Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 19th March 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Rangreza Singers: Mahalakshmi IyerMusic Composers: Rishi Dutta & Shivangi BhayanaLyricist: Karan Mastana Music Producer: Sandeep Chatterjee Additional programming: Rishi Dutta Language: HindiGenre: Semi-classical fusionThis I found by chance, and that is why I am thankful for the way great music finds a way to reach my ears. I would like to give a massive ovation to Shivangi Bhayana and Rishi Dutta who are involved in this glorious project. Crest Music, USA is responsible for getting these two composers on board for a wonderful Original Music project called the "Baithak" series. There are 3 more songs which I will listen to subsequently but here is this week's unassailable number 1 song.The flute solo by Rajat Prasanna is a straight giveaway that this is Raag Yaman (Kalyani in Carnatic) and it torments you with the notes, immediately followed by Megha Rawoot's classical Sitar. It is not a dream, we are hearing the great vocalist Mahalakshmi Iyer's gleaming voice and we are taken back in time when she does that high-pitched aalap. Rishi Dutta plays the keyboards and the fantastic chords start showing up when we hit the Title line. He is in-charge of all the additional programming. We have Tanay Rege on the Tabla and Tushar Gosavi on the drums and to hear both give that sense of fusion. The composition and production are stupendous, and get a load of the funky bass guitars by David Roy, with Alok Kulkarni on the electric and acoustic guitars in the interlude. Mahalakshmi sings the swaras and to add more classical touches Megha sizzles on her Sitar Solo. Sandeep Chatterjee is the producer and he gets all the elements right with the strings section in the background and the arrangements of instruments and vocal harmonies are delightful. Listen to the brilliant flute that continues to play in the background as we hit the outro segment. The song is mixed and mastered by Sandeep and Samir Dharap is the recording engineer. Karan Mastana is the lyricist.  @shivangibhayana @mahalakshmiiyermusic @rishiduttaofficial @mashmastana @soundonsandz @alokkulkarni78 @rajatprasanna @megharawoot @tanay_tabla @david.roy1234 @tushudrums @samirdharap9 @studio5o4 @crestmusicusa 2. Ghosts Lyrics, Composition and Vocals: Kamakshi RaiOriginal Guitar Riff: Ishan NaikMusic Production & Live Guitars: Karan Parikh Language: EnglishGenre: Indie PopIn the later parts of 2021, I did feature Kamakshi Rai for a wonderful single called 'Thodi Si Dua' and though the wait has been longer than I like, she enters the charts with a blinder. When I heard it I reached out to her saying that this song will easily be one of the best vocal performances of 2023 even though we were just in the first quarter. Ishan Naik plays the starting guitar riff and that is an original piece but when I hear it at the beginning it reminded me of "Everybody wants to rule the world" by the British rock band Tears for Fears, which was released back in 1985. The moment Kamakshi starts to sing, it is time for everything else to dial down as we are consumed by her impeccable vocals. Kamakshi has written the lyrics, composed the tune and sang this brilliant single while Karan Parikh produces the song and the live acoustic guitars that accompany her vocals are also played by Karan. I have to take a step back and appreciate the writing as well with lines like "We paint our faces to hide our flaws, put poison in our blood and metal in our jaws", and this is what songwriting is all about. I kept listening to this song, and I was eagerly awaiting the bridge section and there it was. It had all the elements that I was hoping for with a well-composed deviation in notes, intriguing lyrics and to top all that magnificent singing. The line "Oh, there's a consequence for hate" summarizes all the points I just made above. Chirayu Vedekar is the bassist and the electrifying drums are played by Nachiket Karekar. The bridge section not only showcases Kamakshi's fabulous vocals but also the sizzling electric guitar solo that follows. Shivam Trivedi plays the Piano and the engineers are Varun Parikh who has done the recording, Jason D'Souza on mixing and Kristian Montano on mastering. @kamadiorama @ishannaik @nachiketkarekar @royalewithcheese88 @shivamtrivedii @karanparikh27 @veepsified @kristianmontano @leisha.r @bayowlstudios @jasonmxaudio 3. Zindagi Kameeni Lyrics, Composition & Vocals: Akash TripathiProduction, Mixing & Mastering: Akshay DhabadkarBacking Vocals: Akshay DhabadkarLanguage: HindiGenre: Retro/Pop Welcome to the world of the 1950s, with a black & white Hindi movie playing in the background and this slow, sad, philosophical song talking about the unfair nature of life as we know it. The tune is retro-styled but soon the sound design and production take a turn for the better. Akash Tripathi goes solo for this one as he writes, composes, and sings this intense single. The song wouldn't be as impactful as it is without the solid production of Akshay Dhabadkar.The tone of the song feels Vishal-Sheykhar's 'Main Agar Kahoon' , once again thanks to the retro style. Akash carries an attitude of indifference about the world around us and that is why the song's messaging gets transmitted well. The strong points of the song are the fantastic arrangements of instruments as well as vocal harmonies.The Ukulele and the guitars are a constant presence, but never take your focus off the bass guitars, strings section and mainly the lagging vocals that keep following in the background. Akshay is the man behind the backing vocals and he also is the mixing and mastering engineer. Towards the end, we get to hear the trumpets and the Latin Jazz styled percussion and that is why the song gets a very fitting outro. The lyrical video is done by Prathyusha Puppala.  @akshay_dabhadkar @kevin_theaudioguy @buggershut @prathyusha.puppala 4. Colours Vocals: Piyush Ambhore Music and Lyrics: Sparsh Agrawal Language: EnglishGenre: Synth-Pop It came just about when the whole nation was in the celebratory mood of Holi, the festival of colours. I am not sure if that was the intent of the song's creators, but as it turned out this was the best song for me beating all other Hindi songs focussing on Holi for the year 2023. This is one of the most refreshing songs I have heard in my 3 years of music journalism. Sparsh Agrawal exhibits an enviable ability to produce this song. The melody itself is well-scored, but the keyboard and rhythm programming is next to perfect and I cannot think of a way, it all could have sounded and gelled better together. I can hear those massive Marching drums or Snare drums, along with the haunting sounds of the solo Violin in the background. My favourite line, though it was tough to pick one, is when Piyush Ambhore sings "Like Alice in the wonderland, I'm falling down the rabbit hole"

