By Alvin R. Cabral

It had me at hello, though I can’t exactly remember when that first ‘hello’ was, because, as soon as I came to my senses as a toddler, the only thing I knew was that I was already hooked on it, taking darn advantage of my innocence. I’m guessing any kid as ignorant would’ve fallen as well; I can picture both of us in my son and his encounter with his very first gaming console — eyes wide open, curious to explore the unchartered at such a tender age.

Continue reading An ode to the ’Man who stole my heart (and ears) →

By Tirtho Banerjee

While on the way to school and back, my young intriguing mind would be invariably drawn to an ‘adult’ poster of The Deep at a cinema hall on Rajpur Road in Dehradun. There was also another poster of the Hindi movie Gharaonda (1977), which appeared staid to a seven-year-old’s eyes. However, one of its songs, Tumhe Ho Na Ho Mujhko To, was so full of zing that I often used to hum it (and still do). Sung by Runa Laila, the track holds a timeless appeal. But few know the man who scored the iconic music for it. Jaidev Verma might have won three National Awards in his career that spanned almost four decades, yet he never got his due and his name has slipped into obscurity.

Continue reading Remembering a genius who made music his soulmate →

By Sandhya D’Mello

I have learned to ignore the moods of my foolish soul as it often oscillates like a pendulum between my body and my spirit and tends to find solace in soothing music, and foot tapping beats. The sound of instruments and heart-touching lyrics stir our moods. To think of it, there is a song for every mood, but what you choose to keep yourself in high spirits is a point to ponder on.

Continue reading I groove to my kind of music →

By Anita Iyer

Switch on any Hindi radio station, anywhere, playing Bollywood music and chances are you might end up listening to remix versions of  hit songs or an inspired version of a Punjabi folk track.

Continue reading Tuned down: Is Hindi music suffering an identity crisis? →

By Tirtho Banerjee

When I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I used to listen to Hemanta Kumar Mukherjee’s renditions of Rabindra Sangeet: Diner Sheshe Ghumer Deshe, Mone Robe Ki Na Robe, and so on, which my baba (father) would play on his record player. Some of the lyrics were unfathomable back then (and most of them still are), but there was something in his soulful voice that kept lingering in my consciousness.

Continue reading A song-filled ode to a musical genius who’s ‘been’ there →

By Sami Ha Zen

He walked across the road

Passed me swiftly

I looked back

A cocked hat he wore

Black as midnight was it

A black coat and a black pant

He walked again beside me

I shivered as I saw him

Did he ever pass by u?

A strange figure?

Continue reading Sounding off with a djinn named Leonard Cohen →

By Dhanusha Gokulan​

At its advent, the Internet was seen as a ‘The Great Equalizer’ – an egalitarian cosmos where all users presumably had access to the same content. Today, tech companies have found that tracking user habits enable the creation an online universe where you only (mostly) see what you’d like to see, in a manner that completely denies you the freedom of choice. It’s not a conspiracy; we are all trapped in what the New York Times calls an ‘online echo chamber’. 

Continue reading Sharing is caring for those who want to discover new music →