After a Juthika Roy special CD pack last year, BSNL has once again got into the ‘connecting India’ mode. This time they have come up with another ‘priceless’ (quite literally, too) double CD pack, celebrating two legendary voices, Pankaj Kumar Mullick and Sachin Dev Burman: A Tribute to The Great Maestro (BSNL/SaReGaMa; but why not Maestros?). What makes it doubly coveted is that “this is the centenary year of the two great maestros”, as the project claims, though Mullick was born two years before SD. But the listening public will settle for that little aberration because the combination of Mullick and SD in one pack, 20 gems each CD, is a unique idea, anyway. Both CDs have an interesting introduction and little booklet (the quality of both however is not too happy).

Mullick’s 20 has six Bengali numbers too and kicks off with two of his most popular signature numbers, Piya milan ko jaana (Kapalkundala) and Aha-ha, aayee bahar (Doctor).

SD’s 20 matches up even better (with his songs being less remote than Mullick’s), with the first 10 being Bengali, followed by four Hindi (all sung by SD himself, like Sun mere bandhu re/Sujata; Meri duniya hai maa/Talaash) and rounding up with six compositions of his, sung by other voices (Hemant Kumar’s Jaane woh kaise/Pyaasa; Manna Dey’s Poochho na kaise/Meri Soorat Teri Aankhen).

Anil Grover

Music for a cause is nothing new but music solely devoted to animals does seem novel. Maria Daines, a British singer and songwriter has just released a CD entitled, Music United for Animals, that is aimed towards the cause of animal rights and welfare. Says Maria, “As a child I had many pets and my mother taught me how to respect animals.”

Indeed, her album espouses the cause of animals in a medley of situations, starting from dogs in Romania to the horses of the US. “I can think of no better reason to create music and I would like to make a difference that I can feel in my heart, and share with others,” remarks Maria.

The CD features 13 songs, all of which are thoroughly enjoyable. The best song of the album is the ballad, I am the owner of this coat, to make people aware of the horror of the fur trade. Maria has also voiced her concern for Indian animals. Recently, she wrote a song for a protest concerning an elephant polo match organised in Jaipur. She has also performed on BBC recently.

“Everywhere, the animals need a friend,” says Maria. The animals surely have one in her. (The CD is available for order from her website: www.maria-daines.com/home.html)

Shubhobroto Ghosh

Priyatamo

Panchali

Prime Music; Rs 42

The eight tracks of the album are more or less ably rendered by Panchali. Her light crisp voice is suitable for semi-classical music. Aamar uru uru mon (lyric, Sri Barun; music Kundan Saha) from Side A pleases with the flippant rendition. Banshi na shune (lyric, Nivedita; music D. Sushant) with its raga based tune enchants.

Arnab Bhattacharya

Notun Diganta

Mohua Sen

R&M Records;

CD Rs 125

Notun Diganta brings the two bards of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam, together. Both in Rabindrasangeet and Nazrulgeeti there are some lovely compositions meant to be danced to. Mohua Sen presents some of the more popular naacher gaan from both worlds. While Mohua sings Aamra notun joubaneri doot, Ha re re re re re aamaye from Tagore, she sings Rumjhum jhum jhum, Momer putul and some more of Nazrul. All these songs are rhythmic and melodious and will make your feet move on their own. The only grouse is the unnecessary use of additional music in some of the songs like the marching tune in Aamra notun jouboneri doot.

Madhuparna Das