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 12th March 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Roses Writing and Composition - Kalpana Music Production - Sanjai Shine, Balaji KrishnanGuitars and Keys - Sanjai Shine Language: EnglishGenre: BalladKalpana wrote, composed and performed one of the best English songs of 2022 with 'Helpline' and I featured and reviewed that humdinger of a song. Now she is back with this even better song and I hope my excitement while listening to it spills over into the writing. Sanjai Shine who also worked on Kalpana's previous project makes an unassailable contribution here with his thumping guitars that strike you straight at the beginning of the song. Everything everywhere is forgotten at once when Kalpana starts singing thanks to her magnetic voice that stays so low on the vocal range. She is impeccable with her vibrato and her improvisations that don't seem affected and forced. Sanjai also plays the Keys and one important merit for the song is the wonderful vocal harmonies and how amazingly they are arranged. You will feel the song's mercury rising slowly rising and the best compliment I can give to Kalpana, Sanjai and Balaji Krishnan is that this soars and stays in your mind as a much better song compared to the 4 English ones which were nominated alongside Naatu Naatu in the Oscars for the 'Best Original Song' Category. I have listened to all of them and I mean it. The guitars, strings section, Keys and all the layers of vocals are spellbinding and this is the kind of music we should be proud of as Indians. Winning awards on a global scale, although encouraging, still is secondary to creating beautiful and original music like this. Sanjai and Balaji are the producers of this song and they better be proud of their work. Kalpana has just raised the bar and I have total confidence that she will not only cross it the next time but will raise it further higher too. The song is mixed by Pritpal Sudan, a brilliant producer himself, and mastered by Thomas Juth. The recording studio where all the magic transpired is Kanha Shanti Vanam. Teh video is shot by Anand Kantiban who has worked on the masterpiece movie 'Karnan'.  @theofficialkalpana @sanjaishine @balaji_r_krishnan @notsudan @kanhastudio__ @kanhashantivanam @thomas_juth @anandkantiban2. Kaana Chillamel Composed, Produced, and Arranged - Arun RajSinger - Amritha SuresshLyrics - Sandeep SudhaLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Filmi MelodyIt begins with a male sermon that we would hear in a Church, and it is so heartwarming to hear Amritha Suressh who I am featuring after her brilliant show in Sufiyum Sujathayaum' in the song "Alhamdulillah". She has this excellent texture that you just will end up falling in love with and that is why I wish we hear much more of her voice in 2023. Sumesh Parameswar plays the guitars and bass and he has his stamp of authority written all over.The anu pallavi segment is very good as it has Amritha singing in the high pitch and she still manages to effectively sing with fantastic ghamakas, reminding us of the nightingale KS Chitra. Arun Raj has composed, produced and arranged the song, so you know he has done remarkably well when the strings are programmed in the background here. The clear game-changer was the interlude with the flute solo by Abhijith along with the accompanying Keyboards and guitars. The stanza is all about her vocals and the brilliant guitars and bass by Sumesh. The song is mixed and mastered by Nandhagopan V, with Amal Raj and Amal Mithu as the recording engineers.  @arunrajmusiq7 @amruthasuresh @parameswarsumesh @3. Andame Sung & composed: Sahithi Chaganti Concept: Sahithi Chaganti & Prerna Roy Music Production: Rakesh Venkatapuram Lyrics: Suresh Banisetty Language: TeluguGenre: Waltz I am glad to see that Sahithi Chaganti who I have featured quite many times as a backing vocalist and then a leading vocalist for many composers in Telugu, has now graduated to becoming a composer herself. Also, this is probably the best song I have featured Sahithi in and so I can only assume that the future seems bright for her. The song feels like a track that is part of a Broadway theatrical production. Sahithi has composed and sung with incredible poise and the concept comes to life thanks to Prerna Roy and Sahithi. Prerna handles both the art direction and animation bits but the song in terms of its sound is the work of Rakesh Venkatapuram and his production. It has come fantastic interventions on the flute by Pramod Umapathi, which make us imagine a Ballroom setting with dancers doing the Waltz. Pramod excels every bit of the way as the interlude is filled with the Flute solo and accompanying him is Joel Sastry on guitars. Suresh Banisetty writes beautiful words that are supposed to depict the simple pleasures of life as sung by the protagonist. Sahithi shines unopposedly in two aspects viz. her flawless singing with numerous instances of tough-to-deliver vibrato and her elaborate and joyful composition. Rakesh scores a winner with his outstanding composition never leaving a single second of dullness. Abin Paul has mixed and mastered the track. @sahithichaganti @prernaroyy @rakeshchary16 @sureshbanisetti_lyricist @joelsastry @pramodumapathi @mixwithabin 4. Miles Performed by Left Hand DriveWritten by Left Hand Drive

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 5th March 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.Check out the You Tube review of these top 5 songs here1. Emone Music composed & arranged by Vijai BulganinLyricist: Suresh Banisetti Singers: Vijai Bulganin & Aditi BhavarajuLanguage: TeluguGenre: Filmi MelodyThis is what mind-blowing music is made of. I have listened to this song religiously every day since its release, purely because every note, every instrument, and every beat makes my heart swell with joy. If somebody had told me that Ilaiyaraja had composed this song, I would have believed that this is his work of genius. Can anyone give a bigger compliment in the world than compare a song's composition to that of the G.O.A.T. Ilaiyaraja? The song takes me back to his composition "April Mayile" from the album "Idhayam". Vijai Bulganin, take a bow, as he is certainly one of India's finest composers and his consistency and ability to weave magical melodies, know no bounds.The way this song begins itself, with the Piano, then the amazing guitars and the woodwinds. I am sold immediately and with all the humming I can only thank God that such music exists. It is a lesson to anyone calling themselves a musician to give their utmost efforts and make good original music. If they have to write bad lyrics, and make only remixes or make party songs, they should look for another profession to pay their bills. Please leave music alone to composers like Vijai Bulganin and they will ensure the future of Indian music is in safe worthy hands. Lalit Talluri plays the magical Flute, Abin Sagar is on the Ukulele and Guitars, and Shallu Varun is nothing short of heroic on bass guitars. The fantastic programming and production are possible thanks to Jishnu Vijayan, the Keyboardist and Anudeep Dev who has done the vocal arrangements and been the recording engineer also. Vijai is solely responsible for the score and all the major arrangements otherwise and when you have a team like this magic gets created quite often. The humming is by the chorus team of fantastic singers Lakshmi Meghana, Sindhuja Srinivasan & Nada Priya. After the first line sung by Vijai, that humming is accompanied by a mild but obvious trumpet sound elevating the line to greatness. Initially, I felt that maybe someone else could have sung the male lead vocals, but the more I hear I feel, that Vijai's vocals are so earthy and rugged and sound a lot like Ilaiyaraja himself. Now I believe there couldn't have been a better choice. The song has such an elaborate anupallavi and I realise that many composers today would have already been clueless about what more to compose by the 90-second mark. The strings section is like a never-ending dream thanks to the Chennai Strings Orchestra conducted by Balaji. What can I tell about the interlude? Lalit Talluri shines with the Flute solo and then the vocals harmonies and Strings simply drizzle exorbitant goodness. Wow, the Piano and the mild drums at the end of the interlude just before the stanza starts, is one more example of how minute things can impact a music lover. At the end of the first line in the stanza which ends with "emone", pay attention to the otherworldy strings and humming. I can only get up and give Vijai a standing ovation. After all this Aditi Bhavaraju who is a phenomenal vocalist comes and sings like a breeze making things even better. In the end, I loved the landing as uses "Pattukonna prema" line, like a step to drop into the pallavi. Aditi does an excellent job singing the lines in the low pitch giving such a well-rounded colour to the song. The recording engineers are Anand Gurrana, K K Senthil Prasath with Robin Sebastian as the vocal engineer and Roshan Sebastian as the mix and master engineer. The beautiful words are written by Suresh Banisetti @vijai_bulganin @aditibhavaraju @lalittalluri @roshansebastian @_jishnu_viijayan @sureshbanisetti_lyricist @abinsagar @shalluvarun02 @robinsebastianmusic @anandgurrana @lakshmimeghana @sindhujasrinivasan @nadapriya.nedadurivendi2. Becky Music, Lyrics: Brecilla Music Producer: Pranav KamatArrangements: Pranav, BrecillaLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie pop/A CapellaBrecilla is according to me one of the top 5 Indie singer-songwriters in this country today. It is her gifted vocals and envious skill of composition that set her apart from the rest. I have featured her a few times and every single is a celebration of music. I was so glad to see her name among the top 24 of Nexa Music Season 2 and I am pretty confident that her single is the best of the lot after listening to around 18 of the 24 songs. 