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Kabhi Khushii
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Vedic Chant is back in a mature, confident avatar
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NOVEMBER 1999. Kya Hai Yeh Jadoo, Vedic Chant's debut album, is released and soars to number three on the Indipop charts within a month of its release. It also hits the number one spot on the radio stations in the Middle East. A few months later, the band gets featured in the soundtrack of India's first 3-D Video Game, Yodha-The Warrior, in the song, "Mere Desh Mein".
After a hiatus of four years, the band that put forward a new concept of fusion by combining electronic accomplishments with Indian chant-lines, is back with its second offering, Khushii, (Times Music, CD, Rs. 195).
But, why did the band take so long to release its second album? Sidharth Sharma, producer-cum-composer of the group, says, "We took our own time to write each song as we didn't want to rush and make a mess of it. I guess the effort shows in the album."
Khushii has eight tracks, which run through a gamut of moods and emotions. The first track, "Zameen Aasmaan", is aggressive and features some heavy-duty guitar works. Reflecting optimism and energy, the lyrics go, "Hum Ko Nahi Yaar Darna, Dil Jo Kahe Wo Hi Karna".
"The song is about making an energetic and enthusiastic statement. As a band, it reflects our idea of being here to stay," says Sidharth.
The video single, "Dooriyan", is melodious and has a breezy feel to it. The video of this hummable song has been shot around Kharjat near Mumbai. Compared to the other songs of Vedic Chant, this track is slower, but the pleasant melody surely does the trick. "We have tried a little experimenting with tracks like `Dooriyan', but when you listen to the folksy `Mehaki Mehaki', you will get the feel of the other side of Vedic Chant," says Sidharth.
Also part of the troupe are Suhaas, Bernard, Gopaal, and Chandresh.
Suhaas composes music, writes lyrics and "simply adores Shankar Jaikishen and R.D. Burman". Bernard is the bass guitarist, who has grown up listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin and Police. Gopaal is on the drums, and does percussion programming, while Chandresh is the lead guitarist of the group, and occasionally helps by providing backing vocals.
With Kya Hai Yeh Jadoo, people noticed their unique blend of music, and with Khushii, the group projects a mature, serious, and meaningful blend of music. Considering the fact that the band has achieved this feat in its second album itself, it would not be too wrong to expect these guys to join the race to be India's best band.
"We are here to make a difference and be noticed we have arrived (again), and will stay for a long, long time to come," is the unanimous mantra of the group.
A. VISHNU
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