Eka Jajabor is Indranil Sen’s Puja offering this year. This album is a nice mix of folk based and raga based songs, perfect for a melodious festive season. The first song on Side A, Hote pare mon baul batash, has a nice rhythm to it, is a well-written song by Korok and with music by Shivaji Chattopadhyay. The song directly heralding Puja is the first song on Side B — Ashchhe pujo notun saaje, with music by Debjit and the lyric by Korok again. Indranil’s voice has the right mix of romanticism and devotion required for the songs here and can be listened to through the festive season. That doesn’t mean that the album doesn’t have anything on a lighter note. Tomar sathe prathom dekha is something on the faster lane and is one of the playful songs which also goes well with the spirit of the moment. Some melancholic notes are there in Eei tobe shesh dekha, again by the Korok-Shivaji duo. The album ends on a classical note with the song, Godhulir gaan gaaye pran, whose music is by Samik and the lyric by Saikat Kundu.

Sayonni
Jojo
Prime Music; Rs 42

You do need some songs that can be played over and over again at the local Puja pandals or for the farewell, that is, the bhashan. Well, that’s where Jojo comes in. The first song of the album — Aamar thote kalo til — caters to the need. But the second song is something diametrically opposite, a soft--sweet romantic number, Tor jonnyo. And that’s just like Jojo, unpredictable. Jojo shows her range fully in this album. Evident from the next song — Kuasha — seductive to the core with lots of vocal art which she does with aplomb. It won’t be too much to say that this song reminds you of none other than Asha Bhosle.

The flip side has playful songs like Tumi jodi. The title song, Sayonni, has that Arabic touch to it, but its lyric is a mix of Hindi and Bengali words that sounds a little out of sync, but again the use of Hindi lines in the next song, Aakash tomaye, sung by Jojo in a completely different and higher scale has been used very well. The album showcases her range aptly.

Sabuj Paata
Gargi
Prime Music; Rs 42

This is also that time of the year that encourages young talents to come forth and display their talent. Gargi is considerably a new voice. She has a mellifluous voice and the eight songs she sings here are enough to establish her as a singer. All the songs in this album, however, have the same mellowed pace which, after a few songs, gets monotonous. But Gargi is quite proficient in this particular rendition.

Madhuparna Das

Smritir Sarani
Srikanta Acharya
Sagarika; Rs 40

Smritir Sarani is a collectors’ item with Srikanta Acharya picking the most memorable modern Bengali songs sung by artistes of yesteryear. Salil Choudhury’s Ami jhhader kache rekhe gelam amar thikana was immortalised by Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Acharya sings it in the late artiste’s inimitable style. He does the same for Dhananjay Bhattacharya’s Antabihin ei, again written by Salilda. The album is indeed a tribute to not just singers like Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Manna Dey, Shyamal Mitra, Manabendra Mukhopadhyay, but also lyricists like Salil Choudhury, Kanu Ghosh, Pulak Bandopadhyay and Shyamal Gupta.

Patar Bhela Bhashai
Rezwana Chowdhury Bonnya
SaReGaMa; Rs 42

An established Rabindrasangeet exponent from Bangladesh, Bonnya sings Gahankusumkunj majhe and Shanganagagane ghor in the Sanskritised version as they ought to be. The rest of the songs in this collection are also rendered well with a well-pronounced diction true to the Rabindra gharana, that is specially commendable for a Bangladeshi artiste. Of special mention are Aaji jhhader rate tomar abhishar and Aaji je rajani jaye written by Tagore at a time when he was mourning the death of his youngest and favourite son. The artiste sings them with the right pathos and emotion.

Tomar Andhar Tomar Alo
Bratati Bandopadhyay
SaReGaMa; Rs 42

Bratati Bandopadhyay picks Tagore’s most memorable verses for this compilation. Recited against a backdrop of music, added voices and accompaniments there is always the danger of the recitation getting lost. Bratati does not let that happen, but why does she need the accompaniments, anyway? She brings out the poet’s exhortation of new life and new initiative in Nirjharer swapnabhango with the right intonation. She does that again in Badhu, another of Tagore’s most evocative verses invoking Bela je pode elo, jal ke chal bringing out the angst of a village girl trapped in city life.

Anasuya Basu

Matristotra
Various
SaReGaMa; Rs 35

A great pick this Puja, Matristrotra is a collection of Sanskrit hymns on goddess Durga and Kali. The album is also a collector’s pride as it includes recitations by stalwarts like the late Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Ajoy Chakraborty, Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta, Gobindo and Madhuri Mukherjee. And the one number that stands out from the rest is Ya Debi sharbabhuteshu — a duet by Hemanta and Arati Mukherjee recorded in 1978 and an all-time favourite.

Emono Hoy
Lopamudra Mitra
SaReGaMa; Rs 42

Poet Shakti Chattopadhyay’s Abani bari achho and Nirendranath Chakraborty’s Pukur morai shabjibagan had touched the reader’s heart long back, but they have reached a new height in Emono Hoy with the right music and the intensity with which Lopamudra Mitra has presented them. The other numbers are also noteworthy and this album is different from the typical Adhunik albums as most of the songs have good meaningful lyrics.

Baulani
Sahaj Maa
SaReGaMa; Rs 42

Not just as a female Baul, Sahaj Maa has made a name for herself in the folk songs circuit by her simple no-nonsense singing style with the least accompaniments and her high-range voice that’s apt for any folk song. Most numbers have been written and set to tune by Utpal Fakir, who has also lent his voice in Premik hoy premik hole. Lalan Fakir’s Milan hobe katadine is also awesome.

NOTUN KORE
Calcutta Choir
SaReGaMa; Rs 42

A collection of verses of Subho Dasgupta, Saikat Kundu and Shibdas Bandopadhyay set to tune by Kalyan Sen Barat, this album is quite entertaining with a wide array of modern social and political issues as the central theme. Only that it’s high time Sen Barat changed his style of music and tried to be a bit more versatile.

Band Age
Various
SaReGaMa; Rs 42

A collection of Bangla band numbers by leading bands Bhoomi, Cactus, Parashpathar, Dohar, Feedback, Pancha Pandav, Samay and Rupam. So for band lovers this Puja, this one is the right pick.

Saheli Mitra