'Becky' is a song about herself as Brecilla composes, writes and sings this with immaculate ease and poise. An important element of this song is the backing vocals and which belong to Ananya Sharma, Karma Sherpa and Pranav Kamat. The mesmerising impact of the Keys stays in your head, just like the harmonies and we have Pranav playing the Keys. Just pay attention to the layers of vocals coming in leaps and bounds and both Pranav and Brecilla must be credited with the arrangements of all the vocals and live instruments. Brecilla herself plays the saxophone which turns out to be a great addition. She is exemplary in her vocals giving more than a 100%, singing with heart and adding delicate vibrato. The interlude is a beautiful mix of the Saxophone, humming and Keys, leading us into a bridge section and this is where all her skills as a writer/lyricist come out. Pranav does a fine job producing the song and he also is the mix/master engineer, so credit to him for bringing the song to life and getting the elements together.   @brecilladsouza @pranavkmt @karmasherpamusic @ananyas.music @nexamusicexperience 3. Madhura Gathama Singers : Armaan Malik, Shreya GhoshalMusic: Mani Sharma Lyricist: ShreemaniLanguage: TeluguGenre: Filmi Melody/FusionThe one song which I did feature from the movie was 'Mallika Mallika' dung by Ramya Bahara. This one is a notch above the rest of the songs in the album and Mani Sharma shines through. There is the quintessential melody rich with Classical Carnatic Raga elements and with the phenomenal vocal capabilities of Armaan Malik and Shreya Ghoshal the song stays etched in our hearts and minds. The Sitar sets the ball rolling and we are given an auditory treat by Armaan's magical voice and high-pitched delivery. To me, there is maybe some Raag Khamas influence in places. The impact it creates with the Tabla, and the tonality is very similar to say AR Rahman's album "Jodhaa Akbar". The interlude is drifting probably towards a bit of Raag Sarang. The two vocalists engage in a tete-a-tete with some amazing vocals and the landing into the Pallavi happens with a beautiful ending line in the high pitch. The use of the Sarod and the per

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 26th February 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Ori Vaari Composed, Arranged and Programmed by Santhosh NarayananTelugu Lyrical writer: ShreemaniSinger: Santhosh NarayananLanguage: TeluguGenre: Ballad/Alt-Rock fusionI keep telling in my reviews, that there is none like his, and Santhosh Narayanan is the most talented composer and producer in India today and that has been the case for the last 5-7 years at least. Some could dismiss it saying that it is just my opinion, well then you better stop reading this and start listening to the number 1 song in India for last week. You can then make up your mind. It is very heartening to see Santhosh or SaNa as he is known, make inroads to Tollywood, and Mollywood too. Back in December, we saw his work for the Sony Liv web series 'Faadu' in Hindi. Getting back to this track, Ori Vaari is the original Telugu song but has been simultaneously released in Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil. The song is a testament to SaNa's unmatched ability to combine diverse genres within one track, use solid instrumental arrangements and produce the track with an enviable style. Only a composer with terrific vision can even get the groundwork laid and see through its perfect execution. The song starts off with SaNa's inexplicably magnetic voice and the sound of the glass percussion played by him. Aditya Ravindran plays all the additional keys and he has now become SaNa's most trusted aide. I just cannot imagine this song without the impact of the bass guitars and it is played by Rupendar Venkatesh like an unassailable champion. Santhosh will be remembered as one solid composer who used bass guitars in all his compositions to the fullest potential, a feat like Maestro Ilaiyaraja. The interlude is mesmerising with the strings section, thanks to Fame's Skopje Studio Orchestra (Macedonia) with Sasha as conductor and our won Karthik Manickavasakam arranging the strings to perfection. Joshua Rodrigues at the Bohemia Junction is the Orchestra coordinator. The interlude section reminds me of the interlude of "Vennilave Vennilave" from 'Minsara Kanavu' composed by AR Rahman. It probably has influences of Raag Pilu (Kaapi in Carnatic). Then the stanza begins and we have the wonderful Piano and continuous riff of the strings in the background staying right after the interlude. The chord progression and the way the notes are composed are a testament to SaNa's capability. The masterstroke comes late in the stanza and you keep listening to the way the line "Kannelallo Saagdholina, Idichesi Vadhileshinaa" ends. The backing vocals and notes drop off like from the top of a cliff and this suddenness and unexpected shift is what makes SaNa truly great. The second interlude is another piece of genius with the Clarinet, and the bass guitars accompanying like Robin for Batman. The 2nd stanza is completely different and it moves the style of the song itself from a Ballad, pathos song to an Alt-Rock number. Words can never be enough to appreciate the work of SaNa and his team of musicians. The 2nd stanza also makes me wonder if there is some influence of either Dharmavathi Ragam or Madhuvanthi Ragam.  Pranav Muniraj plays the acoustic guitars, while in this section it is Aditya Ravindran blasting away on the electric guitars. The stanza gains traction and we hear the rhythms, guitars and trumpets all converging and delivering excellence. The song is recorded by Santhosh, Pranav, Rupendar and Karthik and the mixing and mastering are done by Santhosh and Rupendar. Meenakshi Santhosh is the musicians' coordinator. Santhosh sings this brilliantly making it his best vocal performance yet. The lyrics is written by Shreemani.   @musicsanthosh @adityaravindran95 @karthikmanickavasakam @rupendar_venkatesh @pranavbalu @shreemani_lyricist @musicsoundart 2. Shehzada Singer: Sonu NigamMusic: PritamLyrics: Mayur PuriMusic Arranger and Programmer - Aditya Pushkarna, Jim Satya, Sunny M.R. & Amey GhuleLanguage: HindiIt is redemption time, the moment when Pritam shows to the world that he has still got it and he is not going away anywhere yet. The 4 other songs that I have heard are below par, but the title track is what salvages Pritam and restores faith in his abilities. The song is performed by the one and only Sonu Nigam who has a ball delivering this song. Mayur Puri writes the lyrics and we have 4 talented musicians bringing their heads together to arrange and program this track.If you listen to the song you will know that the arrangements are grander than life and the lion's share of credit for the song's brilliant impact must go to Aditya Pushkarna, Jim Satya, Sunny M.R. & Amey Ghule. It is fantastic to know that the top 2 songs in the country have employed some magnificent Orchestra and live instruments in a time when 1 Min Music and Lo-fi and EDM styles completely dominate the scene. Kudos to DJ Phukan, Sunny and Ashwin Kulkarni for the brilliant sound design. Just like song no. 1, we have the FAME'S Skopje Studio Orchestra on the strings section. The