Singer Rashmi Mohapatra presents governor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare her album. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, July 28: Mana Pakshi is all about romance and the way nature shapes the myriad emotions of love.

The recently released album rendered by Rashmi Mohapatra is yet another treat for music lovers.

Mohapatra is one of the few singers, who are keeping alive Oriya ghazals.

The album is a compilation of eight songs, some of which are ghazals and Indian classical songs. One of the songs is a soft rock number.

Lyricist Santosh Mohapatra has woven words beautifully. The lyrics take the listener on a flight of fantasy. The title track, composed in the form of ghazal, Mana pakshi na ja udi, is a fond recollection of leisurely days.

Composed using enchanting imagery of words, accompanied with the soothing sounds of tabla and soft guitar, the track Badala ra pachhe rahi brings about a pleasant change of mood with its faster beats. Rashmi Mohapatra’s voice could have been used in a better way though.

Vocals accompanied by light instrumentation have given the perfect touch to the album. The song on separation from one’s love, Tuma bina, has a semi-classical touch that brings out the feeling of pain and desperation. Some welcome experimentation in the Oriya album scene is another highlight of the compilation.

The recitation that precedes the song Jauthila Siye reminds one of Gulzar’s style, something that is sure to strike a chord with the listeners. Music director Manatosh Mitra is to be commended for the composition Dekhuchi kahi, although the other songs bear a great resemblance with Jagjit Singh’s music.

This is one song that should easily capture the young mind with its soft rock style, sung with just a guitar in the background and a foot-tapping tune.

Technically the album scores well, unlike usual Oriya albums that lack clarity. Most albums have compilations that have jarring keyboard tunes. Mana Pakshi, however, has a superior recording quality. Released by Sarthak Music, Mana Pakshi promises novel elements as an album.