song and interplay of acoustic and bass guitars was more evident and creative here than any other song of the EP. I still strong recommend everyone to check out the EP, especially guitarists and those wanting to get some attention and love! 10. Dhom Thana Aditi Bhavaraju is experimental purely because she not only sings in mainstream Tollywood, but she keeps the listeners engaged wither indie projects. This is her vocal endeavor for the musical score by Achu Rajamani. He also does all the programming and there is that fine introduction of the rhythms, sounding like the thavil, which is proof of the quality of programming. The harmonies and Kazoo also are well interlaced in the interlude with Achu also on backing vocals. Kadali is the lyricist and all the mixing and mastering is done by Ijaz Ahamed. Aditi’s singing is of the highest order with she executing the high scale segment with splendid ease. RR Dhruvan another noted composer does the vocal supervision in this song produced by Neptunes Music. 11. So Late so soon Alan Emmanuel Ebenezer a.k.a. Alan Ebe is a singer songwriter based in the UAE and he plays the guitar for a Dubai-based band called F.I.S.H , and although I have heard some of his songs before this one was screaming for a review in front of my eyes and ears. The song had straightaway taken me to Savage Garden’s “The Animal Song�. The singing along with the guitars is top-notch, but the drums and humming elevate the song. The rhythm and overall arrangements deserve an applause, as I love how the background elements take a breather when Alan Ebe sings “How did it get so late so soon�. Allan Samuel Vetha and Aaron Dev Sherlin and Alan produce the track with Allan also doing the mixing and mastering. Serena Joseph does the artwork and Richie Roberts does the digitization. This is a fresh sounding number that deserves your time. The lovely write up is by Neelima Menon, while the description of the song to press and others is by Shreyaa Lakhminarayanan. 12. Guzarish I have featured them before and absolutely loved it so much that the single was the number 1 song in India for that week for a song called “Sanware�. There is no stopping this composer duo of Garvit-Priyansh and they tunnel through the charts with another fusion number that is bound to steal your hearts. The core melody of a song determines everything else that that song goes on to achieve, and that is precisely what Garvit Soni and Priyansh Srivastava understand and execute to perfection. The Piano at the start creates bliss and sets up the stage for what follows. Priyansh and Garvit serenade us with their vocals, without ever overdoing any portions and Garvit produces the track from start to finish. If ‘Sanware’ was slightly more tilted towards a classical side, his single promises to be a mix of pop and some fragments of classical music. The aalap in the interlude is followed by guitars, drums and the flute, with guitars played by Priyansh, and he also writes these lyrics about continuing on your desired path in life. The lovely artwork is by Rhea Suhag and Abhinandan Bhargava does the video. 13. Ilaveyilolo Nee enn Dr Sunil VT has composed this melody and thanks to Samson Silva’s arrangements, the first minute of the song itself has so much to offer in terms of live instrumentals. Anil Govind’s Flute and Soundara Rajan’s Veena solos make way for KS Harishankar to met our hearts away with that voice. Abin Sagar plays the acoustic guitar and Jackson Jacob is on the bass. Renju S Mosses is on the percussion. The song slowly progresses into somber mode in the charanam with apt lyrics by Dr. Sheeja Vakkom. Harikrishnan R does the mixing and Shadaab Rayeen does the mastering. To me the Veena, Bass guitars and Flute interventions stand out the most. 14. Home July 19 – Hmm not a specific date that I should remember, just a wonderful song title that impressed me so much that I have been looking forward to this singer-songwriter’s next release. Well wait no more, it is here! This Piano-predominant single called ‘Home’ does live up to if not surpass my expectations. Shweta Srivastava stuns you with her vocals and composition. The writing is something that anyone will relate to when you hear it and adds to the likability of the track. The production is clearly the work of Keyboardist/Producer Himonshu Parikh who is one of the main hubs of the wheel called “The Yellow Diary�. The rhythms and synths/keyboards add a texture to the song that reminds me of “Dreams� by Fleetwood Mac. Faraz Haider plays the guitars while AJinkya Dhapare does the mixing and mastering. The album art picture is clicked by Soham Joshi and designed by Neha Rustagi. I could be off and I don’t see if the composer intended it, but I definitely feel a striking resemblance to Raag Hamsadhwani. 15. Freightliner A two-piece rock ensemble come and just move fast and break things, and it sounds like “Dire Straits� performing. Shantanu Shende is the man behind those tantalizing vocals and guitars while the smooth and savvy bass guitars are played by Manas Pimpalkhare. The song if you pay attention has sounds of bikes and trucks on the road and it is apparently the duo’s dedication to such road movies of the 1960s and 70s. Shantanu writes, sings, produces and records the track as well and the do have Harsh Kumbhar to thank for the cinematography. The electric guitar and bass guitar tussle is one to cherish and when you hear the songs tonality feels like “Sweet Home Alabama� as well. The electric guitar solo after the 3-minute mark sets the stereo on fire. The song has some nice harmonies executed and arranged. 16.Run This is a pop number that reminds me of my days as a student in the US back in 2002. These were the days when Avril Lavigne and Vanessa Carlton were scoring and singing great and popular tunes. Priyanka Nath sings, writes this very nostalgic number and her singing is probably even inspired by these stars. I especially love the lines when she delivers “It’s such a shame, what we could’ve been, but you chose to run, from the things we could’ve done�. Sidharth Bendi has mixed, mastered and produced the track. The guitars are played by Sunny Ebenezer and Chris Anderson is on bass guitars. The harmonies in the background also complement well.

This is the week's best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 350 tracks released in the week ending 3rd April 2022, I have rated and reviewed the 17 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week, without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country. 1. Love Safari Rarely do songs impress you so much that they make you go crazy about it. It is all you can keep playing on your mind and you wait for the first excuse to play them with your headphones. ‘Love Safari’ is right smack at the center of that category and I knew it is going to end up being the best track of the week across the nation. Job Kurian is the man for the job, literally as well and he is in full control of the vocal delivery like he can do no wrong. The emotive singing at the beginning and the swaras he sings in the interlude just feels like a gift from God. Turning to the composer Kiran Jose deserves a huge round of applause for creating, composing, writing, arranging and programming this little wonder. It has come influences of Raag Durbarikanada and Kiran makes this song so worthy that it will find a place among gems for 2022 for sure. The Guitarlele is playing in the background and Arun Krishna not only does that, as he plays the guitars, and plays and arranges the bass guitars as well. The intervention on the saxophone is like an icing on this marvelous cake and it is played Nikhil Ram who we know as a flautist. Subin Kumar plays the Violin while Paachu is on the Tabla and Shree Shankar handles the Melodyne. Shree also has mixed and mastered the track. The highlight of the track is that interlude bit where the song deviates from just be a romantic slow melody into a qawwali, all this shows the skill of the composer. 2. Rongo Koro na This one is a very close second and it would have topped the charts on any other week, if not for ‘Love Safari’ at number 1. The Baul genre of folk music is very addictive and meditative style of music and when you hear someone like Raju Das Baul sing it you will go into trance. I have lost a sense of myself and just kept moving my head every time I play the song. The guitarist Ritaprabha Ray has produced, arranged and of-course played the guitars for this masterpiece. It is written by Ray Kedar with mixing and mastering duties performed by Rhitabrata Kar and all the lovely calligraphy and artwork done by Joyjeeta Bose. The rhythm and percussion right at the beginning along with the guitars possess you and whe you hear Raju sings these lines I feel like all the great miseries of life have vanished. Cizzy just intervenes writing and singing the rap portion and how well it conjoins with the rest of the song. This is an exemplary bit of how Rap should sound, considering all the poor Hip-Hop we hear in the name of expletives and womanizing we hear from many famed celebrity artists. The guitars and all te keyboard programming come together in the background with Cizzy asking you to “Awaaz koro na�. There is some clear influence of Raag Sindhubhairavi ( Asavari in Hindustani). The video is well shot as well with Joydeep Das on cinematography and Rahul Guha on editing and direction. Ritaprabha and Amita Ray produce the video as well. 3. Cicada Anju is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from the US and this song is a number of years of work, planning and creativity and we should be thankful that it has finally seen the light of day. Anju has written, sung, composed and done the string arrangements for this. But she claims she has waited long for this dream team to assemble and Atlas Finch has co-produced and worked on the instrumentation while Leonardo Vásquez Chácon plays the Viola. Within seconds you know the work that has gone into a song, and the guitars and other instrumentation entice you. To make matters worse for you if you were already distracted by the song is that Anju now begins to vocalize and you just need to surrender. Like she says in the song “you linger in my lungs�, this is deeply romantic and also holds true of the effect she creates with her voice, as it lingers in our eardrums. The bass guitars add so much meat even as Anju takes a pause and breath between lines. John Mark Nelson does the mixing while Alec Ness handles the mastering. Lily Xie does all the artwork and this project is symbolic of global music and artistic talent coming together. Anju explores her higher vocal scales and the way she hits the falsetto is like a tough gymnastic move and she lands perfectly. The Viola by Leonardo adds that layer of pathos and gravity and you cannot afford to miss a second of what happens in the audio. Closer to the 4th minute is when we first hear some rhythmic intervention on drums and the instrumental arrangements are truly world class. Cicada the large insect can never be ignored as it will make its presence felt with its massive sounds, just like that Anju and the team have created a number here that can just not be ignored! 