The play of cover versions with the originality of tracks is a risky business. To be able to render a song balancing the perfection of the original and the experimentation of the cover cannot be easy. We bring to you some emerging singers who attempt and excel at this, delivering popular songs with a refreshing touch. So, sit back, grab your headphones and enjoy!   

Abhinav Thakur

The popular song from 2017, ‘Mann Bharrya’ by B Praak has been doing rounds again after making part of the score of the movie Shershaah. Naturally, the song has had many singers trying to render it to perfection, among all of which Abhinav Thakur stands out for delivering the difficult song effortlessly in his beautiful voice. Thakur’s acoustic version carries through the song in a powerful yet emotive mellowness that hits all the right spots. 

Samarth Swarup

Samarth Swarup’s cover of Tanishk Bagchi’s ‘Raataan Lambiyan’ from Shershaah is so nicely rendered that it wouldn’t be too off the mark to call it as good as the original. His vocals imitate the notes and tones of the original in totality, and yet add a pleasant touch of newness to it. A job well done, Swarup does the original justice in all measures. 

Debolinaa Nandy

Debolinaa Nandy performs Armaan Malik’s ‘Bol Do Na Zara’ from the 2016 film, Azhar. Debolinaa’s sweet vocals compliment the song with quite some perfection. The instrumental of the piano accompanies her singing in excellent modulation, making the whole arrangement of the song flow smoothly into a lovely composition. 

Chiara & Darren

An acoustic cover of the 2012 popular Falak Shabir song is hard to go wrong. Chiara’s rendition of ‘Mera Mann Kehne Laga’ on the ukulele is a case in point. Beautifully sung, her soft vocals have imbibed the rhythm and tones of the romantic original and given it a charming touch.

Piano covers have a unique appeal to some. Indeed, it is quite interesting to see the manner in which a piano rendition can transform a track or a piece of music into something else entirely. Take one of the most iconic and popular piano covers of all time, for example. I am talking, of course, about the piano cover of ‘Still Dre’. The piano cover for ‘Still Dre’, whether it be on an intermediate or at an advanced level, breathes new life into the original track. Thus, it should come as no surprise, then, that the following piano covers by these five wonderful artists do the same.

Hasit Nanda

Hasit Nanda has a volume of piano covers hidden away on his YouTube channel. His rendition of Akhil and Dhvani Bhanushali’s ‘Duniya’, from 2019’s ‘Luka Chuppi’, however, stands out amongst the rest. That’s not to say that the rest of Nanda’s work is any less incredible. It’s just that, with his cover of ‘Duniya’, Nanda manages to build an ever rising crescendo that slowly tempers itself out. Of course, some of that credit goes to the original track itself. However, it is Hasit Nanda’s signature ability to build on compositions that makes this cover of ‘Duniya’ truly worthy of your time.

Shubhashree S.

Raj Khosla’s 1964 romantic thriller, ‘Woh Kaun Thi’, has some intense plot twists. One of the shining gems that came from that classic is Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Lag Ja Gale’. Shubhashree, then, takes that classic and spins a wonderful new twist to the timeless piece. Shubhashree’s rendition of ‘Lag Ja Gale’ isn’t as much a direct cover of the track as it is a homage to it. Experimenting with new notes and effortlessly incorporating them into the original track, Shubhashree’s piano cover of ‘Lag Ja Gale’ is as much her own now as it was Mangeshkar’s back then.

Chetan Godeshwar

2018’s Andhadhun was a breath of fresh air in terms of the tone and the narrative that it adopted. Amit Trivedi’s ‘Naina Da Kya Kasoor’, from the movie, was an instant hit at the time of release. Chetan Godeshwar’s piano cover of the track, then, is beautiful, of course. However, credit must also be given to Godeshwar’s choice of music. Godeshwar’s piano rendition of ‘Naina Da Kya Kasoor’ comes off as a building block for the original track to sit on. That is indeed curious, considering that it is, after all, an instrumental cover. It is very rare that a cover evolves in a manner that Godeshwar’s rendition of ‘Naina Da Kya Kasoor’ did.

Akash Gandhi

Atif Aslam’s ‘Dil Diyan Gallan’ was, perhaps, a little too melodic for 2017’s ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’. Akash Gandhi’s piano cover of the track, however, is perfectly placed. The original track, by Aslam, was, in a manner of speaking, gentle. Gandhi, then, wonderfully captures that same modesty and serenity of the original track with his instrumental cover. Each note from Gandhi is a little muted, almost subdue, as if to convey to his audience the idea that the original track meant to.

Tajmeel Sherif

This year’s Independence Day has already passed us by. That, however, doesn’t mean that we can’t appreciate some of the music that is tied to India’s history as a nation. Tajmeel Sherif performs a beautifully blended fusion of some of the most iconic pieces in India’s history. From Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s ‘Vande Mataram’ to Tagore’s ‘Jana Gana Mana’, Sherif flows seamlessly from one piece to another. To be frank, the manner in which he transitions from one tune to the other is so marvelously blended that you would be hard pressed to find a pause or a break in the melodic composition. Tajmeel Sherif, by all means, has managed to create one track on which the entirety of India’s history sits.

