Album: Mountain Trail
Artiste: Rahul Sharma
Available on: Music Today

True to its name, Rahul Sharma's santoor presentation Mountain Trail takes us on a trek to magnificent mountains where serenity lies every which way you look.

The first track ‘Shiva Linga – The Amarnath Cave’ gives the picture of mountains being the abode of Lord Shiva and goes on to incorporate the 'Om Namah Shivay' chant in it. ‘Kanchenjunga – Treasures of Snow’ has a folksy ring to it.

‘Darjeeling – The Toy Train’ with the 'chuk chuk' of the train in the background is all about a train ride through the lovely mountains. ‘Sunset in Shivalik Hills’ announces the end of a day beautifully. ‘Garhwal Himalayas- Shepherds and Nomads’ is a racy track, laced with the sounds of a percussion instrument, which introduces us to the folk music of mountains dwellers.

All the tracks have been composed by Rahul Sharma except for ‘Evening Prayer’ the credit for which goes to Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. Rahul has managed to give each track a distinct personality of its own which makes this album worth a buy.

Album: Mystic Dunes
Artistes: Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan
Available on: Music Today

Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan recreate the mystery of the desert with Sarod in ‘Mystic Dunes’. The tracks are ‘Sahara- Queen of Deserts’, ‘Solitude of the Caravan’, ‘Sandstorm's Fury’, ‘Melody of Ivory Bangles’, ‘Desert Dance’, ‘Shimmering Mirage’, ‘Palm Springs’ and the title track, all composed by the duo themselves.

Come face to face with the multi aspects of the desert… its music, its wrath, its dance, its secrets and the occasional oasis that it gifts you with, in this album.

Vocals are by Vijayprakash, Shilpa Rao, Dilshad Khan and Padma Wadkar. Additional vocals by Amaan and Ayaan; Sarangi- Dilshad Khan; Flute- Ashwin Srinivasan; Percussion-  Anupam Ghatak.

Album: Mystic Soundscapes Wind
Artistes: Rakesh Chaurasia
Available on: Music Today

The album has ten tracks, most a fusion of various instruments with flute commanding the scene. This nephew and shishya of flute maestro Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Charasia, who has contributed to jingles and Bollywood films, doles out tunes that are very familiar to the ear yet unheard. Vocals appear rarely.

The album has Ranjan on keyboard, Amitesh on guitar and Raja on percussion. Sukhdev Chaturvedi is responsible for the shloks and Gorisha and Preetisha for the vocals.

All the tracks have been composed by Rakesh Chaurasia barring ‘The Winds of Love’ which is an original track from the 'Elements – Wind' composed by Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.