4. Theera Nadhi Dhibu Ninan Thomas can do no wrong. At the moment. Here he scores music for the movie “Nadhi� and he gets two dependable performers in Kapil Kapilan and Srinisha Jayaseelan as lead vocalists. The brilliant flute intervention between the lines “Jal jal kolusoli� is Dhibu showcasing his talent and it is played by Nikhil Ram in a teasing fashion. Dhibu composes, programs and arranges as always but this time is with the words of Thamarai. Listen to the savvy Shehnai by Pt. S Ballesh and you will least expect it amidst all the synths and keyboard programming. Keba Jeremiah plays the guitars and plucked strings as well. This segment feels a lot like listening to “Kabeera� by Pritam. The momentum suddenly drops as Srinisha sings and it is only Keba accompanying on guitars and then we are back to a hearing some more catchy lines including one of the best lines of the song in “Theerathathe nam vazhvu thane�. Avinash Sathish and Hariharan are the recording engineers and we have Balu Thankachan mixing and Shadab Rayeen on mastering duties. 5. Zama There is a compromise to quality and hard work, and it reflects in the output. Maybe not in likes, trends and shares but it makes you heart grow fonder when a magician is at work. Here we are talking about composer/producer Meghdeep Bose as he produces this album “Main Tera� by Azaan Sami Khan which has close to 10 songs. He has got pedigree being the son of Adnan Sami but he doesn’t rest on those laurels. Azaan is a celebrity performer in Pakistan and surely carries a voice that you can connect with. I loved this song the most and it immediately made an impact on me. The composition, lyrics and vocals are by Azaan Sami, while Music is by Meghdeep. Zaland Khan is the original lyricist for this beauty, but I wish I understood the meaning of these lovely words. The song has some astounding rhythm thanks to Arun Solanki who has performed percussions. Meghdeep dazzles on the acoustic, bass guitars and all modular synths. The texture is so Middle Eastern owing to the Strings, Woodwinds and Brass all performed by the Turkish Orchestra in Istanbul. This too feels so nice as it is a collaboration of musical talents across nervous and tense political and geographical borders. Hanish Taneja does the mixing and mastering. The interlude is a symphony with the woodwinds first followed by Strings and I feel like Alice in Wonderland. Azaan in the stanza elevates his scale and sounds so fresh and authentic. 6. Dhaage I listen to around 400 songs a week, and if I have to make time amidst my life, profession etc. I have to keep my headphones on during most of my activities. So during one of my recent sessions I keep listening but showed no great interest to some of the mediocre music that was playing. I knew somewhere in the list that there was this new composition by Anurag, but my playlist was on shuffle. The moment this song started played I somehow guessed from the instrumentation and humming and just the feeling that the song created, that it had to be “Dhaage�. I communicated this story to Anurag telling him it was a huge compliment to his brand of music. To me “Khwaab� was a tad more special but this song is not too far off as it has elements that I cherished every time I played it. The humming for starters is pensive and the synth programming is just splendid. Vaibhav Pani a producer and guitarist who has appeared many times on my lists has played a huge role in the output of this song. He has played the guitars and produced the track bringing it to a standard that Anurag’s composition and vocals deserve. Anurag has also written the lyrics with Alok Ranjan Srivastava who provided additional lyrical inputs. The way the notes move and the way Anurag sings “Baaton hi, Baaton mein� is just pure delight for the ears. When I hear “Banaate hai Dhaage� being sung at that higher scale I obtain answers to the question “Why do I even like to do music reviews�. Anurag tells me that he composed this with an intention to explore his own vocal range and feel in shift in energies not tested in some of his earlier compositions. It is a Win-Win for the musician and the music lover! Vaibhav Pani has mixed and mastered the track. It is also a lovely video with Ashish Langade working on Cinematography, Bijoya Mukherji on Screenplay and Rishi Agarwal on Editing. 7. Feels like eternity ‘Catch em young’, they say when you want raw talent and nurture it we end up witnessing the growth of something marvellous. This Mumbai bred singer/songwriter Ruhdabeh learnt music at a very tender age and apparently started writing songs since she was 12. She has self-taught to play the Guitar, Ukulele and even the Piano and that is why is her debut EP �Of Dissonance and Peace� she goes solo and does everything by herself. When I listened to the work there were a couple that really impressed with ‘Feels like Eternity’ being my top pick. Ruhdabeh, has written, composed, arranged, performed, mixed, mastered and recorded all at her home studio. The Keys start things off and Ruhdabeh sings with such eloquence and control hitting every note with poise and perfection. The arrangements of the Strings in the background do wonders to the feeling of the song and truth be told I was dreaming of that song that plays in the concentration camps shown in the movie “Life is Beautiful� giving me all the positivity and strength to carry on with life, unnerved by externalities. 8. Akhiyaan Laiyaan It sounds to me like this splendid number is based on Raag Charukeshi and the elaborate symphony of instruments nail the opening. Dr. Jaspinder Narula is performing at the heights of her powers, producing mild vibrato at will that is sure to kill! Kamran Akhtar has done the music with lyrics by Lt. Ustad Shaukat Manzoor. The Harmonium is played to such great effect, but it is amazing how the electric guitar comes into fray in the second interlude and blows you away. The song’s Executive Producer is Amirr Roshan Nadiadwala with Pramod Kaul as the director. The way the Harmonium and Tabla come together along with Jaspinder’s vocals is just bliss. 9. Teri Baatein Hi Jazim Sharma needs no introduction, as he if one of the finest classical/semi-classical vocalists around and his involvement in projects, ensures there is a reinvigorated spirit and liking for Indian Classical Ragas, but since it is presented with a flavor of modern sounds and tonality it just gets a better acceptance among all demographic Category of listeners. This one is apparently set in Raag Mishra Darbari and Yogesh Rairikar is the composer for this number. Arbaz Khan is scintillating on guitars and Mir Desai oversees the whole project with his production. The original lyrics are by Poet Ahmad Faraz. Ghazal music sounds so delectable with Keys, guitars and drums in the background replacing the harmonium and Tabla. This is where Yogesh exhibits his skill as a composer, as we also a get a brief intervention on electric guitars. All this ornamentation adds beauty but the core strength is the tune and singing. Rakesh Munjariya has mixed and mastered the track with Manvir Kalsi as Project Manager and Kirpal Sain as Director. The outro has a nice harmony portion in the background along with Jazim’s classical aalap as well. 10. Feel How brilliantly this song has been titled! I feel so much when listening to this, a plethora of emotions ranging from hope to despair, love to disdain, and joy to pathos and it is because of the way Yasmine Gill delivers these lines. She is this Italian/Canadian Soul/R&B/Jazz artist but she has an Indian surname. So let us leave aside all that and stop getting confused because none of it matters anyway. Especially when you can write, compose and sing like this! David Vondermort plays the keys teasingly along with Hanzo on drums tapping the hi-hat. Collin Steinz adds every element of funkiness on the bass guitars but David Fischer on Organ creates fresh new perspective of the song. It creates a gateway for the song to deviate from being branded purely as Soul or R&B and even maybe pushes into a genre of Gospel. Fox Graham plays the guitars and the whole project assumes a fantastic form and shape thanks to the production of Andreas Kolakoudakis and he also mixes & masters the track. This song should be what a young aspiring singer should listen to and practice along to attain better vocal strength and stability. 