Calm to battle the storm

This is the kind of music anxiety runs away from.

Comfort music, like comfort food, is perhaps most necessary this year when all our lives have been turned topsy-turvy and we are all collectively scampering to find some solace, some strength. Instrumental music has long been my go-to for some consolation. There’s something about listening to a flute or a sitar in the background — the appeal perhaps lies in their refusal to intrude. They make solitude beautiful and loneliness tolerable.

In the mid-90s, when CDs and cassettes were still a thing, Music Today had come out with a brilliant series titled ‘Soundscapes’, a tribute to earth’s beauty. The five CDs featured the best of Indian classical musicians trying their hand at fusion. These included the likes of Hariprasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussain, Ronu Majumdar and Bhaskar Chandavarkar. Our favourite in this series was ‘Music of the Seas’ composed by Chandavarkar, a much-underrated genius. (Kannada movie buffs will remember him for the music of Vamsha Vriksha and Ondanondu Kaladalli, among others).

‘Music of the Seas’ effortlessly folds in every mood of the sea and expresses every emotion you are likely to feel about the ocean. From happy prancing on Goa’s beaches to a sober staring at a lighthouse to the grand and uplifting ‘Eastern Thunder’, every track tells a tale of yearning as well as tranquility. Listen to it (available on YouTube as well as on streaming platforms) to marvel at how music has the power to box the sea itself.

Play By Ear showcases a potential earworm every week for you, the discerning listener, who is on the hunt for some musical serendipity.