Album: Hindustani vocal
Artiste: Shaila Bhandarkar
Available on: Sagar Music

Shaila Bhandarkar is a talented Bangalore-based Hindustani classical music vocalist and a disciple of  Pandit Vinayak Torvi of Kirana and Gwalior Gharana. She explores the Ahir Bhairav raga, an old early morning raga very well known through old film songs such as ‘Pucho Na Kaise’ and ‘Meri Bina Tum Bin Roye Sajana’ and many other songs. However, Shaila sings the traditional songs ‘Rasiya Mhara’ in ‘Vilambit ektal’ and ‘Pathiyane Likh Bhejo’ in ‘Drut teental’.

In raga Kamod she sings ‘Janmana Chand’ in ‘Vilambit ektal’ and ‘Kaare Janena Dungi’ in ‘Drut teental’. In another dawn raga ‘Sohini’, she sings ‘Abatuma Aaya’ in ‘Adha teental’. Shaila has chosen time-tested ragas and has rendered the songs skillfully.

Album: Mahamantra for Mahashakti
Artiste: Various
Available on: Times Music
The album consists of some of the greatest mantras sung in praise of our Hindu gods and deities by top artistes of the country. Chanting or listening to these mantras is said to promote harmony at all levels as it awakens the spiritual self for personal benefit and for the good of all others.

Shankar Mahadevan sings ‘Ganesh Dyan Mantra’, Asha Bhonsle sings ‘Shri Siddhivinayak Mantra’, Rattan Mohan Sharma sings ‘Sri Vishnu Mantra’.

‘The Ganga Mantra’, ‘Hayagreev Mantra’, ‘Shri Ram Mantra’, ‘Shri Durga Beej Mantra’, ‘Punyasvachan Mantra’, ‘Mangal Beej Mantra’ and ‘Om Satchidanand Parabrahma Mantra’ are sung by a chorus.

The popular ‘Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram’ is sung by Pandit Ajay Pohankar and chorus. Suresh Wadkar sings the ‘Shri Annapurna Mantra’ and the ‘Shanti Mantra’ is sung by Pandit Jasraj.In all there are 22 mantras.

Michael Patrao

Album: Drastic Fantastic
Artiste: KT Tunstall
Available on: EMI
2006 Grammy nominee for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and winner of the 2006 Brit award for Best British Female Solo Artist KT Tunstall is out with her new album ‘Drastic Fantastic’ (following her debut album ‘Eye to the telescope’, the tracks of which were used for various TV serials like ‘Ugly Betty’, ‘Gray’s Anatomy’ and ‘Will and Grace’).

The new album by the Scottish singer is priced at Rs 350 has been mixed by Michael H Brauer who has worked with Coldplay and The Rolling Stones earlier.

The tracks include ‘Little Favours’, ‘If Only’, ‘White Bird’, ‘Funnyman’, ‘Hold On’, ‘Hopeless’, ‘I don’t want you now’, ‘Saving my face’, ‘Someday soon’, ‘Paper Aeroplane’, and ‘Beauty of Uncertainty’. A good listen on the whole.
PH