Aug 31, 2004 04:05 PM
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(Updated Aug 31, 2004 04:11 PM)
Violinist brothers Ganesh and Kumaresh's music album ''Colours of India'' was released at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Bangalore was picked up like hot cakes from music stores. Colours of India is largely based on Carnatic ragas but with the innovative touch of the brothers' own compositions, which they call ''raga pravaham''. You might also like to consider it like some kind of fusion music.
The first composition, titled Gambhira, is about a majestic India and set to raga Gambhira Nattai. The artistes call it a dedication to all those great martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Motherland. It makes a great short listening of around 4 minutes. The beats are nice and quite fast. I considered this as the second best composition in this collection.
Then comes Utsav. The number is in raga Suddha Dhanyasi and dedicated to Indian festivals.
Chanchalis about life in today's India, a play of contrasts and, yes, contradictions. Lord Ganesha's mouse coexists with the computer mouse and the tones of temple bells merge with the ringing tones of mobile phones.
Traditions merge with modernity and a vibrant new India is emerging.
Chanchal is set to raga Ranjani and explores the sparkle within the contrasting forces and energies that make up India.
Ahimsa is the brothers' own creation and is a prayer for harmony and peace.
Of course, our music and other art forms have romantic undertones and the next number is titled Taj Mahal, a symbol of everlasting love, fittingly based on raga Nalinakanti.
The final composition on the album is Colours of India which I personally liked the most. All the glittering diversity of the country, with its multiple languages, customs, traditions, dress, cuisine, festivity and the pursuit of the divine, comes together in melody. The composition runs for 24 fabulous minutes. Certain content from this composition will run down your spinal cord like an electric current.
I?m not a great classical music fan. Don?t have a collection as such. My collection is full of good meaning Hindi songs with a few ghazals of Jagjit Singh, https://geocities.com/teriyaadein. But then, ''Colours of India'' is a welcome collection for Muskaan, my home PC :-)
Who would like this? Someone who looks forward to usage of various musical instruments, especially Indian. Someone who appreciates melody would also like this album but then s/he might not like all the compositions. Anyone who is into Carnatic would like this CD. Fusion music buffs might like a few compositions. If you buy this cassette or CD, you won?t repent. That?s for sure.
Just so you know, if you live in Bangalore and are interested in exchanging and sharing music files (Hindi soft pop, melodious movie songs, touching painful ghazals, golden oldies or a few selected English songs like Enigma, please get in touch with me at saahil@rediffmail.com.
Enjoy the colours of India.
