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Chords and Notes
TELUGU
Hungama... Madhura Entertainment... Rs. 27
S.V. Krishna Reddy's music is not earth-shatteringly unique or out of the ordinary. It's just simple and gels with the theme of his film. So it is this time as well. Neither great shakes nor too creative, but, at the same time, it's kind of cute.
It is a pity that after Mayalodu and Yamaleela, barring Pellam Oorelithe, S.V.K. hasn't really come out with soul-stirring music. Hungama is just one of those regular albums with simple-sweet music and simpler lyrics.
The album starts with Manikya veena by Jassie Gift and Sujatha with a mix of late Ghantasala's rendition. Chiru chiru choodara, Bandira idi bandira are cute, the latter mainly because it kind of hints at the cast (where two comedians are in the lead). Looks like S.V.K. kept in mind the image of his heroes while composing this number.
On the second side, the album has Mutthamma Muthamma - a Bhuvanachandra number by Manikya Vinayakam and Matangi and Madana Madana, besides the repetition of Manikya veena. Too many refrains, right! But there certainly is some amount of beauty to it. Okay album.
HINDI
Teri Chahat Mein... Times Music... Rs. 65
This album by aspiring singer Manisha Agrawal is about emotions, longing, passion and love. But it has no novelty to it. Almost everything has been listened to before. The album opens well with Aankhein Meri. The song has a soothing pace to it and can be tried on a long drive. Rest is all routine stuff and has very dated feel to it.
CLASSICAL
Shankaragamala - A Celebration of the Maestro's Music by his Disciples... Music Today... Rs. 225
This three-volume set contains 28 ragas, which have either been created by sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar or "organised," as he says, altered, by him in such a way that they became popular and established a trend in their new form. Vocalist Lakshmi Shankar has also contributed a song in the raga Parameshwari. Other disciples of Ravi Shankar who have performed include Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (slide guitar), Gaurav Mazumdar, Partho Sarathy, Shubhendra Rao, Anoushka Shankar and others.
Beginning with Anoushka's rendition of the raga Gangeshwari, with deep and sonorous notes, it goes on to Bhawani Bhairav by Partho Sarathy and the sweet Bairagi Todi by Deepak Choudhary. The first volume ends with a lilting rendition of Rajya Kalyan, again by Anoushka.
At the beginning of Volume 3, the composition Rasiya, which Ravi Shankar prefers to call a dhun (tune) rather than a raga, played by Shubhendra Rao on the sitar, brings back memories of some of the most alluring pieces that enshrined the maestro in the hearts of music lovers.
There is also the stirringly sweet Jogeshwari played by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
The set is accompanied by an informative booklet listing not only the names of the compositions and resumes of the artistes, but also Ravi Shankar's remarks on some of the ragas and how they came to be created. The compositions are collected from recordings made across the years in various situations and locations, and mastering must have been a challenge for sound engineer Barry Philips, also disciple of Ravi Shankar and a cellist, who has performed the raga Palas Kafi in a duet with Anoushka. Tabla accompaniment has been provided by Bikram Ghosh, Akram Khan, Tanmoy Bose and several others.
This collection is more than a collectors' item or an attraction for the classical music enthusiasts alone.
With the variety of pieces, mostly short and racy, the music is likely to appeal to casual listeners too. After all, hasn't one of Ravi Shankar's great contributions been his introducing classical music to an uninitiated audience?
ENGLISH
Ray Charles... Silk Road... Rs. 450
This is a fine double pack of CDs featuring Ray Charles both in the studio and in a live performance. Some of his last performances, the songs are lively, unforgettable, moving, funny by turns. Their sheer vigour catches up with you in no time and the feet start tapping, the shoulders swinging to the beat. What I'd Say - a peppy number begins with Charles' masterful keyboard strokes. His mastery with the piano is also on display to great effect in the live recording.Favourites like the plaintive Angelina, the moving A Stranger in My Own Hometown, Georgia on my Mind are just a few of the riches in the second part, which provides more variety of mood. The first contains romance in all its moods. A great addition to a music lover's shelf.
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