Songs of 2009- (1)

Okay so I'm terribly sorry to the people who actually read this blog, that I haven't written for a year.

2009 wasn't the best of years for myself, and there was something going on every second consuming my mind and soul. I am so glad that it's over and I plan to craft this year my own way. Anyway this post isn't about the negativity of 2009 but of the positives. Comparatively I actually didn't listen to a LOT of music last year. But here's a take of some of the favourites.

2009 began with AR Rahman's "DELHI 6" Rahman songs need no elaboration, each one is a piece of art, Masakkali, Genda Phool, Bhor Bhai etc all played a big role in the soundtrack of my life. But the highlight of the album was Rahman Saab's own voice in "Rehna Tu"- sung about Delhi, in a way that perfectly describes your home, and if that wasn't enough Rahman played the most superb solo, that took my breathe away. As GF bhai said, if only we had the power to write such a beautiful tribute to Dhaka.
I couldn't help myself but add a bit of the lyrics of this heavenly song:

Rehna tu hai jaisa tu,
Thoda sa dard tu, thoda sukoon,
Rehna tu hai jaisa tu,
Dheema dheema jhonkha,
Ya fir junoon,

Tujhe chahun jaisa hai tu,
Mujhe teri baarish mein bheegna hai, ghuljaana hai,
Tujhe chahun jaisa hai tu,
Mujhe teri lapat mein jalna, raakh ho jaana hai..
Tu zakhm de agar,
Marham bhi aake tu lagaye,
Zakhm pe bhi mujhko pyaar aaye..

AR Rahman; like every year, dominates a fair share of my playlist. But this year I was in for a treat, he had released a special non film album called "Connections" a collection of songs he made for himself and may I say it is only in such albums, that you hear who he really truly is, full of rich Indian Classical instrumentals and others intense songs.

My favourites are "Mylapore Blues" a south indian blues song, and "Man Chandre" featuring the intesnely beauitful vocals of Sukhwinder Singh, but the highlight for me was the voice of Shraddha Pandit in the first verse... those of you who haven't hear this one, you MUST.

Kishon Khan's project "Lokkhi Terra'- a world music project, released their album "No Visa Required" in England. The England version features Anusheh (from Bangla) and Aneire on vocals and a variety of London based musicians in the album. The version to be released in Bangladesh will have a new outlook to it with remixes and another singer Sohini's vocals (which will be reviewed next year :P) My favourite song is Naiya Re, maybe I'm biased, as I've performed this song with Lokhhi Terra or because it's the one that is most Bangali.


Guitarist/producer Rousseau Mannan is a good friend of mine, and while we were working on a new project (details later on), we were sharing music with one another. And he stumbled on this beautiful peice on youtube from a West Bengal film "Antaheen".


We later found some of the other tracks, Antohin and Muthor Rumal, piano based songs with some funky samples (i think?) and moving solos and lyrics; and in general great sound. But the tip of the iceberg was a song names "Shokal Ashe Na" by Sreya Ghosal, the perfect accoustic song with just jazzy sounding vibe, accoustic guitars, piano and Sreya Ghoshal's "allahdi" side..



Niraj Chag, a British producer whose music i really enjoy, released his second album "The Lost Souls"
My 2 picks from this song are "Trace" - a random with scattered sargams, beats and generally a very "Niraj" song, and "Sawaan"- a traditional Indian melody placed beautifully with Indian percussion but produced with the right strings/orchestration/bass to hit that note in my fusion loving place, allowing the rich Indian-ness to stand out amidst other complimenting sounds.