11. Noor Elahi I chanced upon this EP by Rishab Nair and it truly has some outstanding music, and I especially loved “hey Daata� and “Noor Elahi� the most. Vedanth Bharadwaj is the vocalist for the latter and he has this thumping voice that doesn’t let your attention drift even briefly. Rishab gets on board some excellent musicians and singers and it is the collective brilliance of one and all that shines through. The music score and lyrics are by Rishab and although I had a hunch that there were influences Raag Khamaj or even some of Raag Dwijavanthi, Rishab tells me the influence is of Raag Kalyani. The strings in the background catch my attention but then it is the tantalizing drums by Sai Hruday Pidatala and John Paul Frappier on the Trumpet who completely turn the tables upside down on this composition. The Keys provide the perfect medium for tranquility because after that mild interlude the songs energy shifts especially with Vedanth moving to the higher scales. There is a strong chorus team comprising of Sarang Pathak, Omkar Ingale, Rahul Ghoderao, Riddhi Joshi, Siddhi Joshi, Hemant Jawale, Narayani Jawale, Ayushi Shukla, Shreya Reddy & Pratik Rajankar. The use of the Tabla and Dholak by KR Mahadevan, creates a rustic flavor amidst the trumpets in the background. The second interlude past the second minute is just a piece for John Paul to showcase his skill and Rishab maneuvers well to get the track from a Jazz set up to a Classical tone. 12. Russeya Na Kar This is some splendid electronic pop in Punjabi, the kind that will compel you to listen on loop and make you sing if you don’t understand a word. Azaad’s voice is mesmerizing and he almost casts a spell on you and Tasho is the music director with this tune showing glimpses of Raag Yamuna Kalyani according to my limited knowledge. The line especially “Saare zindagi mein tere naal� gave me this indication, although it also sounds like that smashing hit from Coke Studio Season 14 number called “Tu Jhoom� which is apparently set in Raag Pahadi. This song takes you on a high like a chant that won’t leave your mind, and despite all the fancy rhythms and sounds the melody is strong. There is a nice interlude on the Keyboards and Noshrain will take credits for the additional arrangements along with major portions done by Tasho. Azaad delivers the song like he is on penance and he also writes the lyrics. Suyash Singh and Yograj Singh do the mix and master. The project is directed by Karan Maini. 13. Tu The song is a slow melody that is all about the guitars and hence the arrangements bear a huge say on how the song sounds and feels. Amitrabh Barooa and Siddharth Barooa do the arrangements and this gets the guitars and drums and to go ahead in tandem. Simanta Choudhury plays the drums and the Barooa duo work on the mixing and mastering. The portion with the electric guitar solo closer to end of the song is wonderful and shows quite a bit of dexterity on the fingers. The song is written, composed and sung by Aditya Goenka and he also has worked on the arrangements. Rishi Paullah and Pritisha Borthakur are the executive producers, with Priyom Borah as the Production head. 14. Memories This is a rock ballad that one can feel happy and proud of to sing along, play and claim that we have something of our own after listening to some of the great numbers like “Unforgiven� by Metallica and “November Rain� GNR and so on. Anish Nair writes, composes and performs with a deep sense of gravity and passion and the one hearing it will get sucked into the number. I even feel like I’m listening to a bit of “Blackhole Sun’ by Soundgarden, just that this is softer and calmer. Gunjan Soral has produced the track. The voice of Anish and his delivery is exemplary. The energy that the drums build up at different phases of the song is just about perfect and the arrangements of the electric guitars is done so as to not take away any attention from the vocals except that solid solo right at the end. 15. Kahaani I listened to this number and remember telling myself this has to be based on Raag Puriya Dhanasree, then when I had a little chat appreciating Santanu on his score, he told me that it is actually Raag Basant but it is close in structure to my original guess. The song is brilliant delivered by Anirban Chowdhury and if the song is in itself an A in grade, Anirban’s singing and vocal purity makes it an A+. Santanu Ghatak has written, composed this stunning beauty as it reminds me of some od Maestro Ilaiyaraja’s songs like “Andhi Mazhai Pozhigirathu� & “Piraiye Piraiye�. Akshay Menon is the producer and the track is mixed and mastered by Shivam Gupta. The instrumental arrangements, a small solo on the flute and rhythm programming all keep the song fresh despite being a very popular Raga. Rupjit Das has recorded the track, with Chitrangada Satarupa capturing the frames, featuring Kallirroi Tziafeta. 16. Chekele This Delhi based singer-songwriter, Asish Zachariah, takes an old and famous folk song from Malayalam, and presents it on a platter with some exotic garnishes. The song is a modern rendition with heavy synth and keyboard and rhythm programming. I have always maintained that it is good to have such versions to promote and popularize an older gem. The Keyboards are fabulous and it befits a situation with you driving fast and the audio system playing it in full blast and windows rolled down, feeling the wind on your hair and cheeks. 17. Better Subhi has been featured before on this website and I am proud to say that her music has appeared her. She is a singer-songwriter of Indian origin but residing in the USA, who has tried multiple things at music and theatre. Subhi has composed music for Indian movies and series and has been a winner for Chicago City’s musical grants presented to talented musical artists. This song is just a reflection all that she is and there is now amusement when I hear her vocals because she is expected to do that being a trained Hindustani singer, but what is fabulous is that 180-degree shift is style that western pop demands and yet she delivers with better than a 100%. ‘Better’ is written by Subhi and Natania Lalwani who she has worked with before and here the duo write the lyrics with Chris Wright composing and producing the song. The song is about what makes us better every day, well good music especially that unites people, makes me better every day! The guitars tempt me so much that I wish I learnt playing it back in my childhood. The synths jog in as Subhi starts singing “You know me better than I know myself�. Ideally the rhythm and the tone of the song is not one of a romantic love track, but it’s a wonder how Subhi, Natania and Chris have achieved it with their words and melody. Kudos to Subhi as her vocals generate an emotional connect and I immediately picture my partner and wife when I hear it.

This is the week's best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 350 tracks released in the week ending 27th March 2022, I have rated and reviewed the 15 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week, without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country. 1. Kabhi mai Kabhi tum I listened to this song and I was blown away, and very rarely do I straightaway allocate the number 1 position for the week, but this time it was inevitable. As I did my research I figured that this was a Pakistani production with all performers hailing from our neighbor country. Should that stop me from publishing it in this week's list? As a policy, I have been reviewing the best songs by Indians inside India or living abroad or even musicians outside but of Indian descent. Since this song was a part of one of Spotify India’s playlists I am going to go ahead and review this magical number, as music breaks all boundaries, clichéd but true. I tried to dig deeper but couldn't make much headway into the full song credits. The plucked instrument used in the beginning is delightful and soothing just like Asim Azhar’s voice. The string section that joins in the background along with the title line is what raises the quality. Asim along with Hassan Ali write the song with Qasim Azhar producing it. The way the song transforms into Sufi-styled Tabla and Harmonium is magic in the interlude. The stanza is just more exhibition of Asim’s vocal strength with bass guitars and a solo flute in the background. I hear a faint resemblance to Pritam’s splendid “Shayad� sung by Arijit Singh. 2. Bindiya Le gayi, Tere Dar se & Le chali Taqdeer This one weekly list will never be enough to praise this superb work by Rahul Deshpande, the grandson of Vasantrao Deshpande ji. The movie on the eminent Classical vocalist is releasing this week and his own grandson has played the role on screen, and composed and sung in the album. I'll be making a special post on all 22 songs, the Raag influences and the impeccable singing and arrangements in every piece. For now here are the 3 favourite numbers Bindiya Le Gayi sung by Priyanka Barve, Tere Dar se sung by Himani Kapoor, Rahul himself and Le Chali Taqdeer sung by Rahul. Bindiya Le Gayi is set in Raag Pilu (Kaapi in Carnatic) and here Priyanka shines in this original delivered by Vasantaro ji. The Esraj is a constant companion played by Arshad Khan and Prashant Sonagra plays the Tabla to set the perfect rhythm. Priyanka is so effective with her aalap, her creative vibrato and her improvisations. Listen to the strings, Sitar, bass guitars and flute all accompanying in style. The second song I love is Tere Dar se sung by Himani Kapoor set in Raag Yaman. The Sitar is like the second hero in the track and it nicely reminds me of AR Rahman’s “Ae hairathe�. The Tabla and Harmonium adds that classical color to the song. The second stanza has Rahul joining in on the vocals with some elaborate aalap. Le Chali Taqdeer is the final recommendation from the album and it is set in Raag Khamaj. Rahul has composed and sung with assistance from Bhushan Mate and Sarang Kulkarni. Mayuresh Wagh has penned the lyrics while Sourav Roy has arranged and programmed for the track. The strings section we hear in all the songs of the album is thanks to Macedonia Strings, and here too we have a splendid interlude aided by Varad Kathapurkar on the flute. The guitar plays all along romanticizing the number with Sanjoy Das as the protagonist. Vijay Dalal has recorded and mixed with assistance on recording from Chinmay Mestry, Tushar Pandit, Ishaan Devasthali and Adwait Walujkar 3. Fakeeri Its Himani Kapoor again, what a week she is having! This is in an indie project singing for Rimi Dhar's score. The vocal texture is very similar to that of a Kavita Seth, something we don’t hear often. It is paradise when she sings the title line and hearing the Tabla you cant stop tapping your feet. I listen to these lines and maybe there is an influence of Raag Khamaj, because there is a connection to that song “Mitwa� by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The interlude is a solo on the Harmonium by Kumar Satyam and some sorcery on the Tabla by Aqid Husain Khan Niyazi. It is that man Sanjoy Das again on the electric guitars leading us into the Antara. The stanza starts off in a Indian classical fashion, but the second half is a very unexpected Western classical sort of a tone which is why the score is great. Saaveri Verma writes the words, and Sanjoy sizzles all along in the background. The track is mixed and mastered by Dipesh Sharma Batalvi. Vanikki Tyagi is the creative and executive producer and this one fabulous project with women artists all the through. It is so enriching to see a woman composer helm the role and score so well, and I cant wait for Rimi's forthcoming projects. 