Is it possible to take a pure, classical and time-tested genre of music, mix it well with another equally traditional genre and produce a coherent piece of composition? Hundreds of composers all around the world have asked themselves this question, some have implemented it, where as some never might have tried, for fear of failure.
Adnan Sami Khan (AS) shows us through this album, that it is quite possible. My opinion, after hearing to all the songs (except Best Friend) about 100 times, is that this is a commendable feat by AS. However, I do have to point out a negative point, which I will, towards the end of this review.
Adnan is by no means a stranger to fusion. He has been trained for several years in both Hindustani classical Music (under Pdt. Shiv Kumar Sharma), & in Western classical music through his education in London.
Rated as the fastest keyboard player in the world, & obsessively trying to learn the nuances of both the music genres, he has acquired skills that very few music directors possess. Before I go further, I want to make a distinction between what I am writing about his composing and his singing. More details will be given at the end of this review.
First, some general thoughts. I should admit that I was not a huge fan of AS initially. It was due to my dislike for his voice & also his earlier albums did not interest me much. However, seeing a wonderful review on Teri Kasam by Suresh on MS, I decided to check it out. Frankly, it?s been a while since an album has mesmerized me at the first hear itself. This one did! Firstly, the Indianness in the tunes bewildered me. There are several types of numbers, fast, slow, medium etc. All had a distinct Hindustani flavor to it, at the same time it?s been well fused with western music. I have a lot to write, hence Let?s go!
Chand Nikla
4.5/5.0
IMHO, this is a song that you have to add to your collection. Structured in pure Yaman Raag (Kalyan(i)), the song has beautiful orchestra, an elegant Chitraveena piece played by the Maestro VM Bhatt. The whole song is perfectly composed, but, I would like you dear readers to closely hear a few parts of the song.
First, the beginning. If you read my review on Swades album, I had mentioned about the way ARR has created the tonal congruence with Raag Charukesi. Here, Adnan creates the ?Yaman effect.? What is this Yaman-Effect? When you play this Raag, you elaborate the note ?Prati-Madhyam? (the higher pitched Madhyam, or Ma) (Please See comments).
Adnan intro?s the song with a diffused haze elaborating on the specific notes which give a distinct feel, again matching the tone with the ?feel? of the raag. He uses a hushed flute, e-sounds, a subtle piece of Chitraveena, a solo gamakam (slides)-ridden violin piece and Tabla. We are just talking about the first few seconds! The vocals are again supported by Chitraveena pieces.
The best part of the song is the first musical interlude. A flute plays three notes rapidly, setting a backdrop for an elegant Chitraveena piece. Pieces like that are rare nowadays in commercial albums, & has the sparkle of a gem. Pure, un-corrupted Indian classical performance, at its best! The third important part of the song is the ending. As Adnan concludes his vocals, and the violins take over, again tonally equating to Yaman. Look for a deep pause as the orchestra comes to a standtill, then again suddenly plays the notes ?Ni_ Re Ga? and leads us into a deafening silence. I think, what Adnan intends to show us by this piece is that inevitable sadness & silence associated with loneliness. Well done!
Tauba
4/5
This is another song which captured my attention from the first time I heard this album. Initiated by rapid chants of the word ?Tauba?, the song is composed by layering a Tabla rhythm over an e-guitar piece (?). Again the fast pace is well brought about by this song. When AS sings ?Sathiyon Se Tere?.? Look for a rapidly repeating e-sound intended to match the pattern of the chants ?Tauba-Tauba??. Another great orchestration example is in the first charanam, when AS sings ?Is Ada Ka?..? after the first line, flute is used, and then, after the second line Sax is used. This again shows his ingenuity (matching western-eastern wind instrument-counterparts, Sax-Flute). Second charanam is sung differently, with the first lines sung without any rhythm. There are atleast 10-15 small e-sounds sprinkled at the apt places to subtly assist the song. The song ending features some great acoustic guitar. Again, it is a well done song!
Mahiya
3.5/4
This song is of moderate pace, probably more towards the slow category. The rhythm is sufi-based (?). The raag seemed like Darbari (Pls Correct me if it?s not). Laden with heavy emotions, Adnan sings this song moderately well. The parts of the song which I liked the most is the first interlude. The initial Guitar-Rhythm is played above which a beautiful flute piece is layered. The sheer melody of it is amazing, but short lived. Sarod takes us over to the Charanams. The other segments seemed mediocre with occasional use of Sarod, Flute & orchestra at several places. I strongly believe that this song could have been sung by Udit.
Poocho
4/5
The starting of this number is similar to ?Shyam Dhal Rahi Hai? from the album ?Chahat? by Ali Haider. Maybe it?s just coincidence. The number is again laden with heavy emotions. Accented well with Sarangi (Us. Sultan Khan), the song is richly composed, especially the charanams. The rhythm is almost entirely Tabla. Again, I wished Sonu Nigam sang this song.
Kabhi Kabhi
3/5
Again, a song composed elegantly in Raag Madhyamavati (or is it Abheri/Bhimpalasi?). Both these Raags are very similar to each other, & hence I could not differentiate. A wonderful Santoor-Flute pattern is played in the first interlude. The charanam is sung with really intense emotion, & sometimes goes into overdose!!! The second interlude interestingly is composed in Bhairagi (Revati; Please see comments).
Kasam
3.5/5
This song seemed mediocre. Rhythm is offbeat, with e-sounds, paused Tabla. Though I felt the tune as mediocre, the song is well done orchestrally. For example hear to the lines ?Is Raat Ko Dham Lo, (flute) Saari Khadiyan Thod Do (Violins)? The instruments given in paranthesis impart a unique soft-melodious feel to the lines. For some reason I loved the unplugged version. I felt that Adnan has sung that one right from his heart. Good thinking & well sung!!!
Pal Do Pal
3/5
Right out of a Hindi oldie, the song is again mediocre when compared to the other one. It also features some great solo violin interludes.
Overall I felt that this album was composed excellently. Whether you like the tunes or not, this music is rich, both in terms of the number of instruments, and also the way Adnan has fused them & the genres together. I seriously think that he should give more serious thought to composing. The one and only critique I have is however, that he should prefer others to sing. Except for Kasam (Unplugged), I felt that professional playback singers like Hariharan (Chand Nikla), Sonu & Udit should have sung. Anyway, its not my call, I wonder it is even his??? Please see comments section for some more details on the Raags used.
