The celebrated sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has brought a whiff of fresh air to contemporary music with his debut album as a composer - 'Vaada'.
"A musical floatation", as modestly referred by the maestro himself, 'Vaada' is an album rich in music and sentiments. Each number has a different rhythm, different tempo, which invokes a different mood.
The noted poet-lyricist Gulzar has penned words for the Ustad 'bandishes' while Bhavdeep Jaipurwale has arranged the music. And singers Roop Kumar Rathod and Sadhna Sargam have beautifully rendered all the songs.
The sensitivity with which Gulzar has woven together the Ustad's 'bandishes' and kindled different emotions which certainly dupes the listener into thinking that the music is made to his words. This is particularly evident in 'Dil ka rasiya aisa kahan hoga'. Then the poet takes you on a cosmic trip in 'Kaynaat Ka Safar' - the song that speaks about Saiyyara (planets) and Ulka (meteors).
Music arranger Bhavdeep Jaipurwale too has made an invaluable contribution by giving a different garb to the 'bandishes', turning the pure classical compositions into full-fledged properly orchestrated songs. Both Roopkumar Rathod and Sadhna Sangam have done proper justice to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan's melodies and Gulzar's poetic lyrics.
In 'Vaada', Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has for the first time, gone beyond the grandeur of classical music and blended together the beautiful phrases from different genres of music, be it folk, classical or western. 'The album', asserts a genuine attempt to explore the 'Navarasa' or nine emotions.
In a nutshell 'Vaada' is a musical treat for a serious music lover. The album is already seen as a harbinger to a new trend in contemporary music - a trend that will be marked by rich melodies interwoven with meaningful lyrics.