4. Narazgi I do know that the music coming out of a Rajat Nagpal score or production has to be good, and thank God it is. Just listen to his previous song called “Dil Ka Gehna� and you will know what I mean. Neha Kakkar impresses me with this melody unlike the plethora of run-of-the-mill Punjabi numbers she releases. The most satisfying fact for me now is that number 3 and 4 are two amazing numbers, both are composed by women. Girl Power! Sonal Pradhan has written and composed the song set in Raag Yaman, and once again kudos to Rajat for promoting great young talent. You would think this is an English soft pop number when it starts with the vocals and Shomu Seal’s guitars, but wait for the transformation. I just love the lines written filled with love, the female lead asking these questions to her lover. The wonderful percussions are played by Dipesh Varma while the traditional Dholak and Tabla are played by Babbu Saral. The Tabla with the bass guitars is a fine combination, and Neha's savvy singing is just the perfect choice for delivering this. Rajat has arranged, mixed and programmed the track. Shomu’s acoustic guitar intervention in the antara is just what piques our interest further. The track is recorded by Rahul Sharma with assistance from Samir Dharap. 5. Nira Ravil A Malayalam number is bound to always make it to the top 6 every week on my listing and here it is from KR Rahul's composition for this week. The song immediately resonates of Raag Reethigowla and it is refreshing to hear Akbar Khans voice, from a novelty standpoint and a few more solid reasons as well. The solo flute by Biju Kottayam and Kottayam Strings make a grand start to the number. It is the bass guitar by Sumesh Parameshwar and blissful voice of Akbar that drive us forward despite there being a zillion songs based on this Raag. The opening lines somehow remind of the stanza of Ilaiyaraja’s “Guruvayurappa�. The interlude is loaded with a few more live instruments as OK Gopi plays the Nadaswaram, and Balakrishna Kammath plays the Mridangam. The other traditional percussions like Thavil, Ghatam and Kanjira are played by Thrippunithura Sreekumar. After all this that has transpired in the song, the legendary KS Chitra then starts singing and how on earth does she still sound this good, does age never affect a few? Sumesh is stunning on acoustic and bass guitars and all the functions and funk will make you fall in love with the music. The Kottayam Strings comprising of Violinists Mathews P John, Subinkumar A S, Sasikumar A,Danny John,Shyjo Mathew, Vinod Jacob and Violas played by Subinkumar A S, Danny John, Shyjo Mathew completely make your heart get attached to their strings and you just are puppet dancing to their tunes. Renjith C Rajan has mixed and mastered the track. The lyrics are by Akhila Sayooj S 6. Naino Waleya Nothing can stop him from making good music, and he is now producing them like a conveyor belt , except that every end product is based on a different Raag and has even better arrangements than the previous. This is the 4 th single from Anirudh Varma’s collective album and I most certainly assumed it was based on Raag Yaman. Later when I had a word with Anirudh he told me that it was based on Raag Maru Bihag but it is close to Yaman. He has directed this musically, with arrangements and playing the Keyboards, while he ropes in the supremely talented Pavithra Chari and Hindustani vocalist Kshitij Mathur as lead vocalists. It is a galaxy of stars here as Darshan Doshi plays the drums, Kamran Zafar plays the bass, and Shrikant Biswakarma is on electric guitars. You can do nothing else but surrender to the glory of the music that is just playing in front of you. Anirudh also excels in arranging the harmonies and he has this massive army of vocalists on the choir viz. Anushree Mahindra, Arjun Pandey, Aaromal Rajendrababu, Shraddha Shree, Santur Kundu, Bhakti Kalidhar, Anmol Kumar, Aathira Gopi, Vaibhav Sakshi, Kavya Mohan, Vidisha Sharma, Ram Visakh, Sree Rag, Shruti Parthasarthy, Aronjoy Das, Gatha Akashkamini, Sanchayan Joarder, Hari Krishnan, Neethu Krishna, Kavya Mohan, Ashanis Tuteja & Mayank Mittal. The Sarangi solo in the interlude is by Ahsan Ali and listen to how well it mixes with the bass guitars and all the drums and Tabla by Saptak Sharma. Kavya Singh another usual suspect in Anirudh’s collective has done all the additional composition. The lyrics are penned by Arjun Pandey and the recording, mixing and mastering is by ace engineer Anindo Bose at Plug ‘n’ Play Studios. The last bits where the lead vocalists sing in unison is unadulterated goodness! 7. Maira Muheet Bharti is a renowned guitarist and composer and he works closely with Salim-Silaiman on their compositions and productions and it is so heartening to see budding instrumentalists go on to things like composition especially if they are this good. His earlier single “Dil Kya Kahe� was at number 7 in the country for that week back in November 2021, and it seems that 7 is his lucky number. Muheet goes all out for this one, singing, composing, writing and producing it and it is presented by Merchant Records. Listen to him sing and you feel like you are in the presence of a version of Arijit Singh himself, singing with all that freedom and improvised vibrato. The background vocals are teasing you even as Muheet just finished delivering those lines about the estranged lover “Maira�. The song lacks a meaty middle part, but the lines that play offer so much in style and substance that all those flaws are glossed over. The Keys, and strings in the deeper layers are too emphatic and enchanting to ignore. Aftab Khan mixes and masters the track with Vatsal Chevli as the mix assistant. 8. Akasham Pole He is one of the best young talents in the country right now, and wait I could be talking about either of them and it still would fit. Well the composer Sushin Shyam and male lead vocalist Kapil Kapilan are both hot cakes in their own fields and when they come together, it is nothing short of wizardry. This is song from the well-appreciated movie “Bheeshma Pravam� is one of two I loved, the other being “Be Notorious�. The clarinet is just captivating much like how Santhosh Narayanan uses a lot of the instruments from the Brass section, and Hamsika Iyer is fabulous in her low scaled vocals and with Sandeep Mohan’s guitars in the background. Nadhan plays the clarinet and Naveen Napier is on the bass guitars. There is a texture of some of Sushin’s work from ‘Kumbalangi Nights’. Kapil Kapilan is at his usual best and he gets every emotive element of the song spot on. Nadhan’s clarinet solo gets more intriguing in the interlude, and there is a Choir team sounding angelic in the background along with Rithu Vysakh’s one -man quartet strings. The choir comprises of Amal Antony, Agustin Geo C Anto Alex Peter Mejosh Joshy Jasil MJ Aarya Janardhanan , Preethu Mary George, Anjali Sanoop, Nithya Aljo . A cat and mouse between Keys and guitars ends with the Tabla and we have the charanam. Kapil’s vocals gather energy and authority with like a crescendo on the strings in the background. Rafeeq Ahammed is the lyricist. I was blown away with the line “Akasham Pole� supported by these bass guitars and taking me back to Ilaiyaraja days. The track is mixed by Abin Paul, and mastered by Donal Whelan. Let us not forget to clap our hands for Anand on the Tabla and KD Vincent for all the music co-ordination. 9. Rain Shivash Chagti threw me a splendid surprise the last time he worked with Saptak Chatterjee and gave us “Porcelain�, and I did mention to him that when the next song comes about Ill have him against a higher benchmark. Well guess what, he passed and hat is why this beautiful number is in the top and where it belongs. This one is composed and written by Sameera Bharadwaj and produced by Shivash. We have some repeat performers here in the week as Anirudh Varma plays the keyboards and Saptak Sharma is on the Tabla. The mixing and mastering duties fall on Aditya Paul and Aabir Singh does the artwork and animation. It begins with the sound of guitars and Shivash’s dewy vocals. The way the Tabla sets off suddenly shows how beautifully things area arranged and mixed in the track making it a worthwhile fusion number. When the layers of vocals together sing “let it rain�, I can sense the drops on my skin like a 4DX movie hall. There is an eerie resemblance to a great song by Phil Collins and it is called “ I wish it would rain�, weird aint it? The keys and Tabla form a very unique but enticing combination. Sameera after a brief aalap opens her lines in Telugu and she adds this classical Carnatic color and this is where I felt a Raag Hamsadhwani influence. The pause when everything comes to a standstill with the cue of the guitar, and then the lines sing “Let it rain� is a wonderful touch. 