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ENTERTAINMENT,
MUSIC
Numero
Uno of Latino
 |
| Noche
De Cuatro Lunas: Sony: Rs. 125 |
Julio
Iglesias has been quoted as saying that this album, his 77th so far, is
one of the best he's ever done. That's a debatable point for those who've
grown up on his rich, luscious voice. But in a half-decade that has seen
the emergence of a formidable Latino brigade-the phenomenon from Puerto
Rico, Ricky Martin, Julio's super-successful son Enrique Iglesias and
others including his other son, Julio Iglesias jr-Noche de Cuatro Lunas
is proof that the legend has survived. There's a youthful vein running
through this collection, and though much of that can be attributed to
the singer's still-young vocal chords belying his nearly 57 years, part
of the credit must go to the fact that a number of these numbers has been
done in collaboration with younger producers/songwriters in the industry,
among them Robi Rosa, the man behind Martin's La Copa De La Vida, Maria
and Livin' La Vida Loca. Despite the teaming-up, Julio has ensured
that the album retains his distinctive romantic-emotive style. From the
lilting Dia a dia and Te voy a contar mi vida to the more lively Gozar
la vida and Me siento de aqui, the songs have very evidently not been
sung with noisy discotheques in mind. Heartening news for Indian fans:
a likely visit from Julio later this year. "I don't believe in language
barriers because the emotion of love is universal," he once said.
Coming from anyone else, the quote could have been dismissed as a cliche.
But you don't do that to a man who has been recognised by the Guinness
Book for selling more records than any other musical artiste in history.
Buy Noche ... and remind yourself why.
-Anna
M.M. Vetticad
Chants
of Peace
Shanti Mantra I&II
Ashit and Hema Desai
Ninaad; Rs 75 each
More
than words, mantras are thoughts of great power. Ashit and Hema Desai's
double cassette set called Shanti Mantra has incantations of peace from
the Atharva Veda in raag Bairagi (the morning raga) and raag Yaman (the
evening raga). Volume I, for morning listening, is in raag Bairagi while
Volume II is set to raag Yaman. An excellent choral arrangement layers
the lead singers' voices. This album seems to have been inspired by Pandit
Ravi Shankar's Shanti Mantra which was composed specially for the Festival
of India in Moscow. Even the introduction has shades of Panditji's music.
Flautists Rupak Kulkarni and Vijay Tambe have provided excellent interludes.
For those who seek to begin or end the day with notes of peace, these
vedic chants may provide just that.
-S.
Sahaya Ranjit
Screen
Surf
The
just-released video of Annamika's song Aman ka Pujari is
the pop artiste's nod to patriotism in Independence Day week. Shot at
Delhi's Hauz Khas monument and featuring Kathak dancer Uma Sharma,
it's about the traditionally revered guru-shishya relationship. Interestingly,
the bonhomie in the video did not extend to the parties involved in the
album: the buzz is that there was an attempt to pull the video off the
air following a falling out between Annamika and her music company.
Off
Beat
Till
recently the music industry was clearly divided into two main groups:
companies that made software (music) and hardware producers who made the
CD and cassette players. And the two never transgressed their boundaries.
But all that seems to be changing now. With their huge international clout
and cash surplus, the hardware companies are busy expanding into software.
Sony is already into music production, distribution and sales in a big
way. Other hardware multinationals also plan to venture into the area.
This will definitely affect the smaller music company labels. They will
either be bought out or sink into oblivion. The bigger danger here is
that as both hardware and software go into the control of a few global
players, national and regional music will be adversely affected and be
subject to extra-national controls.
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