Reggae Over India (Bombay
Bassment): Few bands make
good music as consistently as
Bombay Bassment. Every track
they ever put out is a veritable
explosion; one would think they
consider it a personal challenge
to make sure that no one can stay
off their feet while they play.
Two Goans, one Mumbaiker,
and one Kenyan continue
to play around with hip
hop, drum ‘n’ bass, funk
and reggae in their
new single. It's a
tribute to India’s
burgeoning
reggae
culture,
with Bob
Omulo/MC Bobkat
dropping Jamaican-
tinged rhyme in a voice
resembling heady shots of
tropical rum. Levin Mendes (
drums), Ruel Barretto ( bass),
Chandrashekhar Kunder/
Dj Major C (production/
sampling) frame those vocals
with perfectly-timed, adrenaline-
inspiring beats that fit right into
everyone’s weekend festival
plans. Perfectly placed are the
time-honoured themes reggae
favours - love, peace and
human unity. It is an instant
earworm, and deserves to
be a permanent fixture on
all of your should New
Year party playlists.
Mausam (Sadu): Remember
Aryans, the 90s indipop band
that gave us Ankhon mein tera
hi chehra and it's music video
starring a youthful Shahid Kapoor?
One of their vocalists, Sadasivan
KM Nambisan aka Sadu has
released a new single which can be
classified as a rock ballad - of sorts.
Here’s the thing. Sadu has an
admirably trained voiced which he
is able to apply with significant
skill. In Mausam, he sings
of bittersweet longing and
anticipation that is often a
synonym for love. But his
melodious crooning is
out of place with the
rock instrumental,
which against,
are very
well
done. The
song has become
a classic case of
two expertly created,
more than legitimate
worlds coming together
and not quite fitting in.
Nonetheless, it does carry
nostalgic value. Even though
Sadu’s voice would fit better in a
star-studded Bollywood romance,
it tugs at the heartstrings of anyone
who was a part of the indipop craze
(Colonial Cousins? Bombay Vikings,
anyone?) It is a warm, charming song
that is thoroughly uncomplicated.
It doesn’t require analysis. You
either like it or you don’t.
Apparently, Sadu intends to
revive “good music with
simple melodies and nice
lyrics.” While the indie
soundscape has plenty of
that to offer, Sadu is a
welcome addition.
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
23