This season, four musicians are devoted to giving your festive playlist a new flavour
Shreya Ghoshal. Pics/Instagram
Shreya Ghoshal
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Gulraj Singh’s track for Ganesh Chaturthi, Jaidev jaidev, has been rendered by Shreya Ghoshal. The number, backed by Merchant Records, releases today, and is the latest addition to the list of devotional tracks sung by the singer.
Gulraj Singh
“I was asked to create an orchestral arrangement for this aarti. There is a beautiful string segment from the Budapest orchestra. This was a great opportunity to collaborate with Shreya. We had wanted to create something of this order. She has done a phenomenal job,” says Singh.
Jonita Gandhi
I was approached to lend my voice to the female version of Ganeshay dheemahi, originally sung by Shankar [Mahadevan]. The song is so powerful that even mentioning its name evokes strong feelings,” says Jonita Gandhi, who also recorded the Sanskrit verses of the track. “Metering the Sanskrit lines was tougher than acing the lyrics.”
Revisiting a track that has found favour among listeners is no mean feat, says the singer. “But, I try to make the song my own, without robbing it of the elements that made it [popular], to begin with. I find it easier to emote for devotional songs, and this one [will] connect with listeners across all age groups.”
An original rendition, Nikhitaa Gandhi’s Man aangana marks her first attempt at singing a spiritual song for a festival. “I usually render western tracks. Only a few of my songs have been slow and soulful, like this one. When creating a song to make it suited for young listeners, one essentially needs to focus on production. We need to use fresh and relevant tones,” says the singer, who had previously released a rehashed version of another bhajan, Barse badariya, for the monsoon season. “[That did well] because we made it in a contemporary manner. But, I believe that the more traditional a song is, the more earthy it sounds.”
Suresh Wadkar
Suresh and Padma Wadkar, and Shreyas Puranik’s song, Gajamukha has been crafted to suit the sensibilities of young listeners. “It has been recorded with modern arrangements, and has many dance moments. That was essential since the young listener enjoys music that encourages him to groove. The festival also calls for something that is celebratory. This is a rhythmic take on bhakti geet,” says Wadkar.
In keeping with the desire to make it appealing for the young generation, Wadkar says they penned lyrics that were easily comprehensible.
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