Orchestration is by Andrew T Mackay and orchestra coordination is by Joshua Rodrigues. The song begins with the splendid drums by Gary Novak and it feels like you are listening to Savage Garden's 'The Animal Song'. The brass section is grand and feels like one Jazz Ensemble in full force. The Trumpets, Trombones are upping the ante and Sonu's energetic singing is nothing short of brilliant. Aniruddh Anantha and Pranav Gupta are the sound engineers and Aniruddh along with Dev Arijit handles the vocal conducting and backing vocals design. There are so many things happening, with the live instruments ad despite that Sonu never fails to grab your attention. The line "Banoonga Hai Vaada" with the dropping tempo, and extravagant trumpets is wonderful to hear. Kudos to Shadab Rayeen who has mixed and mastered the track along with assistants Pukhraj Sonkar and Anup Gandharla @sunnymr @adityapushkarna @_amey_ghule_ @jimsat @ipritamofficial @sonunigamofficial @musicsoundart @shadabrayeen @pranavgupta_27 @aniruddhanantha @ashwinkulkarni89 @dev_arijit9 @musicsoundart @mayurpuri @iamdjphukan @gary_novak 3. Chandni & Dil Dariya Singer: Aditya N. (Chandni) & Nayantara Bhatkal (Dil Daariya)Composed by: Alokananda DasguptaLyrics: Rajeshwari Dasgupta GhoseLanguage: HindiGenre: Ballad (Chandni) & Retro Dance Pop (Dil Daariya)We are nearing 'International Women's Day' and it is perfectly appropriate that we have a brilliant song composed by one of India's most talented female composers in Alokananda Dasgupta. Just like I tend to weed out the really bad songs in the first 10 seconds, over here it took me the same time to gauge the splendid potential and likability in this song. Jonathan Dreyfus plays the Cello and the Viola and they can already be heard creating magic in the background. Aditya. N a.k.a. Meadows & Rust is the vocalist who is gently serenading us but Alokanada and Jonathan decide to distract us beautifully with the additional string arrangements. Amandeep Singh and Tanmay Pawar have played the guitars and Tamnay handles all the additional guitar arrangements. The song oozes quality and reminds us of those times when Shankar Ehsan Loy used to rule Bollywood. Aditya's vocals sound like Sonu Nigam's when he decides to give every note an emotional touch. He also must be credited and appreciated for the wonderful production of the song along with Amandeep. Just as Aditya sings these lines, we get a delightful male humming in the background, and it feels like Alokananda and the team decided to

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 19th February 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music  with a clickable link on my Home Page 1. RijhaaunComposition, Lyrics and Vocals - Utsavi Jha Production, Mix and Master - ManavLanguage: HindiGenre: Jazz/PopShe is one undeniable talent and it shows when someone like Utsavi Jha gets featured time and again every time she releases a single. Now I can confidently say that this is her best work yet and I wish her the best to keep making my life better with such music. Utsavi is a young, inquisitive singer-songwriter from Mumbai and she has composed the melody, written the lyrics and rendered the vocals for this brilliant song. When Utsavi teams up with some spectacular musicians, a very good song automatically gets pulled into a higher orbit and first and foremost is the mastermind Manav who has produced the song with incredible prowess. The song starts with just the Piano and Utsavi's vocals, with the Piano hitting some fantastic notes and within a minute we discover that the song's inherent melody is quite enjoyable. Manav's typical indulgence comes to the forefront with the Piano and what sounds like a Pipe Organ intervention. It all has a very Jazz and Blues texture. Listen to the fantastic saxophone in the background played by Aniket Chaturvedi. The drums, and the vocal harmonies, are all important elements, but nothing quite matches the saxophone solo in the interlude and we also hear trumpets making it one unforgettable song that deserves to take the number 1 spot. The arrangements and programming tend to steal the limelight, but let us not forget the vocals and the stylist delivery by Utsavi. Manav also does the mixing and mastering for the track, and the vocals are recorded at PLayhead Studion in Mumbai. The animation and editing are by Suraj Singh and Hariom. Priya Waingankar is the photo editor.   @utsavijhamusic @man.musical @deffective_priya @lazyom @singhsuraj882. Dheemi Performed by - Ashish ZachariahWritten by - Ashish Zachariah, Khwaab, Ritvik KulshresthaProduced by - Ashish ZachariahLanguage: HindiGenre: Electronic Pop Asish Zachariah is probably of the top 5 music composers/producers in the country today. We are living in a very dark time where mediocre music gets superlative recognition, and amidst this guys like Ashish are like the canary in the coal mine. We have to treasure them not only for their talent but their unswerving commitment to giving us good music.I just played the song and despite the high bar, Ashish manages to cross it without any trouble at all. Another fantastic musician Nishant Nagar a.k.a. has penned the lyrics along with Ritvik Kulshrestha. Ashish composes, sings and produces this blinder. The flowy guitars come and go in layers and Ashish enhances the effect with layers of vocals also. There is so much to focus on, as we have a brilliant production on display here, and just like he sings " kaali kaali raaton mein phir milein". The heart starts racing as we hear the sound of the strings section in the background, along with a solo violin also gathering steam. Such music I believe can transport us to a parallel universe where we live forever without even an iota of pain. Ashish uses the synths and keyboards to great effect and the adrenaline-pumping drums give a fitting end to matters. The track is mixed to perfection by an outstanding musician Rex Vijayan, and Steve Smart does the mastering. Tina Thomas handles the covert art. Ashish and team, take a bow!  @ashish.zachariah @khwaab.music @ritvkk93 @rex_vijayan @stevemartmastered @tinaalicethomas 3. Bawaral RaMusic - Devdutta Manisha Baji Vocals - Ashish Kulkarni & Aanandi Joshi Lyrics - Ganesh NigadeMusic Arrangements & Production - Devdutta Manisha Baji & Bhushan ChitnisLanguage: MarathiGenre: Filmi MelodyI have never even heard of Devdutta Manisha Baji, and I am thrilled to feature this composer's melody in Marathi. It is sung by two renowned singers Ashish Kulkarni and Aanandi Joshi, both of whom I have featured on my weekly charts before. It is so refreshing to see a new musician compose so well in Marathi, a space dominated by the genius of Ajay-Atul and AV Prafullachandra. I am also excited to see some very familiar names here in various roles, all of whom I have featured in various indie projects. Ashish Kulkarni became a household name after his stint at Indian Idol, but he has been featured for his singles by me much before. He and producer/guitarist Bhushan Chitnis have worked together on indie singles as well. We have the guitars by Bhushan followed by the female harmonies comprising Malavika Dixit, Bhagyashree Abhyankar, Nidhi Hegde. Then comes the male chorus sung by Chinmay Jog, Ajit Vispute and Srujan Kulkarni. The solo Violin gives me an inkling that there is a Raag Bhimpalasi flavour just mildly. It is played with such elegance by Shruti Bhave. Ashish Kulkarni is so endearing with his vocals and he is matched equally by Anandi Joshi. The song has some excellent notes that make it so fresh and complete. Varad Kathapurkar plays the Flute and another point of attraction is the live percussion by Onkar Ingawale & Apurv Dravid. The song moves into the stanza without any interlude and you don't feel anything missing thanks to the immaculate arrangements and production by Devdutta and Bhushan with Srujan working on additional arrangements. The stanza only further reinforces the beauty of the song's original melody. Nikhil Laniekar and Himanshu Ambekar handle the sound design with recoding engineers Avadhoot Wadkar, Tushar Pandit, Roopjit Das, and Ajinkya Dhapare is the mixing engineer assisted by Virat Bhushetty. The stereo track mastering is done by Hanish Taneja. The lyrics are penned by Ganesh Nigade.  @ganeshnigade88 @aanandijoshi @ashishkulkarni.music @devdutta.baji.music @bhushan_bhu_chitnis @srujan_kulkarni @nidhihegde.music @violinshrutibhave @varadflute_official @mixedbyhanish @ajinkyadhapare @omkar_ingawale_official @apurvdravid @pandit_dawn 4. Kevadyacha Paan Tu Music & BGM - Vijay Narayan GavandeLyrics - Guru Thakur

