Oh yes! When you throw in a mix of Rabindra’da, the Deserts of Rajasthan, the poignant Samode Palace, the soul stirring Imogen Heap and the Dhols of the illustrious music duo of Vishal and Shekar, your Mind will be without fear…an impatient wait from last year when the word about The Dewarists was doing rounds, little was left to my imagination that it would turn out to be such a musical feast. With the first episode out, sadly caught only on Youtube, the end left me in a state of musical trance of “Naseebaa”. With Imogen Heap crooning “Tham ja, Mudh ja Naseeba”, leaving a chilling effect on you giving you goosebumps.
The track as mentioned by Vishal, clearly draws inspiration from Rabindrada’s “Where The Mind Is Without Fear“. The poem in a particular verse references to a desert – “Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit”. This scores a bulls eye for the track being recorded in the same. No place better than our own backyard – The Thar. Wave upon wave of endless sand, the elegiac Samode Palace bearing witness to a conjuring by some of the best musical talent there is. The eclectic mix is a testament to the age-old aphorism “Music knows no boundaries”.
Clearly from the word go, the track begins with the plucking of a stringed instrument and takes us to wonderland when “Naseeba” plays out. The multi layered percussion Dhin Dhin Tak sequence has been created using traditional music instruments and who would guess the Ghungroo which is like icing on the cake. All this keeping western instruments at bay. Such is the enthralling power of folk music; we need to give back to it every single dime!
Imogen’s voice gives it an other-worldly dimension and with the mix of Hindi thrown in the track is alluring. There is a pause coming in at 2:37 and that is probably the highlight of the track; keeping the hair at the back of your neck standing, not knowing what to expect and then again you are taken out of this world and given a taste of the divine. The hypnotic Jhi Jhi Re, Jhi Jhi Re chant does only but better the track.
The passion that has gone into creating this euphonious piece is evident in all aspects ranging from getting the sounds of instruments to Imogen belting out tunes in Hindi to the technical aspects like production, mixing and delivering the final art form. More than a track this heady mix of Imogen, Vishal, Shekar and Papular Band can be an event that will stand witness to the strong cultural roots of music that has prevailed in our folk art form.
For a long time to come Minds Without Fear, you will be on repeat mode in my playlist! (-:
Here it is…
