Mumbai, June 10
Bollywood singers such as Himani Kapoor, Prajakta Shukre, Pratibha Singh Baghel and Kalpana Gandharv have teamed up with Grammy-nominated vocalist Varijashree Venugopal to produce ‘Raagraanis’, an album that celebrates the power and diversity of women’s voices in music.
Talking about ‘Raagraanis’, Prajakta Shukre said; “This EP came from a space where I was immersed in composing songs based on Indian ragas. The idea of creating an EP felt really exciting, and when Himani and I decided to work on it together, everything just flowed. Each song is rooted in a different raga and holds a special place in my heart.â€
What made it even more beautiful, Shukre said it was collaborating with these phenomenal singers,
“Varijashree, Pratibha, Kalpana, and Himani .. each bringing their own unique charm to the compositions.â€
She added: “It’s been such a fulfilling journey blending classical roots with a fresh, modern sound and beautiful lyrics. I also want to add a mention about our sound mixing engineer Himanshu Shirlekar as well, along with the live instrumentalists and producers.â€
The project, announced by Sufiscore and Namyoho Studios, showcases five beautifully crafted songs blending Indian classical ragas with contemporary sensibilities.
Himani added: The first song that we made was Tere Bina Saawan, which I sang and that’s exactly when the idea of an EP struck my mind about which I shared with Prajakta and without a moment’s hesitation she said yes. From there, we began shaping this vision together. An EP that would be truly one of its kind.â€
She said “At that point we didn’t know the future of its release. Once the songs composition and writing were completed, I approached Sufiscore and they loved the songs.â€
From the soulful ‘Saiyaan Na Aaye’ to Varijashree Venugopal’s on ‘Sajan Ghar Aaye’. Recorded at Laya Digi Studios in Bangalore, the album’s production is supported by a talented team from Namyoho Studios, including Kamal Bharti, Nataraj Kshetricha, Swapnomoy Chowdhury, and Rajat Kumar.
The seamless blend of traditional instruments like flute, Esraj, saxophone, and guitar, alongside meticulous mixing and mastering by Himanshu Shirlekar, brings each track to life.
It’s releasing on June 12.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some quality music that stays true to our roots! The combination of classical ragas with modern production is exactly what Indian music needs today. Can't wait to hear Varijashree's track especially after her Grammy nomination. ðŸ‘
Such a powerful lineup of female artists! It's refreshing to see women taking charge of creative projects in our music industry. The mention of traditional instruments like esraj has me really excited - we need more of our heritage sounds in contemporary music.
While I appreciate the effort, I hope this isn't just another fusion project that dilutes classical music for mass appeal. The article mentions 'modern sound' - I really hope they've maintained the purity of the ragas. Will give it a listen with an open mind though!
Himani Kapoor's voice is magical! Her song 'Tere Bina Saawan' from the movie Raincoat still gives me goosebumps. So happy to see her collaborating with such talented artists. June 12 can't come soon enough! â¤ï¸
Recording in Bangalore's Laya Digi Studios is a great choice - they have fantastic acoustics for classical fusion projects. The production team sounds solid too. Hope this sets a trend for more meaningful collaborations in our music industry.
As a music student, I'm thrilled to see projects like this getting mainstream attention. The combination of different singing styles - from Prajakta's semi-classical to Varijashree's Carnatic roots - will be fascinating to analyze. Hope my college plays this in our music appreciation class!
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