10. Bas Mein Nahi The good days are here, I am not sure politically or economically for India, but for music I can vouch as a listener and reviewer. Chances are being offered to musicians who have been killing it in the indie scene, and now movies and web-series on OTT are doing just that. Clinton Cerejo and Bianca Gomes who are a duo called “Shor Police� just did a fabulous job for “Bob Biswas� a few months ago, and now they are scoring for another movie on Zee5. The song that I loved the most from the album “Love Hostel� is this sung by Clinton himself and he also plays the guitar. The track is mixed and mastered by Keshav Dhar with lyrical contribution from Siddhant Kaushal. The singing is excellent with very brisk electric guitars, not only accompanying but also improvising in solo interventions. The song is short and devoid of too many varying segments, but it offers a good feeling listening to the lines along with the humming that adds to the energy. 11. Ik Tu Hai Here is another example of an a musician I know more from the world of indie music, scoring now for a mainstream Bollywood movie, and Shashwat Sachdev has impressed me with some excellent Lo-fi induced songs that carry a Indian classical base, “Dobara� first comes to mind. The plucked instruments we hear are played by Youngmin Kim, Shashwat Sachdev and Taba Chake, and when Jubin Nautiyal starts singing we feel a resemblance to “Manwa Lage�. The stuff I loved most in the initial stages are the rhythm and sounds like a water droplet, along with the Keys that mildly accompany, played by Marshall Robinson. Shashwat himself produces and mixes for the track and the fabulous output is audible as proof, and he also joins in on the vocals along with Jubin. The inspiring lines are penned by Kumaar. The interlude opens and Salman Khan is on his Sitar and if I am not wrong we hear a piece influenced by Raag Sarang first and then moving on to Maand. The transformation of the song after the 2nd minute into something more like Progressive rock piece is interesting and unexpected. The use of various percussion instruments and harmonies also make the song a worthy listen. Vivek Hariharan is the executive producer. 12. Rongbahari Bangla music is always in the race to excellence and that is why rarely do we see a week without any songs from that region in my list. And like they say, when it rains it pours, we have two back-to-back numbers in Bangla and that too from some very popular musicians. Iman Chakraborty is the singer and it is her delivery that stuns you and keeps you on a hook that you cannot release yourself from. The Humming bit is mesmerizing and it rocks you to sleep, brings a tear down your cheeks. Ranajoy Bhattacharjee has written, composed and produced the song. There is not too much of background instrumentals, and that keeps the focus on Iman. Ranajoy stole my heart last year when he composed “Swapno perie� featuring Mekhla Dasgupta. Just go listen to that track as well. 13. Putul Ami One of my favorite musicians in India today is Anupam Roy, because what I look for are consistency and versatility in scores and he has got them in surplus. The song is a pop number in Bangla with his usual vocals that tend to be so breezy. Anupam has written, sung and composed this, with Rishabh Ray’s fabulously groovy guitars. Kaustuv Biswas adds all the style on the bass guitars but what I also love is Nabarun Bose on the keyboards giving it a 90’s pop feeling. Sandip Parial is the drummer and the track is mixed and mastered by Shomi Chatterjee with recording engineers Sayan Ghosh and Subhranil Bose. 14. Lie to me The debut EP is special to a band or any musician and I did really like some of the tracks here but loved “Lie to me� to the most, and it reminded me of a fantastic series featuring Tim Roth. Anyway I digress, so this song was the pick of the lot for a lot of reasons, and before I forget the music is not in Bangla, but this makes it a hat-trick of Bangla musicians this week, as Turnback Cave is a rock band from Kolkata. The electric guitars and drums which are like the spine of a rock band truly excel in this song and the band is lucky to have such gifted musicians. Let us not forget the lead vocalist who is like the brain and every word uttered is loaded with the perfect emotion, style and diction that a rock song in English demands. The band members are Arsh Das on vocals and guitars, bassist Pradyut Naha and Diptopaul Chatterjee on guitars. Akash Singha has mixed and mastered it. Do listen to their EP "Letters to another Life". 15. Banjara Nabeel Khan’s vocals drive the song forward with that shaky vulnerable touch he adds with his voice. It makes the song very honest and personal and you want to stay invested, and the guitars only deepen the love for it. Nabeel has written, composed and sung this one, while Atul Gupta and Prashant Marathe produce the number. The guitars are played by Atul and he handles the arrangements as well while Prashant is on the Piano. Oh when Nabeel sings the words “narazgi� the scale shifts and the notes flow into my ears and head reminding me of that flute interlude in “Kannukku Mai Azhagu� scored by AR Rahman back in his early days after his debut ‘Roja’. 16. Thaaruzhiyum The flute show begins and you know you are hearing a special Raaga based piece, and as far as my knowledge takes me it belongs to Raag Aarabhi and as it progresses I could sense some Sri Raaga also. Rahul Raj whose work I really adore has composed, arranged and programmed this song, along with all the keyboard and rhythm programming with Nikesh Chembilodu writing the lyrics. Listen to his fabulous number sung by the legendary Sujatha Mohan called “Neelambale� from the movie ‘Priest’ something even Ilaiyaraja would be proud of. The big guns come on for the vocals as KS Harishankar and Poornasree Haridas play the lead roles. Haritha Raj plays the Veena right at the beginning as well while it is Nikhil Ram on the Flute and Ethnic Winds. There is quite a lot of support on the Mridangam by Ganapathi, Balakrishna Kammath while Umashankar is om the Ghatam, and Shruthi Raj is on the ethnic percussions. The vocal exhibition is on with Harishankar delivering it with total ease. Sumesh Parameshwar plays the guitars and bass along with Naveen Napier on the bass guitars. When I had a chat with Rahul, he tells me that there any many raaga influences in the song, like Atana, Suddhasaveri, Mohanakalyani and Devagandhari. 17. Kyun Hain This is one slow sober lullaby that just provides the perfect break from all the other genr

This is the week's best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 350 tracks released in the week ending 20th March 2022, I have rated and reviewed the 15 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week, without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country. 1. Tun Ani Ami As a concept Zombies are taking over the world, with a plethora of Hollywood movies already dealing with that post-apocalyptic scenario. Movies in India have been experimenting with this concept as well and we have had very interesting titles like “Zombie Reddy� in Tollywood and now “Zombivili� in Marathi cinema. The film apparently is a very fun and worthy watch, but since we focus on the music here, I think this song atleast is a smashing number deserving the top place in the country for last week. AV Prafullachandra (A hereafter) is an ace musician and he shows why with a song that has more substance in the portions before the antara itself and many songs these days don’t offer so much in the entire length itself. AV also has programmed, produced and mixed the tracks of the number. If you can count, you will hear 5 segments of notes in almost an Ilaiyaraja-like composition. Nakul Abhyankar is the male vocalist and he is now probably a well sought out performer in both Kannada and Marathi singing both languages with amazing ease. Kasturi Wavare’s voice and delivery is resembling Shreya Ghoshal’s and that is the best compliment I can think of now. The innovative sounds, and rhythm variations are also fantastic. The interlude is elaborate and sounds like a dream for any music lover and you will need multiple plays to get a grasp of the zillion sounds we hear. The stanza goes on to impress more with shifts in energy and style between melody and modern. The lyrics are written by Vaibhav Deshmukh and Rahul Sharma has recorded the track, with assistance from Samir Dharap. The song is mastered by Shadab Rayeen with assistance from Vishal Sadhaphule 2. The spy who loved me It is strange how for the last 2 years or more that I have been tracking Indian music, and I only have heard of a Flute exponent called Lalit Talluri. Finally I come to know of his father a flute genius himself and guru of Lalit , Shri Nagaraju Talluri. He is also a composer and this track is testament to his skill bringing the world of Jazz into the Tollywood’s doorstep. The song also has a very Jazz like name maybe reflecting a James Bond Saga. If you thought the music is world class, listen to the vocals by Indian Idol performer Shanmukha Priya , as she just nails it with perfection. This is never an easy genre to sing as there is much demanded vocally but she is up to it and beats expectations as well. Lalit Talluri himself plays the woodwinds for his dad’s composition and the entire family of woodwinds, like the flute, bassoon, clarinet etc. is on display here right from the beginning. The Keys and gentle percussion add a very nice color just like the harmonies. The flagbearer is Shanmukha Priya with her incomparably good vocals and she flirts with that falsetto so much and so well that you just end up closing your eyes and nodding your head in appreciation. Kittu Vissapragada is the lyricist and the lovely guitars are played by Joel Sastry. The mixing and mastering responsibilities are taken over by Vinay Kumar, while Sathrian R does the Keyboard programming 3. Savaari This brand of music is like having some splendid south food, with one Dosa followed by Upma and then Medu Vada and finally ending with a hot filter coffee. Every item tasting better than the previous and makig you want to come again, well that is how I felt while eating at Mysore’s Mahesh Prasad restaurant and the 5 piece band called Mysore Xpress achieve the same effect in their latest EP aptly called “Made in Mysore�. This is progressive rock with a Carnatic flavor like ‘podi’ on top of a Dosa. Zubin Paul is the vocalist and also the engineer on mixing and mastering for this solid number. The flute by Samrudh Srinivas will blow you away, pun intended!, and there are wonderful traces of Raag Abheri especially during the flute interventions. Harshith Rao is solid and oozing energy on the drums while Raghunandan S Rao on guitars and Pramod Nayak on bass provide able and necessary support. Tanushree R is the backing vocalist and her humming is what we hear and all these elements combine seamlessly and brilliantly thanks to the composition, arrangements and mixing and mastering by Zubin. After the 3 minute mark there is a Flute solo with some high paced guitars and this will make you feel like you are listening to Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. Ramdas Pai is the lyricist, and all additional guitars are played by Swaraj S. The other song I like is Nammoru which is a celebration of the city called Mysore and it features a flautist Sameer Rao with some engaging and local percussions Sujayendra Rao. The humming “thantha nena� is rustic and beautiful and an entire choir comprising of Anushree R, Sampada S Konnur Vaishnavi S Konnur, Vindhyalakshmi S Konnur, Disha, Unnathi, Charvi, Aagna, Supriya S Kelkar performs here. Vibvek Tomas who we all know well as a sound engineer does the mastering duties for Nammoru. 