Yohani ft Muzistar/ Manige Mage Hithe, Self-Released
This song is all over the place. First we had the Sinhalese rendition with Hindi rap. Then there were versions using Tamil, English and Bengali rap, besides other Hindi versions.
In the main version, Sri Lankan singer Yohani is joined by Indian rapper Muzistar, with music by Chamath Sangeeth. Sinhalese lyrics are by Dulan ARX, and three people are credited with the Hindi rap. The video is by Lokesh Verma.
The tune is extremely catchy, and Yohani’s voice has a schoolgirl feel, specially when she sings ‘sihiwewi’ and ‘ma’. Muzistar sings, “Lanka se tujh ko India laoonga”. The only fear right now, though, is of overkill.
Rating: 8/ 10
Chirag Todi/ Panodrama, Self-Released
A founding member of independent band Heat Sink, Ahmedabad-based guitarist-composer Chirag Todi teams up with vocalist Shreya Bhattacharya and lead guitarist Warren Mendonsa.
The title track of his EP Panodrama, it takes a nostalgic look at unusual cinema roles, using a jazz-rock influence and Jai Row Kavi’s supple drums. Warren’s guitar solo is expectedly brilliant.
“Every character doesn’t needn’t to be a star, your two-bit part doesn’t need a Kevin Hart”, sings Shreya. Point taken.
Rating: 7/ 10
Sangeeta Shankar ft Anwesshaa/ Tum Jo Miley Ho, Sangeeta Shankar Creations
The daughter of legendary violinist N Rajam and a marvellous player herself, Sangeeta Shankar now comes out with an album Humaari Kahaani, collaborating with different musicians.
The first song Tum Jo Miley Ho features singer Anwesshaa, whose sweet voice is heard on the lines “Tum jo miley ho, aisa lagta hai, pehle bhi kabhi miley ho”. The violin solos are superb, and Saurabh Khadikar is neat on tabla.
Sangeeta has released four videos so far, including Padhaaro Mhaare Des, which she’s sung herself. Singer Shweta Mohan, pianist Tejas RH and tabla player Ojas Adhiya appear on other tracks released so far.
Rating: 8/ 10
Mickey Singh & Jonita Gandhi/ Na-Na, Treehouse VHT
Having sung with A.R. Rahman, Vishal-Shekhar and Pritam, singer Jonita Gandhi has been quite prolific. She now does Na-Na, a duet with Mickey Singh.
It’s a typical Punjabi party number reminiscent of 1990s bhangra-pop. Though the music by Mickey and DJ Lyan is energetic, the whole tune is formula-driven, the kind one has heard often. Of course, one wonders why it needed four lyricists.
Directed by Jay Skilly, the video has been choreographed in filmi fashion, complete with red pool table and micro shorts. It’s fine for parties but that’s about it.
Rating: 6/ 10
Nilesh Patange/ Chal Diye, Self-Released
To his credit, Nilesh Patange has a pleasant voice and a smooth style of singing. His new song Chal Diye has been smartly orchestrated too, with good layers of sound.
The only drawback is that it’s yet another of those songs which talks of routes and destinations. Siddesh Patange’s lyrical structure is good, but he should be writing on less-hammered subjects.
The lines go, “Jaana kahaan hai, kahaan hai thikana, mujhe yeh nahin hai pata”. These were fine when Shaan and KK began their careers.
Rating: 6/ 10
Vineet Singh Hukmani/ WTF. Where’s The Fun? Self-Released
Over the past few months, Vineet Singh Hukmani has been singing on interesting subjects like vaccines to cure hate, prayer and time travel. Now, he releases a song on missing the big screen after lockdown.
Using popular cinema shots and superheroes, he talks about how people are missing the fun. If he’s earlier done rock (on Jab The World) and trap (on I Pray), he chooses a funk-pop style this time.
The video is a creatively-produced collage with recognisable characters. It’ll make people miss their Marvel and DC times, and their multiplex popcorn.
Rating: 7/ 10
Sur/ 5 Star Lovin’, Music Means More
Blending Hindi and English lyrics, singer-composer Sur talks of a person who’s wondering how to express his love on his new single. The song blends rhythm n’ blues, pop and funk to give a dance feel.
Written by Siddhanth Kaushal and Sur, the lines go, “You’ve got that 5 star smile, that 5 star lovin” and “Aa rahi hai tu ya main Aaron, rukey hue hai donon hi kyon”. The song tends to stretch in the middle.
Kartik Dengle’s video has been well-choreographed, using group dancers. Shruti Tuli appears with Sur, and the video is pretty youngster-friendly.
Rating: 7/ 10
Check the video here:
