Sony Music continues with the trend of getting together a music director, a lyricist and a singer to work on a project and then presenting an album. This one sees the coming together of Javed Akhtar, Alka Yagnik, Hariharan and Raju Singh.

The unconventional album exploits the theme of being in love without descending into the usual mush. “Yeh milap ka ras hai. You are already with the beloved and exchanging your feelings,” says Hariharan. The eight breezy romantic numbers are sensitively composed and sung. The album confirms the momentum duets are gaining in the Indipop genre.
What carries the compilation through is the simple orchestration, the emphasis on melody and the absence of jarring rhythms. The flute of Rakesh Chaurasia, a disciple of Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, works magic in the interludes.

The colloquial narrative songs Kya tumhe pata hai and Kya tumhe bhi tell the stories of a relationship. Akhtar’s poetry here is full of intensity. His simple mix of Urdu and Hindi lyrics adds a touching realism to the songs.

Hariharan’s improvisation is evident too. “It was all teamwork where we complimented each other,” he says. Yagnik’s soothing and whispery voice manages to capture the right emotions. She had earlier teamed with Akhtar and Singh for Tum Yaad Aaye, an album which sold well. “Singing for a film is easy but in a private album you have to ensure quality. We did our best. It took us 10 months to complete the project,” says Yagnik. “Singh belongs to the new generation of composers in Bollywood which has that special spark in them.”
Though the collection has shades of melody which have been heard earlier, the patchwork somehow manages to create the right tapestry of notes. Ideal songs for a quiet, sentimental evening.

—S. Sahaya Ranjit

Classic Gold
HMV;
Rs 70
Performances on 78 rpm discs are presented in this album.
A classic collection indeed.

Kajra Mohabbat-wala
Venus;
Rs 50
Remixes of old film songs by Sapna Awasthi, including Reshmi salwar
kurta jali ka from Naya Daur.

Namah Shivaya
Sony Nad;
Rs 55
Shiva mantras by Pandit Jasraj, Roopkumar Rathod and Hariharan.

Shiva Station
Free Spirit;
Rs 100
Chants from the Himalayas and the bauls of Bengal. The east-meets-west
sound is pleasing.

Na Tum Jaano Na Hum
HMV;
Rs 55
Singer Pamela Jain makes her debut. Promising voice. Rajesh Roshan leaves his stamp.

AMJAD ALI KHAN
“I Made the Sarod Sing”

Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his wife Subhalakshmi Khan have formed a music company, Bangash Music.

Q. Why have you formed a company?
A. We had archival recordings we wanted to share with the world. The first release, “Sarod for Harmony—Live at Carnegie Hall”, features my sons and myself. Subhalakshmi played the tanpura. We will release music from all over the world.

Q. Aren’t you promoting your sons excessively?
A. A Tata or a Birla is not going to promote any outsider as an heir to their company. They will first think of their sons. I don’t see anything wrong in it.

Q. How about promoting your disciples?
A. I’ve done that. In 1988 I presented my disciples along with 40 other sarod players.

Q. Can you name your disciples?
A. I don’t want to take names. It is up to the disciples to name me.

Q. Why haven’t you jumped onto the pop or fusion bandwagon?
A. The musical journey is a long one. I don’t want to run like a donkey or a horse. I would like to walk gracefully like an elephant and finally complete it.

Q. Do you wish to win the Grammy?
A. The Grammy is just a fight of numbers, records sold, etc. I hope to get an award for my contribution to sarod playing. I made the sarod sing.

—S. Sahaya Ranjit