4. Realize Mahesh Raghunandan is a Bengaluru based singer songwriter and I am hearing him for the first time, but it certainly wont be anywhere close to the last. He has written this song apparently back in 2017 itself but before it has become too late Mahesh finally records and shoots a video for its release. The song is produced, mixed and performed by Mahesh himself and we have the wonderful Avalahalli forests as the backdrop shot picturesquely by Sabareesh Arumugam with Vishnujith Varma’s direction. The song is the first of an upcoming EP called “Change� and the very few seconds I hear I realized I am in for a world of musical pleasure. It is singing of Herculean standards and the minimal instrumental intervention allows Mahesh to explore and exhibit more of that gifted voice. Many a times a guitar aided vocal performance can be very run-of-the-mill, but not this one. The notes go through such a see-saw of scales without even sounding flat and boring at one point. The humming is a massive expression of so many emotions that he delivers to the point, and I felt every ounce of pain. Sidharth Sunil does the Color Grade with additional assistance from Nithin J Francis. Mahesh himself records and mixes for the song. 5. Kannadiye The South Indian music machine is on rampage now, with one more song from Kannada movie space here. Prajwal Pai has been featured before on this space before and here the composer once again creates some worthy melody. He is also the male lead vocalist along with one more super favorite performer of mine and she goes by the name Aishwarya Rangarajan. Prajwal not only has sung well he also has done a fabulous job in arrangements and programming. There is a tinge of Raagam Nalinakanthi reminding me of that great number by Ilaiyaraja called “Enthan Nenjil neengatha�. Shruthi is just unstoppable on the Tabla, while Sandeep Mohan’s guitars and bass are extremely essential in adding layers to the melody. The mandolin in the interlude is a gem and after that the stanza is where the Nalinakanthi influences show up, but apparently none of it was intended by the composer. Arjun plays the flute in the second interlude, and it is during the stanza that we hear the bass guitars to perfection. The song is mixed and mastered by Vivek Thomas, and lyrics are penned by Vishwajith Rao. 6. 1 last bye They are twins and imagine if one of them had a spellbinding voice, you just double that and what you get is Kiran + Nivi. Kiran and Nivi Saishankar are residents of USA and have been a juggernaut on Tik-Tok this last year garnering over 2 million followers thanks to their amazing covers of popular numbers. I have heard a few of them like the one on “Srivalli� from the movie ‘Pushpa’ and it almost sounds unbelievable. So here is their first official original which they have dedicated to their cousin who passed away. I had no idea about the twins before hearing this number but the track is not just about the vocals, it also has a catchy and captivating melody. The song is written with Michael Blum and Nilu and the former produces it. Listen to the delivery and the range they exhibit along with the apt emotive excellence. The song is loaded with synths and keyboard programming that augments but never goes overboard. The outro is te perfect sample of how supremely talented the twin are as vocalists. Someone recently wrote “ Mark my words, you’ll see the names Kiran and Nivi Saishankar on the Billboard Hot 100 chart one day. I concur and believe that day is not too far. The video has been shot by DoP Lucas Miller, with director Spencer D. Evans. Ambika does all the styling. 7. Tanu mana We have another duo now called Rakesh and Nilima a.k.a. Rak ‘N’ Nili and they have been around creating music since 2011. Here they create a ravishing number and who better to adorn it than Sanjith Hegde himself as the vocal lead. I aas immediately in love with the guitars and humming in the beginning and after Sanjith starts to sing, you only have to stay quiet in awe and fall in love. The strings used are like a cadence of water flowing non-stop with beauty and ferocity. The song slowly transforms in rock/pop genre with the prevalence of drums and electric guitars. The aalap is refreshing in the interlude. Rakesh UP has produced the track with mixing and mastering by Vishnu KJ. Sanjith can lift a song on his shoulders all alone and that cannot be told for many vocalists in India on a consistent basis. Praveen Prakash writes the lyrics and Ganesh N Rao does all the additional drum programing. 8. Mind Palace I am always fond of Niranjan Menon’s work and I feature both his “Castle in the sky� and “Wounded� and this is going to be a hat-trick with “Mind Palace�. He combines with Vimal Roy in both composition and vocals while the production responsibilities are held by Niranjan and Artemis Fall. Tejas SP and Ganga Pramod are the writers and all the artwork and creative are handled by Harris Paul and Rajeev Ninan. Rohan Raveesh like his name goes, creates a ravishing piece of electric guitar solo right at the start. The song has a lot of modern techno sounds and the composers take the fusion element to a new high with the introduction of the Flute and Thavil and this is where I heard some fragments of Raag Hamsadhwani. Sarthak Ray handles the mixing quite exquisitely and he also masters the track. I love how the vocals shift from English to Malayalam and then to Hindi. Namrata Hangala is in charge of the press release and communication. 9. Shishiram Pothiyum In a second you know you are hearing one of the most enriching and joyful Raagas in the form of Reethigowla as we know in Carnatic music. Ayraan is someone who I am hearing for the first time and he definitely impresses in the higher scales. The saxophone interlude by Josy was nostalgic and it reminded of Kadri Gopalnath’s performance for AR Rahman’s “Duet�. Nithya Mammen sings and then you feel like saying “all is well� and that is how pleasant yet powerful her vocals are, just listen to how beautifully she sings the word “deepanjali�. Swathy Manu has written, composed and arranged all the excellent live instruments for this song. Sumesh Parameshwar is stylish with his bass guitars while Nikhil Ram does a savvy solo in the second interlude and enjoy the concerted trio of Flute, Nadaswaram and Bass guitars here. OK Gopi is on the Nadaswaram and the Violin solo is played by . The stanza is simple with only a short segment but there are too many good elements to keep you hooked. Harishankar V mixes and masters with mixing assistance from Akshay Kakkoth and Manoj Medalodan does the programming. The final mix and sound design is by Hebin Benny and the track singers employed for this project were Minshad Zara and Anagha Suresh. 10. Gajro Nothing can be more pleasing to a music lover than listening to enjoying music without the barrier of language. Priya Saraiya has been on my radar and she is not just a composer but also a lyricist of immense quality. This song is composed and written by her and addressing the issues that crop up between a couple in love. Aditya Gadhvi is the male vocalist and his voice is like a breath of fresh air. Listen to the Keys, and the Sarangi by Dilshad Khan mildly playing in the background. Sanjoy Das, the master, plays the guitar adding to the romantic elements of the song and once the harmonies begin, we feel like the oomph factor of the song just got raised thanks to Vaidehi Painter and Jhanvi Soni. The interlude is a dominant show by Dilshad on the Sarangi and Aditya’s voice blends wonderfully thanks to programming and arrangements by Jay Mavani as well as the mixing and mastering skills of Eric Pillai. 11. Pogadiro Ranga One of my favorite composers in India is B. Ajaneesh Loknath, and he shows why with his great understanding and execution of scores loaded with intricacies, massive instrumental arrangements and at the core a solid tune. Haricharan and Chinmayi are the lead vocalists for this one, so there is nothing left to be written as far as this song goes. But it is impossible as the mind wanders and hands want to type so much in appreciation of the number. The use of the Nadaswaram starts of things in a very semi-classical mode thanks to Balasubramani but there is quick shift in tempo and style which follows a string section output. Ajaneesh does all the rhythm and keyboard programming. The title line sung by the chorus sounds a lot like Raag Abheri . KD Vincent is the music co-ordinator with some fabulous work on mixing and mastering by Sajayan Kumar. The lead singers take us a journey of joy with their mellifluous tones and the stanza for me had some Kaapi Raaga innuendos. Ajaneesh and Bobby CR produce the song and the words are written by Hari Santhosh with recording engineer Midhun Manoj. I also like Neene Neene from the same album ‘Bytwo Love’ and this is more typical Ajaneesh with a dominant Violin. Karthik sings this one and the number has so much mystery and unpredictability especially the way the notes line up for “Neene nann usiru�. 