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A tuneful start

Soul music, countdowns and old favourites

The Breakthrough

Mary J. Blige/Universal

Touted as the new Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin, this high priestess of R&B adorned soul music with new textures and flavours.

Tough and beautiful, she became a street icon for girls with her debut What's the 411? in 1992 — a mix of modern R&B with an edgy rap.

Fourteen years later, the diva returns with her seventh album and with more melody. Guests on the album include Bono from U2 and The Game.

All the Hitz

Various /Universal

Year-end is definitely count down time.

Bon Jovi came out with his smiley album Have A Nice Day while Akon and Black Eyed Peas made hip-hop sound oh-so-cool.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air a.k.a Will Smith came back on the music scene as did Mariah Carey.

But the year belonged to Pussycat Dolls who spiced up the music charts with a teaser thrown across the counter.

Close on the heels of The Best of 2005, this is a second helping of 2005 hits. Lend an ear.

Sufi Splendour

Pathaney Khan/EMI

Pakistani singer Pathaney Khan is a sine qua non where Sufi music is concerned. Known for his Sufiana kaafis, he has influenced legends like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen. This rare release has some of Khan's gems in the traditional dialect that makes Sufi music distinct. A collector's album.

SYEDA FARIDA

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