Bhajan Alekhha
Juthika Roy
SaReGaMa; 2CD-pack;
Price not mentioned

She is known as the ‘Adhunik Meera’ and quite rightly so. A legendary bhajan singer with a voice that possesses a purity that is reflected in each of her renditions. This is a compilation of Meera Bhajans along with some other exquisite compositions ? a perfect example of the marriage of words with melody, adorned by a voice that is inimitable, that is Juthika Roy.

Roy started singing at the age of seven and recorded her first Hindi bhajan at the age of 12 under her mentor, the great music director Kamal Dasgupta. This album, presented by BSNL, has 10 of Dasgupta’s compositions. The gems include Kalke sapne aaj bhi aana, Aayi hai barkha sajhkar, Tore aang se ang milake and Roti aankhiyan na among others.

The Meera Bhajans are, however, her forte and there are 12 of them here, including Main to Giridhar aage nachungi, Pag ghungru baandh Meera nachi re, Ghar aao pritam pyare, Main Ram naam ki churiyaan pahenun, Main to prem diwani. There is a lone Kabir song, a very popular one at that, rendered brilliantly ? Ghunghat ka pat khol re. The soulful bhajans, the legendary singer, the excellent compositions, all combine to send you into a trance.

Madhuparna Das

Swapno
Sanjib
Prime Music; Rs 42

It’s like a dream that runs out of imagination before it can see the dawn of fulfilment. The music, the lyrics, the acoustics ? all conspire to play dream-wrecker for Sanjib. Swapno lacks the passion and vigour that should ideally typify the work of a young artiste. Instead, it sounds like a laboured production with the strains of effort all too apparent. But there is one redeeming factor in the album that really arrests Sanjib’s freefall from the world of music ? the last song, Anek kothai roye gelo. And it’s the genius of arranger Kalyan Sen Barat that weaves its magic here. The soulful number seems to bring the best out of Sanjib too who, one feels, would do well to focus on this emotive genre of singing.

Saikat Dasgupta