12. Kajwa One more Marathi song occupies the list this week, composed by Vijay Bhate and the song is produced, arranged, mixed and mastered by DEEPP C. Harshavardhan Wavre and Sonali Sonawane bot experts lend their vocals for this project. The song reminds me a lot of “Chand Sifarish�. Sonali’s voice feels like that morning dew falling on the skin and the rhythms right through the song create a aura of dance and joy. Deepp C also performed all the aalaps and backing vocals for the song. The recording engineer is Viraj Daki. 13. Beparwahi There are a few indie musicians who are consistent, even if their singles are separated by a few months or more. Gulshan Jethwani is one of them who had an excellent number last year called “Chalo� and I did review it here on this space. Now he is back with a soothing track which has influences of Raag Yaman in my view and that makes you heart bloat with joy and love. Gulshan, writes, composes and sings this while another known face in in the indie scene Onkar Tarkase produces the song. Gaurav Korgaonkar plays the keys as a trusted aid to Gulshan’s vocals. ONkar has produced songs like “Ek Din Kahin� and “Kosi Kosi� which were both excellent and I hope to hear from him soon. Abhinav Kumar is the bassist for this one and you will enjoy the introduction of the Harmonica in the interlude played by Nikhil Bailur. 14. Dhooreyetho The electric violin played by Joy has a nice unique sound that differentiates it from the usual violin and this can be heard at the beginning of this track. The tune does remind of me Raag Nalinakanthi, songs like “Sonnalum ketpathillai kanni manathu� from the movie ‘Kadhal Virus’ . This song is composed by Kiran S Shankar with all the programming and arrangements by MM Anumod. Soorya Shyam Gopal gives a fresh tone to this song with his delightful voice. The violin in the interlude is just mesmerizing and as Soorya rightly points out to me there is also some influence of Raag Bihag in the Anupallavi. Listen to the superior basslines right through thanks to Vishnu CV. All the sound design is by Shanush Nayanar with Syam working on the Melodyne and Harishankar V mixing and mastering the song. The lyrics are written by Din Nath Puthenchery 15. Blown Away The city of joy and immensely rich culture of music and arts and here we have a rock band to sizzle from there. With two EPs already in their kitty, the guys aren’t going to play novice. Varun Gujadhur plays the guitars and vocals and he excels on both especially singing the title line. Subhomoy Mitra sings too and his bass guitar contribution is like the backbone and second line of defense for the song. The track offers a lot of resemblance to famous punk rock bands like ‘Green Day’. The thumping drums are played by Sougata Hari and Prashant Gujadhur provides the backing vocal support. Abhibroto Mitra records and mixes the track at Blooperhouse Studios. 16. Starcity This youngster Aditya Rao, was born in New Jersey and got all that musical DNA from his drummer dad, but now he is settled in Chennai which probably has the same number of Tamil people living as in NJ, well it was a joke which could be very close to being a fact. Anyway this reverse Brain Drain is more than welcome and MANGAS as his new moniker is, clearly smashes this song. Aditya writes, composes, performs, produces and mixes too for this number with the brilliant bass guitars played by Mathew Panakal. Travel back in time to the 1990s and it feels like listening to that great band called “A-ha�. The vocals are matched by very apt backup vocals layered beneath. The sound of the Piano never stops to bring a smile and it has been well written and programmed along with the keyboard and synth parts. Listen to the closing segment and it sounds a lot like A-ha’s “Take on Me�. I love the energy on the drums and innovative beat shifts. 17. Safar The rock band is based out of the Capital City of New Delhi and although I am interested to know why the name was chosen for the band, the brand of music conveniently took my mind away from that mystery. The song title is a no-brainer as the number talks about the world of travel and great experiences associated with it. The guitars are more enticing to me that witnessing a cloud covered mountain and we have Gagan Kumar on electric guitars and Samar Yadav on bass. I am so glad Tanusri B Sengupta reached out to me one day with her upcoming single, and though she was open to all kinds of criticism and feedback, I only had one thing to say, “Fabulous�. I did have a complaint that there was a smaller segment of vocals in the track than I would have liked but apparently it was intended. Tanusri later explained to me that the band’s name was kept by the guitarist who wanted to pick a alternate name to Buddha. She still powers through with her falsetto and emotive singing in that shorter duration itself and the range of vocal scales explored is admirable. Rahul Rawat is flamboyant and also feeble in various segments based on the need. Deep Ak has produced and recorded it while ace engineer Anindo Bose mixes and masters the track at his Plug ‘n’ Play Studios. Navjot Nama does all the commendable artwork.

This is the week's best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 350 tracks released in the week ending 13th March 2022, I have rated and reviewed the 15 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week, without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country. 1. Piharva Anumita Nadesan is on a roll for sure, and after a wonderful indie single a couple of weeks ago called “Khwaab�, this time is an even better track that climbs to the top of the charts. The song is composed by renowned musician Sachin-Jigar with Sachin Sanghvi also joining in on the vocals along with Anumita. To me, her vocals sound way better and more expressive at the higher scales and thankfully she is offered the opportunity here to sing that title line. Siddhant Kaushal writes the lyrics and there is a lot of thought has gone into it. The Tabla in the percussion segment is apt for the song. Bhagirath Bhatt’s Sitar solo plays in the interlude and in the background during the stanza. There is a definite trace or influence of Raag Harikhamboji in Carnatic music, and it belongs to the Khamaj Thaat in Hindustani music. “Piharva� apparently refers to the parental house of a girl who has now moved away into a new home with the in-laws, and all the safe space it offers. Sachin sings in the later stage of the song uttering the swaras. Sahil Vishwakarma does all the programming and plays the guitars as well. The last 2 mins or so is pure bliss with vocals and instrumentals especially the Sitar engaging in a Jugalbandi. Eric Pillai has mixed and mastered the track. 2. Mehfooz The capital city of MP, called Bhopal is not only a city of lakes but also some amazing musical talent. Aditya Rakheja seems to be one of them who was born and raised in Bhopal and learn music early on. He went on to study Genetics in the UK and he is proffer that the music inside you never ceases to exist and t is only a matter of time before it takes shape. Aditya sings it with total commitment to the words that he himself has written. Warren Mendosa is playfully present with his guitars while Darshan Doshi provides the mildest of percussion effects on drums. All this happens without taking away any limelight from Aditya’s vocals and rightly so. Aman Arakh has produced, mixed and mastered this gentle yet generous piece of music. There are moments when Aditya sings with absolute freedom hitting the Falsetto, and it feels liberating like listening to a Jazz saxophonist on a roll. Jarvis Menezes on keys and Warren combine well but the latter’s electric guitar solo is quite engaging. Vivian D’souza plays the bass guitars like an unsung hero and listen to the outro on guitars to understand why this song is wholesome. Apparently Aditya has been taking vocal lessons from Shannon Donald and Isheeta Chakrvarty and all that is paying off for sure. Aishwarya Abbot’s photography captures the essence of the song as well. 3. Love you too I have heard Raahi’s songs before, and he does really captivate you with his singing and scores as well with an unending melodic intent. The song here is composed and written by Vasudev Gandharav and it certainly strikes the perfect chords for a listener wanting to hear a love song. It reminds me of classics like “aawaz de humko� and “Pehla nasha�. Raahi sings, arranges, programs and produces the track while we have John Paul on bass guitars. The songs another positive is the harmonies singing the title line, which sounds ecstatic, thanks to Tiwari Harmony Group. The recording is done by Raghuvendra John Aryam while Bhaskar Sarma does the mix and master. The project by Sajid Shahid is produced by Abhijeet Singh. 4. Fall in Love Colleges all over India have bands that participate in inter-collegiate championships, but once they graduate and move onto the corporate world, it is all forgotten like the movie “Rock-on�. Now here is a Chennai based band of 5 graduating in Engineering and other streams, but they are living the dream. Isn’t that a wonderful thing? Laxman Arvind embodies that spirit of desire and fulfillment as he sings with his enticing vocals. The brand of Alternative Rock music that we can cherish, sing along and have it play in our heads multiple times. Rohit Surya hits the tempo perfectly on the drums and is that battery that never tires for the track. The lead guitarist needs a round of applause as he underplays in the background as well as plays solo with the same thrilling effect and so Vignesh Yaddanapidi take a bow. Sridhar Elamaran showcases his mettle on Keys as we approach the ending portion of the track and GD Vijay on bass guitars kills it like a silent assassin. Franklin Daniel mixes and masters the track, while Mervin T Thomas and VJ Ganesan do the recording. 