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 12th February 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music  with a clickable link on my Home Page Also check out my video reviews of EPs like LAGAN feat. Dhvani Bhanushali, BOMBAY by Bombay The Artist, COKE STUDIO TAMIL's first song SAGAVASI , CLASS on Netflix by Aditya N and Nayantara Bhatkal and much more1. PreetMusic: Abhijit VaghaniLyrics: Shloke LalSinger: Dhvani Bhanushali, Abhijit VaghaniLanguage: HindiGenre: Ballad I have always wondered why some singers would choose projects that would do nothing to bring out their talent. The reason could be something else like such projects would enhance their fame and monetary prospects immensely. Anyway, Dhvani Bhansushali does so well on certain singles and projects like these, and I always wish she picks only good compositions to sing. This EP called 'Lagan' is a 4 track EP and I was quite impressed with 3 songs at least. Other than 'Preet' I loved 'Masoomiyat' and 'Shagun '. It is Dhvani's haunting voice in the lower pitch along with the mild Keys by Akshay Menon that get your attention. It is slowly accompanied by a strings section in the background and all elements get the tone and mood of the song perfectly in line. Abhijit Vaghani has composed and produced the songs in the EP and he has worked with Dhvani a few times before, all ending up with excellent tracks. One of my favourites to this day is their single "Radhe". Now we start hearing the fantastic guitars by Shomu Seal and the flute as well in the background and it forms the heartwarming interlude. Abhijit also turns vocalist in the stanza which is beautifully composed as well. Akshay also has arranged the terrific strings section. The best line is with Abhijit singing "lage ki sadiyaan yuhi nikal gayi" with excellent words by Shloke Lal and vocals as well. The Keys and guitars become more impactful here along with harmonies in the background. The outro is brilliant with the faint lonely flute by the brilliant Tejas Vinchurkar becoming so emotionally charged and then the strings and rhythms piling on the quality. Aftab Khan mixes and masters the track with mix assistant Vatsal Chevli. 'Masoomiyat' is very light on the ears and once again Dhvani thumps up the ante with her improvised singing. The Shehnai by Yogesh towards the end is the game-changer. "Shagun" is a melodious Folkish Pop song much like an AR Rahman-styled song. I recommend that people listen to the EP. @dhvanibhanushali22 @abhijitvaghani @shlokelal @hitz.music.official @akshay.menon.official 2. NaraziWritten and composed by - Taaruk Raina, Charan Singh PathaniaSung by - Taaruk RainaMusic Production- Charan Singh PathaniaLanguage: HindiGenre: Pop/BalladI recently read an article in the Hindustan times where the actor and singer Taaruk Raina mentioned the difficulty to break into the music scene, especially when he/she has a poor network or connection with people in the industry. Imagine what the situation would be for someone who doesn't even have an acting background and is entirely new to the field. Just a few months ago I had featured him in a song from the web series Mismatched Season 2 for the song "Kho Gaye". Now this song brings Taaruk's abilities further into the light. Charan Singh Pathania does the music production for this song and it has a good mix of live instrumentals and programming as well.I believe Taaruk has performed the vocals as well as played the acoustic guitars. When he sings "chupi hui hai, narazi" you can get a sense of the quality of the production. I must appreciate the harmonies and humming and then both their execution and arrangements, thanks to Charan Singh. Stuart Da'Costa is smashing it with his bass guitars. I love the part where Taaruk takes the high road on the pitch singing "aasan tha kya, rehna yun gawah". Utkarsh Dhotekar is another fantastic composer/producer and he creates some magic with the strings arrangements. Taaruk shows he is no novice with his vocals and I can only assume he will get better with every single. Mukul Jain is the mixing engineer. One must appreciate Taaruk for the impressive lyrics as well. There were moments when the song, owing to the harmonies and production, felt like I was listening to something as good as Coldplay's "Paradise" @taarukraina @charanmusic @tanyamaniktala @studirt @mixbymukul @utkarshdhotekar  3. SkyeWritten: O DaapunProducer: Bhargav DhapunLanguage: HindiGenre: Pop/RockIt has been a while since I featured the band O Daapun and the previous single "Dont u drop" which was a fantastic upbeat song.'Skye' is no less and we have the song written by the band members Siddhartha Hazarika and Bhargav Hazarika, with the latter producing this piece. Abhidhan Sharma plays the guitars and Jugal Pathak is the drummer. This is exemplary music just to show how the first opening seconds can impress a music lover. The guitars and drums just let you know that some severe quality stuff is coming our way. The vocals are scintillating and flawless, these vocals are the vehicle for the song's message to get through to the other side. I love how the drums come and go without being persistent. This allows the pop style of the song to carry through. I was astounded by the shock and awe when the line "Her hand was reaching out for something more" and after a pause, the guitars and humming take us on a super-fast joyride. The song scores high on elements like vocals, production and creativity.  @odaapun_ @nobinaryrecords @darshitaaa.c @siddharth_daapun @bhargav_daapun @drumboi_074. Paalmanam Composed and Arranged: Govind VasanthaSingers : Kapil Kapilan & Keerthana VaidyanathanLyrics: Vinayak SasikumarLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Filmi Melody

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 5th February 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music  with a clickable link on my Home Page 1. ByabodhanSinger - Ujjaini Mukherjee Music Direction - Barenya SahaLyrics - Somraj Das Language: BanglaGenre: Ballad I don't know whether to feel happy or disgruntled. I'll tell you why, as 2023 began, I started listening to a huge number of Bangla songs that got released in January, close to 40 or more. Based on my experience, I would love 6-7 songs at least in this sort of a cluster. However now, it is only 'Byabodhan' that made it past my rating metrics! So I feel disheartened. Having said that this song is so good that it tops the charts this week, and for that I am elated. Ujjaini Mukherjee has been featured many times on my website and she proves here yet again what a brilliant vocalist she is. Barenya Saha is the composer and I am sold in 10 seconds thanks to the brilliant arrangements by Dipesh Chakraborty, but also a huge round of applause to live instrumentalists Dwaipayan Ghosh on the stroke instruments, Jakirudding Khan on Guitars and Sandipan Ganguly on Strings. The combined effect of these instruments is mesmerising. The strokes are constant and Ujjaini grasps your attention delivering the lines with that innate sense of pathos. The Keys and Strings also keep the background occupied and Joy Nandy's timely intervention on the Tabla. The interlude has some strong harmonies and the Piano. Ujjaini owns this track, as she explores the ends of her vocal range with immaculate ease. To sing a song with an emotional connection and at the same time, sing it with adequate improvisations and vibrato are what make this a superior vocal performance. The outro with her free-flowing aalap is praise-worthy. The track is mixed and mastered by Debojit Sengupta. Somraj Das is the lyricist.  @ujjainimjee_official @barenyasaha @zeemusicbangla @spontaneous _somraj2. Ninnadu NodidaMusic: Arjun Janya  Singer: Sonu NigamLyrics: KavirajLanguage: KannadaGenre: Filmi MelodyArjun Janya is probably one of the most consistent film music composers and it is quite a rarity that someone scores such good songs with this incredible frequency. He ropes in Sonu Nigam, and there are not too many who can make a song sound this beautiful with just his/her vocal construct. It is like Sonu only keeps getting better and the love he gets from the Kannada audience is well-deserved. David Selvam is terrific at playing the acoustic guitars in the beginning, and he also is the one playing the bass and electric guitars. He also sizzles thanks to a lion's share of contribution to the output of the song, playing the Violin, Viola and also handling the Keys and Rhythm programming. Kannada music serves up a lot of melodies that stay close to the classical Raga influence and format, but this one is fresh and breezy and the interlude humming with the guitars in the background is proof of that. The backup vocalist is on fire with his fabulous humming in falsetto. The stanza takes a delightful turn after the first lines, as Arjun loads up the melody quotient. Here we hear the Violin and Viola played by David with the Cello by Seenu and Double bass by Ramachandran. At the end of the first stanza, just pay attention to Sonu breathlessly singing the Classical swaras at breakneck speed. When we get to the outro, the same notes that Sonu sang come onto the Violin. N Ramanathan the music co-ordinator and the track is mixed and mastered by David Selvam.  @davidselvam_official @sonunigamofficial 3. ShwasameLyrics - Vinayak SasikumarMusic - PS JayhariSingers - KS Harisankar, Nithya MammenComposed, arranged and programmed by PS JayhariAddn.Programming - Al NishadLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Filmi melodyIf last week had some stalwarts from the indie space lining up in the top 10 songs, this week it is some fantastic playback singers like Sonu in the previous song, and south Indian supremos KS Harisankar and Nithya Mammen on this Malayalam melody. PS Jayhari is the composer and the established Vinayak Sasikumar has penned the lyrics. This song is not just about the tune, or the singing, but also about the excellent array of live instruments and their perfect arrangements. Jayhari handles all the arrangements and programming as well, but there are some great contributions by other musicians who arranged and conducted the strings sections. The song begins with Harisankar's vocals and the mild Keys in the background. The sense I get is that there is either a Kalyani or Yamunakalyani Ragam influence in the notes. Let us not forget the wonderful chorus too, which is formed of vocalists Amal Antony Agustin, Alexeena Shymon, Aarya Janardhanan, Jyothis Varghese, Gineesh KM, Vyjayanthi PS, Sreehari Warrier, Mejosh Joshy and Sariga Chandran of VOXOSAAA Vocal Ensemble. Amal Antony Augustun conducts the chorus. Hari just soars higher with the title line singing in the high pitch and we hear the strings section in full flow thanks to Cochin Strings involving Francis Xavier, Carol George, Josekutty, Herald Anthony and Francis Sebastian. The interlude has the flute solo by Nikhil and it is heart-warming, Sanu PS accompanies on guitars. The wait to hear Nithya is over and as the stanza opens up, she embellishes the track with her sweet voice. The composition is so rich with a long and winding stanza and PS Jayhari needs to be applauded for that. Sravan Krishnakumar has arranged all the strings and played the Cello. The part towards the end with Hari improvising on the title line, and Nithya humming in the background shows the abilities of these vocalists. The recording engineers are Sai Prakash, Shiju Eediyatheril, Ajay KJ and Akshay Kakkoth. The track is mixed by Balu Thankachan, assisted by Hariharan and Paul Daniel, and mastered by Shadab Rayeen. Is there anything better to hear than when Nithya sings like this? That is the feeling I get when she sings the Pallavi and Anu pallavi. @harisankar_ks @nithyamammen @alnishad @shiju_ediyatheril @sravan.krishnakumar @cochinstrings @shadabrayeen4. Maahi Ve Lyrics, Composition & Production: Dhidipon Dowarah

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 29th January 2023. We have 9 indie songs and 1 film song in this list and at the top of the charts is a brilliant song that is bound to move you. 1. Dil Da PechaProduced by Semwal & AgaazzLyrics by Hemant VijhLanguage: PunjabiGenre: Synth PopI know Semwal as a guy who, a couple of years ago impressed me with a mindblowing album "Elephant in the room" which had 4 amazing songs at least. I have been waiting for his next big thundering track and here it is. When I listen to so many songs, I tend to have an inkling about which of these 400 songs will make it to the very top. I got that feeling for this song for sure. Punjabi hip-hop and melody and bhangra is probably the most popular and frequent style of music released every week in India, yet very few qualify under my metric system of rating music. So even before we analyse this song I want to congratulate Shubham Semwal and Agaazz( Arjit Singh) for producing this Synth Pop wonder and showing the way and inspiring young musicians. Many songs are set in this style because I was born in the 1980s, I tend to fall in love with this genre which was famous globally at that time. But what sets this song apart is the underlying notes, chord progression, scintillating guitars and synths and for this, we have to credit Sushant Joshi on synths and Ameen Singh on guitars. The moment the guitars start and the rhythms and keyboards get introduced, it is irresistible and you have to get up and dance. Semwal is on fire singing with a cool attitude and unabating energy in his voice. The joy of listening to the bass guitars and harmonies in the background brings a smile to my face. I love how the drift happens when he sings " Main na dil da Pecha Laona" and even more satisfying notes as they move within the lines "Nave Sajan utto naviyan gallan" and finally one more beauty in the concluding segment of "man taan naveyan vich purana". This is not run-of-the-mill, and Arjit and Semwal have done a brilliant job. The track is mixed and mastered by Vic Cuccia. @semwalmusic @agaazz_music @hemantvijh @viccucciamusic @dopameen23 2. Breathe Vocals, Lyrics, Music: Kamakshi KhannaLanguage: EnglishGenre: Pop/BalladThis is a special week with many stalwarts back on the bandwagon with some terrific music. If it was Semwal at number 1, Kamakshi Khanna makes a statement and delivers an important message on mental health as well through her latest single 'Breathe'. The only reason this song comes in at number 2 is that it lost by a whisker to Semwal's single. Kamakshi who I interviewed last year promised me and all listeners that all upcoming new releases will be fraught with loads of live instruments and some solid production. Just as we were promised, listen to this and enjoy the power of music, as it slowly rises like an ember turning into a conflagration. Kamakshi has sung, written and play the Ukulele and the galaxy of live instrumentalists glorifies this track. It is just the peaceful sound of the Ukulele and her high-pitched vocals that drive the song forward. Slowly we hear the Piano by Tarana Marwah, and bass guitars by Adil Kurwa. Everything else stops and becomes a distant dream when Ajay Jayanthi plays the Violin Solo and then all the strings in the later stages. I love the notes as well as the execution and there is no better instrument than the Violin to deliver a serious message like mental health. As the song progresses, it transforms into a ballad/pop style from just being a sombre ballad at the start. Karun Kannampilly plays the drums and Apurv Isaac is on the acoustic guitars. I can feel the pain and desperation when Kamakshi sings "I'm just trying to find peace of mind". Gaurav Raina does a fine job mixing the different elements. The last 1 minute or so is a symphony of vocals and all instruments to up the ante and Ajay, Karun, Adil, Tarana and Apurv steal the show.  @kamakshikhannamusic @komorebi.music @karunk @lala_music @a_diilla @groovio @ajayjayanthi @exchangemastering3. Stuck up Composition, Lyrics, and Vocals: Neha KarodeMusic Production: Rupjit Das Language: HindiGenre: Indie PopDidn't I just say that we have a great line-up of stars in this week's countdown? Here comes one of my favourites, Neha Karode and she too had a wonderful discussion on her singing career, working for Anurag Saikia, and creating amazing fusion music when I interviewed her last year. But I am happier now that Neha now comes up with an original composition and there is nothing that falls short of expectations. Neha writes some excellent lyrics clearing standing up and saying "You are the one who's stuck up". This Jazz/Pop song has a good underlying melody and Neha just smashes home run after home run when it comes to her vocals. Feel the presence of the bass guitars by Prince Gogoi, and electric guitar strumming by Jobin David. It is an English Jazz/pop song alright but the structure is very similar to an Indian film song that has the demarcated opening verse, and then the stanza. As we have seen before Neha collaborates with Rupjit Das as the latter produces this song with wonderful and apt arrangements and programming. The highlight is the segment in the stanza that goes "If you ease up a bit, pour out your heart and submit" with some fantastic strumming on guitars and rhythms. Rupjit is the mixing and mastering engineer and Mrinal Kanti Das is the recording engineer at Playhead Studio. @nehakarode_music @princegogoi722 @jobindavid @rupjit_playheadstudio @mrinalkanti.das.334 @playheadstudio  4. MagizhiniComposed & Produced by Rini and Shakthisree GopalanLyrics: Shakthisree Gopalan & Rajesh SridharLanguage: Tamil/EnglishGenre: Jazz FusionShaktisree Gopalan moved to NY City after graduation from Berklee College of Music. She is being missed in the Tamil Indie as well as Kollywood music scene. But when we live in the post covid world of digital innovation, one can score music from anywhere in the world, record it from somewhere else and have a vocalist living 1000 miles away, yet everything comes out like a perfectly mixed hot cappuccino. The song is composed and produced by Shaktisree and Rini. The lyrics have both English and Tamil sections and they are penned by Shaktisree and Rajesh Sridhar. The moment we get the instruments playing the notes, I got a sense that maybe there is some Nalinakanti Ragam in the tune. Rini vocally performs the Swaras, and this is the first time I am hearing and reviewing Hairini Raghavan a.k.a. Rini who is NY based singer, composer and violinist. Shaktisree's English lines are so endearing and soothing like a balm on a burn. Her vocals and delivery act as a perfect compliment to Rini's energetic lines in Tamil. We have some amazing live instrumentalists here like Marco Bolfelli on Guitar, Maxime Cholley on Drums, Marcelo Maccagnan on Bass, Carrie Frey on Viola, Thea Mesirow on Cello. All these amazing musicians are band members who work and tour with Rini. In fact, I am excited to see her and the band perform live in Mumbai on Feb 23rd. The song is a creative force of bringing in a classical Car

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 22nd January 2023. We have 5 indie songs and 5 film songs in this list and at the top of the charts is a brilliant song that is bound to move you. 1. Toot Hi GayaProducer: Durgesh R RajbhattComposer: Durgesh R RajbhattLyricist: Saaveri VermaLanguage: HindiGenre: Filmi Melody When we hear some great music, it conquers everything, and I just surrender to the beauty of the melody straightaway. It is even more satisfying when it comes from the least expected quarters, say like Bollywood. One such album in January has been 'Chhatriwala' and it has multiple composers but it works pretty well. Durgesh R Rajbhatt is the composer and producer for this song that breaks your heart thanks to the melody and singing. Himani Kapoor is just unbelievable with her vocals, as she gets every element of the pathos spot on. Himani was solid in 'Me Vasantarao' for the song "Tere Dar se" and here she is once again showing her sublime singing skills. Saaveri Verma's lyrics have an equally magnificent impact. Durgesh not only composes but sings it like a dream after the initial lines by Himani. The use of the Tabla and Harmonium even while synths are being used and programmed is a wonderful combination. The interlude has some fast-paced acoustic guitars and strings sections executed and it stays brief moving into the stanza. It just keeps getting better with some solid vocals, the Sarangi and brilliant arrangements of instruments. I love how the stanza starts off with the guitars and when the lines repeat, they fade off and what we hear more is the Tabla and Sarangi combination adding immense delight. The way the stanza ends is another highlight of the track having both vocalists singing in two different layers. The change of pitch is subtle and creative. The song bears some similarities to the wonderful track "Dil K Gehna" by Rajat Nagpal and Yasser Desai released in 2022. Durgesh had impressed me last year with a fantastic indie single called "Khat", so it was just a matter of time before he came up with something awesome again.  @kapoorhimani @zeemusiccompany @durgesh_r_rajbhatt @thesaaveriverma 2. Jaane Phirse Kaise (2022)Composed, Written and Produced by Keshuv HuriaVocals by Vidhya Gopal, Keshuv HuriaLanguage: HindiGenre: Pop-Melody fusionKeshuv is one talented musician who came out as a very distinguished student from KMMC run by AR Rahman. This is not the first time I have featured his music, and he seems to be growing from strength to strength. This very EP has a couple of very good songs and I did feature a song "Teri Meri Kahani" which featured Sumedha Karmahe, and Keshuv has roped in some fantastic singers for the songs like Hansika Pareek. This one has another renowned singer who is quite suited for anything even remotely classical. Vidhya Gopal is the female lead vocalist Keshuv has written, composed, performed and produced this ravishing song that impressed me the most for its trajectory and stricture that never even sounded run-of-the-mill for a minute duration. Lascid plays the guitars and Dotaara and the talented Reena Gilbert is the mixing and mastering engineer. The vocals are endearing and we have a faint Violin, Guitars and Keyboards. Vidhya and Keshuv combine and start performing the vocals in Harmony and the eerie pathos element is sustained. In the stanza, I love the line "kal ko hum jo, rahe na rahe, rahega sada yeh afsana". Vidhya sings with just restrained control and she also delivers in the lower pitch. The outro on Keys is quite interesting and has that resemblance to the "Forrest Gump" OST soundtrack right at the beginning when the feather moves around in the air in the opening shot. The artwork is by Mriganka Bhuyan.  @keshuv_huria @vidhyagopal.musical @lascid_ @reena.gilbert @a_m_o_r_f_o_s3. Better Place (2022)Performed by Bulli Bainbridge, Shalmali KholgadeWritten by Bulli Bainbridge, Juhi SharmaProduced by Bulli BainbridgeLanguage: EnglishGenre: BalladThis EP 'Seasons' had some enjoyable music and the ones I loved the most are 'Betterplace' and 'Monochrome' featuring Shalmali Kholgade and Nushious respectively. Bulli Bainbridge a.k.a. Zain Calcuttawala is the composer and producer and he writes this tailor-made song for Shalmali. Juhi Sharma has penned the lyrics along with Zain. The violins, violas and Piano give an enraged entry like the way the curtain rises before a Broadway musical. Zain does a brilliant job producing this track and Shalmali is equal to the task. The strings section drops in intensity and after that, it is the Piano we also hear the adrenaline drop for Shalmali and all of it is intended. But just when she delivers the line " But without a sound, I scream" she ups the ante aided by the intense strings in the background. The harmonies @shalmiaow @andrewtmackay @siddharthbasrur @raghavmeattle @nushious @bohemiajunction @juiekablooey4. Another AvenueWritten and Composed by David BrittoProduced, Mixed and Mastered by Jason D'SouzaVocals by Riya Duggal Language: EnglishGenre: Synth-pop David Britto makes it a hat trick now with 3 consecutive singles being featured among India's best weekly music, but I can confidently say that this is his best work yet. This synth-pop beauty is written and composed by David, with production by Jason D'Souza. Riya Duggal is on fire and the vocals do the lion's share of pulling the song into a higher orbital of quality and likability. The lead guitars, bass and Keyboards are scintillating right from the start, but you do feel the magnetism when Riya sings "when your eyes intertwine with me, my oh my". The backing vocals support well but the song gets a good shift with the heavy Keys and Riya goes "Do I need to spell it out". I get the feeling David has given the entire gamut of creative freedom for Riya to explore her vocals and delivery these lines devoid of shackles. The lines might be the same but Riya has got different ways of executing them vocally, singing with a different style and an attached vibrato every time. The use of drums, rhythms and harmonies keep the interest intact. The DOP is Erika Besterwitch and all the art direction is by Tanvi Shah. @dave_arrows @jasonmxaudio @the_duggal_gal @bestie.erika @tanvi_joel 5. Maati Ko Maa Kehte Hain

Here are the best Indian songs of last week. There is some terrific debut by some musicians, especially check out the top ranking track sung by Shankar Mahadevan.  A few songs in this list are from the last month of 2022. 1. Meri Khushiyon KaMusic Composer: Sathish Nair Arranged & Programmed by: Vijayan Vincent Lyrics: Rashmi ViragLanguage: HindiGenre: Filmy MelodyI was puzzled when I heard this song in Hindi, wondering how and when did Bollywood start making such good songs. I was almost certain that this a south Indian song and I turned out to be right. The song is from a movie called "Regina" which is being made in Tamil and dubbed in other languages. Nowadays the trend is to release music in multiple languages with various singers. I loved the Shankar Mahadevan version in Hindi to Sid Sriram's versions in Tamil and Telugu for the simple reason that Shankar is a far superior vocalist. In-fact the song sounded very much like a Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy melody that the trio were experts in back in the 2000s. It is his outstanding voice that drags you deeper into the song but never you forget to pay attention to the plethora of background instrumentals. Sathish Nair makes a lasting impression as the composer, and his aide Vijayan Vincent must be equally appreciated for the arrangements and programming because this song is elevated thanks to its arrangements of the Strings section. Balaji & Team plays the Strings with Cynthia on the Solo Violin, Viji on the Cello, Selvaraj on the Double Bass. The way Shankar sings "Sach kehta hoon, meri duniya hai tu" and it feels like listening to that great song "Maa" from 'Taare Zameen Par'. I can hear the brilliant woodwinds in the background as well in the anupallavi section. Bruce Lee Mani plays the acoustic guitar and Alaap Raju is the bassist. The Solo Violin catches your attention in the interlude reminding us of songs like "Poove Sempoove" by Maestro Ilaiyaraja. It is closely supported by acoustic and bass guitars. Vijayan and Sathish handle the Keys and Rhythm programming. The lines "raat bhar jag ke" clearly sounds like the lines "kadhal devadhaiye" from the song 'Germaniyin Senthaen Malare" by Ilaiyaraja. Senthil Prasath is the recording engineer and Hari Shankar has mixed and mastered the track. Let us not forget to applaud Rashmi Virag for the brilliant words. @msathishnair @vincent_vijayan @shankar.mahadevan2. DardArtist: Asim Azhar  Music Composer: Kumail Abbas, Hassan Ali, Asim Azhar, Qasim AzharLyrics: Kunaal Vermaa Music Producer: Qasim Azhar Language: HindiGenre: Indie popThe song immediately impressed in a jiffy it started with a pretty mundane line, and then the next line that follows stuns you. Azim Azhar is a vocalist, who goes solo on vocals but the melody is composed by Kumail Abbas, Hassan Ali, Asim and Qasim Azhar. The opening lines tell you the whole story in a nutshell and that is the prowess of lyricist Kunaal Vermaa. "Bhale roz rulaana, hasaa bhi de naa". The best line that transforms into something brilliant is" sau dafa rootho toh ek bar mana bhi lena", it gets a kicker from Asim's throbbing vocals, lead abd bass guitar notes in the background and those interesting rhythms. Dilawar Hussain plays the guitars and a big round of applause to Qasim for his outstanding production. There are additional vocals in the background too and it is just cool and catchy as a whole package. The track is mixed by Chris “TEK” O Ryan and mastered by Joe Bozzi. I love how all the frills come to a pause in the stanza and it is just the guitars and the vocals that glide through. The delivery here in the first set of lines is with a classical flavour and immediately the notes shift into something modern with a pop twist in the line "kya zyaada maangte hai".@asimazhar @kunaalvermaa @qasimazharofficial 3. Raat (2022)Sung, composed & written: Shrinidhi Ghatate Music Production: Rhythm Shaw Language: HindiGenre: Indie PopShrinidhi Ghatate is upping the ante now and after a phenomenal English single called "Wildflower" two weeks ago now it's a Hindi track. The versatility of Shrinidhi is on full display here and she so easily shifts the style of delivery from coolness to caution. Rhythm Shah plays the guitars and produces this track. Shrinidhi has written, composed and performed this track with such fine elegance. The keyboard programming and vocal harmonies stand out and the line that sticks to my mind is "madhoshiyan, khamosiyaan sama hai raat ka". The lead guitar solo just past the 2nd minute creates a very different tone in the interlude and from there on, even the stanza sounds different from the opening and title lines. Pankaj Borah does the mixing and mastering. The label is Ahaibam Records. @rhythm_shaw @pankajborahb @dusshbag @ahaibam_records @shrinidhighatate4. Fool Artist: Emmanuel de Noronha Lyrics: Emmanuel de Noronha Producer: Emmanuel de NoronhaThis 21-year old multi-instrumentalist and producer from Goa goes solo on this one and comes out a winner in all aspects. Emmanuel de Noronha has written, composed, produced and sung this endearing single called 'Fool" and from the very first notes on the Piano, you are bound to fall in love with one. Soon enough, the brilliant backing vocals and humming join in along with some terrific synths. The drums are a great introduction when Emmanuel sings " I was only good until I let you go". The song feels like listening to Rick Astley and some of his great singles like "Never gonna give you up". The bridge section came as a good surprise and I loved how the pitch of the song shifted gradually through the bridge section rather than being abrupt. @emmanueldenoronha5. Enlightened! Written, Recorded Produced by Rounak Maiti Language: EnglishGenre: Synth-popThis Bengali boy from Mumbai moved to Los Angeles for his education and has been around since 2011 this multi-instrumentalist impresses massively with this new single. The track is written, composed, produced and performed by ROunak Maiti. The song represents all the brilliant synth-pop music I grew up listening to in the 1990s. It felt a lot like "Take my breath away" by 'Berlin'. I love the writing as Rounak sings "Bring me an empty canvas, so I can recreate the space between your eyes". The notes deviate nicely into something more unexpected with the lines " Another reason to hot the killswitch again". The track is mixed by Sanjay Das and mastered by Matt Jeffries. The label is Pagal Haina Records. @rounakmaiti 6. Jhoom Le Tu (2022)