[Sadly, I was refused a category for this album. Hence, I am posting it 2 days after I wrote it as I was waiting for the category to be added. But, what the heck? This category holds good relevance. Ok, after this small cribbing, lets move on.]
Sony hit the bull’s-eye with its reality TV show Indian Idol, the Indian adaptation of its western counterpart & hugely successful Pop Idol (UK) & American Idol (US). The show was a grand hit & had the Kaun Banega Crorepati like aura to it. The contestants became household names & their fate was discussed-in from the nearby Chinese Corner to the overly crowded Virar-Local. This show single-handedly raised Sony TV’s TRP ratings. The grand prize for the winner was a whopping Rs. 1 Crore (10 Million) & the opportunity to record a platinum disk. Well, this review concerns “that” platinum disk.
Mumbai lad Abhijeet Sawant was the eventual winner & became India’s very first Indian-Idol. And yes, I too voted for him heavily & got kicked when the phone bill arrived! Duh!
The CD was scheduled to release on April 7th 2005 & it did. I bought it the other day, listened, re-listened & felt the urge to write this piece. So, lets hit the beat. A warning here: As with my other music reviews, I have eluded the technicalities. Yes you are right, I don’t understand them :-)
CD Title: Aapka… Abhijeet Sawant
Released By: Sony BMG
Lyrics: Sameer
Music: Prempal Hans, Hardeep Sidhu & Biddu
Price: Rs. 175/-
Track 01: Mohabbatein Lutaaunga
No doubt this is Abhijeet’s “signature-song”. This toned down, soft version of the song performed by him at the Indian Idol Finale, has an immediate effect on the listener. The music by Prempal Hans & Hardeep Sidhu is subtly grasping. As soon as Abhijeet’s voice appears you have an instant feeling of an excellent song to follow. There is a 3rd ‘antara’ which does not feature in the video of this song. Basically, a sweet & “hummable” number.
Track 02: Lafzon Mein
The overture of this track reminisces one of “Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast”. But the reminiscence ends there. Once Abhijeet takes over the vocal reigns, the song elevates itself to the group of “one-amongst-the-best-in-the-album” This number surely falls into the category of songs that “grow on you”. For the type of song you would relate with the prolific Shaan, debutante Abhijeet renders it amazingly well. Music by Biddu makes this track a doubly sweet & a doubly “hummable” one. I had thought that Mohabbatein Lutaaunga would be the best track of the album. But, I am starting to have second thoughts now that I have listened to this number.
Track 03: Jaana (feat. Prajakta Shukre)
A soft romantic number this has that blissful evening feel to it. Kudos Mr. Biddu! This track is a duet with the adorable & utterly talented Prajakta Shukre (my first choice for Indian Idol until she got knocked off). Frankly, Abhijeet takes a back-seat here. Prajakta makes her presence felt & impresses with the subtle variations in her voice. Listen carefully to her. Alka Yagnik did! She just might be the next big thing in the female playback arena.
NOTE: Put this track on. Take your sweetheart in your arms & have a romantic ball-dance. If you haven’t got a sweetheart, just think of someone sweet & dance........just like I did ;-)
Track 04: Kya Tujhe Pata Hai
A love song, Abhijeet renders it in a different tone. However, the song is weak in comparison to the other superlative ones. Average, at best.
Track 05: Janam Janam
Another beautiful love song. Lyrics by Sameer just keep getting better. Music accentuates the overall atmosphere of the song. Come fall in love…
Track 06: Lamha
The background music is undoubtedly “inspired” from Beyonce’s Naughty Girl. This is a jazzy number with rhythmic beats. The repeat-verse Khayalon Ki Kahin Chhaon Hai is fast paced & you will love the way Abhijeet sings it. This song will be your favorite after 3rd listening!
Track 07: Yaaron Chalo
A picnic song! Comparatively, a fast-paced track, this one is just that modern-pop number that adds zing to the overall album. A special mention for the music of Biddu here who has turned it into a peppy number. I am not suggesting any link-up here, but this track made me want to listen to the exotic ABBA’s Lay All Your Love On Me.
Track 08: Dream Girl
This track is from the Indian Idol CD that was released when the show was still running. Final 9 contestants sang in it. Abhijeet Sawant sang Dream Girl. And the way he did was hauntingly beautiful. Listen to this track carefully if you want to know why he deserved to win this coveted title. Music has deliberately been given a back seat in comparison to the vocals.
Track 09: Ek Jahan (OneWorld) (feat. Indian Idol Finalists)
Sung by all the 11 finalists, this one has got a very good melody. It is dedicated to raising awareness against the deadly AIDS virus. A promise made by all the contestants to the Hollywood superstar & AIDS activist Richard Gere is delivered here with full faith & competence. Voices that stand out are those of the runner-up Amit Sana, the cutsie-charismatic Prajakta Shukre & the Sonu-Nigamesque Rahul Vaidya (this guy is gonna rock, take my word)
Track 10: Mohabbatein Lutaaunga (Winning Performance)
Title says it all. I am sure this track did more to help garner votes for Abhijeet than any of his other renditions. To be precise, this is a remix version of Track 01, although this track came in first. Great music & impressive rendition gives a fitting finish to this fantastic debut album of a promising singer.
All in all, this is a dream debut for Abhijeet Sawant. He shines & the music entwines…seamlessly. And when the industry legend of Sameer is employed in the lyrics department, even the word fantabulous falls short of an apt description.
When should you listen to the CD?
You would love it after a hard days work or even when you are in the slightest of a romantic mood. However, you can always listen to it anytime, it just wont let you down.
A personality custom-made for an Idol & a smile that summoned even the seductress Shilpa Shetty to be a fan, Abhijeet Sawant, with a dream start, is here to stay. The journey has just begun. Wishing loads of luck to Abhijeet. Attaboy! Come up with more great stuff & befall us with the sweetest tunes!!!
Greetings
Amul.
Lafzon mein keh naa sakoon…Bin keh bhi reh naa sakoon…
PS: 1. If you like the music, buy the original. Production companies need to know that people are willing to pay for good music.
- When ripping an Audio-CD to MP3, rip it at 320 kbps. It’s the perfect original copy & it actually sounds better than a 128 kbps rip. A good sound system will tell you the difference. Your computer speakers won’t!