5. Faces of the moon I can go on and on about this band and in my Opinion they are as important to the current Indie music scene as are the Western Ghats to the monsoon along the west coast of India. If you didn’t like the analogy, well then at-least listen to the song and fall in love with what these guys can do. Aryandra Shekhar has written and composed the tune and when he sings it like this you just can stop losing your senses. The way he sings “everyday� is testament to that. Sunil George on keyboards is on a high and he delivers the output with stunning beauty and he is also the man behind the arrangements. Ritik Suntwal on drums helps achieve a massive rush of blood to the head and when he combines with the guitars by Kaleb Shaji and Gordon Pereira, you are on cloud nine. To round things off, we have Rex David on bass guitars and this song is one for all seasons and moods. 6. Puriya Dhanashree I never want to miss out on any brilliance and that is why I don't restrict to hearing and reviewing domicile Indian musicians. This woman is a Norwegian Indian Violinist called Harpreet Bansal and I would pay to go and listen to her. Interestingly a foreigner plays the Harmonium here , Vojtěch Procházka, and we have Sanskriti Shreshtha on the Tabla. The Raag n focus here is Puriya Dhanashree which in itself will send you into a zone of catharsis owing to the pathos. If the main live instruments aren’t enough, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra sweeps you off your feet with the grandiose arrangements and performance. The flute and strings section and the Horns section sound enchanting thanks to Jan Mortin Smordal who is the Orchestrator. Once you have been mesmerized with gleaming music and a sunken heart, pay attention to the joyful Raag of Bhimpalasi as well in another outstanding segment. Here we have the Bassoon played by Embrik Snerte in the beginning and then Jon Ovind Ness orchestrates this gem. Behold the Violin solo that showcases the full extent and beauty of the Raag by Harpreet. 7. Nau Saal Ajay Jayanthi’s violin solo is so heartwarming that you already feel like you have a 100 years and here in this track he is accompanied by Ritu Gopal as well. Jimmy Francis John is the lead vocalist and Ashwin Syam is the composer and producer for this total humdinger of a number. Jimmy explores a lot of his vocal range especially hitting the Falsetto often. The violins speak to you better than words can and they way the soloists change the notes a bit to produce the effect of a vocal aalap. The track is mixed and mastered by Cyril Sajan and are words are penned by Gaurav Digga. The vocalist is someone I am hearing for the first time, and hence was pleasantly surprised. However when I tried to do more research, I realized that he was the frontman of Pineapple Express, and boy have I loved their work especially I have featured multiple songs from their EP "Passages". 8. Sombre Valley I haven't heard her singles under the previous moniker Barbie but when I heard this I knew that a name doesn’t matter as long as the quality of music is trustworthy. Dridha as she calls herself now has composed, written and sung this number. I love the strings in the background hence the whole production is unique and lovable. Aman Moroney has done the mixing and mastering while Debapriya Kar has done the artwork. That humming she sings is quite catchy and sticks to your head but it does remind us of Arijit Singh’s “Hawaein� composed by Pritam. The guitars too are melodic and all the harmonies add beautiful layers. 9. Humahun ka Khilab We all remember that name Rabbi Shergill and that uber-hit called “Bulla ki Jaana� back in 2005. It is one song that many across India would have heard and loved and he is back after a massive hiatus. This time it is a song for a movie called “Eight Down Toofan Mail� and the song is written, composed and sung by the man himself. The Keys start off the number and then that cherished and seductive voice shifts from high to low scales with amazing ease. You can hear some excellent programming and arrangements with the Keys, electric guitars and Strings. The song is true to his genre of semi-rock, semi-folk . 10. Log kehte hain A team of young musicians uniting not jut to create good music, but with a deeper purpose, straightaway grabs your interest and call for great attention and appreciation. Muhafiz the band creates these semi-classical numbers worded with pristine and Urdu poetry and just like the previous singles , this too is a ghazal you will want to guzzle up like cold water on a peak summer day. You can never enough of both! The track to me has traces of Raag Shudh Kalyan and it is composed by Sarthak Kalyani , while Sarthak and Siddhant Chopra produce the track. Neeraj Shetty is the project producer it with lyrics by Mushafi Ghulam Hamdani and Sarthak. The Tabla and the Keyboard programming fuse just brilliantly, while Sartha’s vocals are soothing both to the ears and heart, I have always claimed that such attempts to modernize some of our traditional music styles can do wonders to get more younger demographic listeners to follow and like. The high-paced Harmonium but towards the end is a nice addition to the scheme of things. 11. Sunshine on the street Pranati Khanna a.k.a. Peekay is not only got a style of her when it comes to her fancy moniker, but the style of music carries that too. This Hyderabad based musician works with another hot talent from our country’s music factor known as the North East. Andrea Tariang is from Shillong and has already acted with big stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Ajit Kumar on screen. This track is bound to immediately get you into the groove as Peekay and Andrea write and compose it. Zediah Hynniewta sparkles straight away on the guitars and he also plays the Keys for the track. The two lead vocalists have such amazing control and it is on full display right through. I love the harmonies playing mildly in the background and Leon Wallang’s bass guitars, which sound funky. The vocal textures are different with Peekay being more compelling and thrusting, and Andria breezy. The track is produced by Jonathan Edward and it is mixed and mastered by Meshac Daniel. The use of Trumpets in the background layers is well arranged thanks to Zediah. Vincent Tariang plays the drums. 12. Your best This 17-year old singer songwriter will strike you with his vocals the moment you play the track and you will feel possessed by the vocal stability, and creativity that Noah Avantkar employs in his delivery. The song is written, composed and performed by this musician who was brought up in Bangalore. Noah also plays his own guitar in the track and we have Niranjan S on al the sound engineering work like recording, mixing and mastering. The song was intended to be released on 31s December to help people forget the fact that they missed on the annual targets and goals, and they did try their best. Noah trembles and shivers and to get the vocals to sound so vulnerable and emotive and yet sound pitch perfect is pure genius. I can imagine someone just picking up a guitar and singing this jus to impress anyone around, and that is how much potential this song offers for anyone in love with music. 13. Muskurahat It is sad that the song was not in this movie, but that’s ok, because the song can live purely on its own score. The track is the best of the lot in my opinion in the album, and it is set in Raag Madhuvanti. AM Turaz writes this amazing words to the tune composed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Arijit Singh is in his elements as he does produce magic in every vibrato he delivers and thanks to Raja Pandit’s arrangements every note vocal and instrumental sound mesmerizing. Arijit explores so many areas vocally in this song and he is on a trip of experimentation doing all his aalaps and inventive deviations. Kailash Patra plays the solo violin while Sanjiv Sen plays the Urdu Dholak, Tabla and side rhythm. Sanjay Jaipurwale does the music programming and Kunal Dabholkar mixes and masters the track with assistance from Swapnish Jadhav. The violin interlude in the second interlude is truly enchanting and it will break into tears. Just listen to how Arijit sings “Jo Zyaada der� in the second stanza and you will wonder how he landed those notes so well. 14. Yu hi hum Here is another wonderful song, which is very similar in its classical Raga base like “Muskurahat�. Ruupa Raman is a composer who always wanted to try singing but only to accompany her brother. But after a long 20 year wait she takes the plunge, and we have a song that is superior in its score and arrangements and I hope the singing will definitely rise in leaps and bounds after this venture. I originally thought this was set in Raag Madhuvanti as well, and I wasn’t way off. Apparently upon speaking with Ruupa she tells me that it is based on Raag Madhukauns derived from Malkauns and Madhuvanti. Its Carnatic equivalent is Raaga Sumanesa Ranjani and the song that springs to mind is MS Vishwanathan’s “oru naal nilavu , pagal pol iravu� sung by P Sushela. Ruupa and Aajay K Chauhan pen the lyrics which describe the moment of how this song took birth. The programming of Keys and all other fragments are wonderfully done by Atul Raninga. The Sarangi is payed by Late Dhruba Ghosh while the Sitar solo that we hear in the second interlude is played by Sweekar Katti. Tapan Dewanji records, mixes and masters the track. Ruupa will certainly have a bigger impact if she gets to just be more expressive and confident with her vocals especially in the higher scales. 15. Kalia I always love Hip-hop and Rap as a style but it cannot be out of rhythm or just expletives thrown at me without any sense of music. Here is Samir Rishu Mohanty born to an Indian father and Japanese mother a.k.a. Big Deal who sings in Oriya and English. I loved two songs at least in his debut album with Kalia and a song named after him. In Kalia Big Deal features singer Kuldeep Pattanaik while the rapping, mixing and lyrics are by Samir. This song is a great fusion of rap, some local instruments and singing from Odisha.