Jan 04, 2014 12:43 PM
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(Updated Jan 06, 2014 09:16 PM)
The Indipop music scenario in the country is at an all time low as there is no demand from the market, which has become accustomed to only film music. Film music has an evident edge as it is promoted well and once stars lend their name to a song, it manages to grab many eyeballs instantly.
The situation is reverse in the case of singers bringing out their own albums. Now-a-days, big music labels too are not quite intent on supporting some of these unique independent albums by singers due to lack of returns. But, what one looks forward to in such albums is the creativity of artists, who get complete freedom to experiment with tunes, sounds and generally to showcase their unexplored talents.
Raghu Dixit is synonymous with blending folk music in mainstream songs and is a popular artist with his own brand of music and loyal fans. His first album "Antaragni" was a successful one which drew a lot of praise for the unique treatment meted out to the songs. His band Raghu Dixit project is also very popular not just in India, but also abroad. Dixit brings out his second album "Jag Changa" after a gap of many years. It's not just the title which draws attention, but also the varied collaborations in the album which makes it an enticing proposition. One expects a strong dose of Raghu Dixit brand of melody in this multilingual album and the bets are he wont disappoint.
The album begins with a Kannada song Parasiva which has lyrics by Raghavendra Kamat. Dollu Kunitha is a popular folk dance form of Karnataka which extensively makes use of a musical instrument called Dollu and Raghu precisely makes use of this instrument to great effect. The song is an appealing ode to Lord Shiva . Shehnai too makes an appearance in this song and the percussion instruments, the guitar riffs all add up to make a very fine beginning to the album.Raghu makes a typical full throated rendition which suits the song well and the Kannada lyrics by Kamath add some weight to the overall impact of the song.A trendy folk start!
My Rating:3.5/5
Wonderful guitar play begins the next song titled Rain song and this time it is a hindi song written by Neeraj Singh Rajawat. A few seconds into the song and the Sarod makes an appearance in the song and it sounds absolutely magical. Raghu delves deep into his classical base and comes up with an exquisite song.The Sarod Pakhwaj jugalbandi between 4.23 to 5.26 minutes is absolutely heavenly. Hear it to believe it! Dixit's deep vocals and the texture of his voice lend a lot of profoundness for the song and it is an absolute delight to listen to such a soulful number. The lyrics complement the ambience of the song impeccably and it is definitely one of the best songs heard this year. A big thumbs up to Dixit for this brilliant song. Let the rain not stop if it can be this soothing! Absolute gem.
My Rating:4.5/5
The title track Jag Changa arrives next. Neeraj Singh Rajawat again writes the https://lyrics. Raghu again plays with a wide range of instruments. This song creates an altogether different ambiance compared to the previous song. While the first 2 songs hook on to the listener instantly, this one will require a few hearings till it settles down in the mind. Dixit maintains an enjoyable tempo throughout the song and this is a track which is best enjoyed while driving in an upbeat mood.The singing too is engaging and it leaves a nice impression at the end backed immensely with some really lively arrangements.
My Rating:3/5
Bollywood lyricist Ankur Tewari writes the next song Yaadon ki kyari . Hawaain instrument Ukulele begins the song as Raghu begins his rendition accompanied by Melodica. He keeps a laidback background and lets his voice do all the talking here and it works. His deep vocals sound really classy and the slight folk touches add to the vibrancy of the song .This is the beauty of non film music as it allows the artists to experiment keeping aside most commercial aspects.It is not possible to hear such a genre in a film and kudos to Raghu for another good song, where he takes the listener down the memory lane. 4 songs have been heard till now and each sounds distinctly different from each other and only adds to the anticipation to listen to the next few tracks.
My Rating:3.5/5
Next is a Tamil song Amma written by Madan Karki. There is a fair usage of violins in the beginning and the tune instantly catches on. Dixit never ceased to surprise in the first 4 tracks and it continues here too.He is in total command whether in the mid or higher notes. The orchestration is markedly different from all the heard tracks and though this song does dip in the middle portions, Dixit's engaging rendition keeps one hooked on to the song. I could not make out the lyrics, but that's the beauty of good music! It knows no language. There is a fair sprinkling of dhols and drums too and overall the track leaves quite a nice impression, though one just wishes that the middle portions were taken a slightly better care .
My Rating:3/5
African folk instrument Banjo begins the next track Lokada Kaalaji and the extremely catchy beginning raises the excitement a few notches higher. Raghu makes use of the words of Santha Shishunala Sharif, a popular 19th century poet and philosopher of Karnataka. Dixit is a big fan of the poet and has used his lines in some of his older songs too.
This one turns out to be an out and out entertaining song and raghu modulates his voice to suit this song's requirement. He brings in the needed zest, energy and the rustic tinge to his voice here and the trumpets only add to the super vibrancy of this song which has an old world charm. Another big winner and this album is turning out to be fantastic. To those who don’t understand the language, just feel the quirky vibe and enjoy the song.
My Rating:4/5
Next up is Saajana written by Neeraj Singh Rajawat. It has a very serene beginning with the Sarangi playing alone for a good one minute before Dixit starts humming his lines, and what a classy rendition it is! He continues from where he left off in the rain song and makes an even better impact here. The brief flute piece truly mesmerizes and it is the Sarangi which dominates the entire proceedings here. It is a terrific composition indeed, but what makes it even better is the impeccable, heartfelt singing by the composer himself.
The grip he has on his voice is commendable and the way he modulates it for every requirement is what is exemplary. The lyrics are perfectly in sync with the mood of the song and all in all, it is one more huge winner in the album. A song which will remain in music afficionados' playlist for a long time! This one is on par, if not better than the rain song, but the splendid instrumentation of the rain song gives it a slight edge!
My Rating:4.5/5
The last song in the album is Kodagana Koli Nungitha with compelling lines of Santha Shishunala Sharif again. Violin, trumpet and saxophone are used well in the song and guitar and drums create a rock feel here. Compared to the rest of the songs, this one is quite mediocre and will appeal more to the listeners who are familiar with the works of Dixit.The song ends with a high pitched rock like rendition and as said before, this one might not be lapped up a lot of new listeners, while his traditional fan base will be quite happy with this song.The album had reached stupendous heights in the previous songs and so this one does not quite live upto that.
My Rating:2.5/5
Well, that was one amazing journey and what an album it turned out to be! Diverse genres, varied instruments, wonderful collaborations and truly brilliant singing combine to make Jag Changa a must listen! In English, the meaning of the album is "World is beautiful". The songs really does make one feel so. This also proves that music knows no boundaries and if a song has a soul, melody and its heart in the right place, it just connects with the listener.
There are songs for every season and every mood and especially the Rain song and Saajana are splendid in all aspects. The variety that Raghu Dixit has achieved here is praiseworthy and the album deserves to be hugely successful and is surely his best.Kudos to him for this piece of brilliance and to everyone involved in this unique album. If unconventionality is what you seek, if you yearn to listen to lilting music very different from what is churned out in movies and if soulful songs are what you want, give Jag Changa a try and I bet you wont regret it! This is some breathtaking stuff indeed. Highly recommended.
Overall Rating:4.5/5