Some time ago, I went through her EP, ‘Mood’, and came to the realization that this was somebody that had very specific and focused ideas to explore in her tracks. Sanjana Devarajan, in our conversation, explains that the specificity in exploring an idea still exists. Now, additionally, it is also tempered with her own sense of personal growth and, dare I say it, mood. Bad pun, I know. However, if you take the time to listen to her latest track, ‘Leher’, you would see the difference from her previous style. ‘Leher’ is a beautifully ambient track that focuses on being lyrical and is unlike anything that Sanjana has done before. What’s more is the fact that, deep down, ‘Leher’ is all about Sanjana’s own journey of growing into the artist that she is today.

Before we dive in a little more into ‘Leher’, I wanted to talk about Sanjana’s journey up until now. This is critical because, as we talked, I understood that ‘Leher’ is sort of a culmination of everything that Sanjana has experienced so far. Born in Coimbatore but raised in Mumbai, Sanjana was always inclined towards art. From dance to painting, she kind of did it all. Up until the age of twelve, she was, in her own words, obsessed with Bollywood music. Not much later, when she discovered the world of Pop music, Sanjana was absolutely hooked. This was a completely new world to her and nothing would stop her from soaking in as much as she could from it. In point of fact, she actually began writing her own music at the age of thirteen.

When she decided to finally pursue music professionally, Sanjana saw that music was something she needed to pursue parallel to something else. Add to that the fact that there is no structured guide into establishing one’s self in the music industry and you kind of understand the scope of challenges that she had to face.

With ‘Leher’, now, Sanjana builds up to this wonderful high where she flows from one thought to the next, with it all coalescing into how transient things really are. I cannot stress this enough when I say ‘Leher’ is wildly different from her previous tracks. And that, by no means, is me dismissing Sanjana’s previous work. No. It is, in fact, me celebrating her growth from one part of her life to another. ‘Mood’ was Sanjana gloriously twirling into the sea and ‘Leher’ is her gracefully floating amongst the falling tide.

As if to prove all that I have said, she talks about growing into the artist that she wants to be. And, like the rise and fall of the sea, she may falter at it at times. However, as Sanjana Devarajan puts it aptly in ‘Leher’,  the not-so-pleasant things will eventually just wash away, leaving nothing but happy memories amongst the sand.

You would recognise her from ‘India’s Got Talent’ or as one of the standout performers in 2019’s ‘The Voice’. With a signature deep lilt to her voice, Hargun Kaur has been captivating audiences for a long time, including the likes of legendary figures in the music industry, such as A. R. Rahman and Asha Bhonsle. All that recognition is well-deserved, of course. After all, even if she wouldn’t care to admit it herself, her mother would surely tell you that she was born for this.

Born and raised in Amritsar, Kaur spent a good chunk of her formative years there before moving to Mumbai for further studies. Interestingly, Kaur reveals that her mother lovingly nicknamed her ‘Ghazal’ when she was born. Chalk it up to maternal intuition or just a mere coincidence, the fact still stands that Kaur did, in the most obvious way, live up to her name. 

When we get to talking about the earliest days of her childhood, it comes as no surprise that Kaur spent a majority of it being exposed to a wide range of musical genres. While her family was not categorically into music, professionally speaking, they did truly enjoy it. From devotional music to the classics, Kaur’s childhood never fell short when it came to appreciating the wide world that music had to offer. A particular memory, that she recalls, involved her playing a certain Lata Mangeshkar bit, something that she saw on a televised concert, on her grandmother’s harmonium. It was probably then that Kaur first realized her natural inclination and affinity towards music as an art form. Still, as she states, formal training wouldn’t begin for her until a few years later.

Through that period of training, Kaur found herself being encouraged further by the incredible creative arts faculty that existed in her school. Indeed, she credits that encouragement and support as being one of the primary motivating factors that helped her persist.

Of course, we are glad that she did persist through her training and resolved to keep her love for music and singing alive. Kaur would go on to perform on national level competitions and shows, most notably in India’s Got Talent and ‘The Voice’, in 2019, where she was one of the finalists. ‘The Voice’ was a critically important bit in Kaur’s personal journey, as she would go on to reveal.

You know, when we talk about any form of creativity, it is vital to acknowledge the fact that for art to exist, a good amount of creative space must be given to the artists themselves. This becomes slightly challenging when it comes to a competition on the scale of ‘The Voice’. With millions watching you perform, nerves might just be an issue. Regardless, Kaur credits that part of her life to be incredibly constructive when it came to understanding her own range and scope. Sure, it did get stressful and challenging at times, however, all it did was just motivate her to further train and better hone her own craft. Spontaneity is key here and, as she goes on to explain, a good amount of Kaur’s own journey involved ‘on-the-job’ training. In point of fact, she believes that growth, whether it be in your preferred art form or in just a general sense, can only come from feeding on the avenues and opportunities that present themselves to you.

To be frank, Kaur’s philosophy, on what it takes to achieve growth, is rock solid. You would be hard pressed to find any flaws in it. As if to prove my point, look her up on YouTube. One of the first few videos that will pop up is just her getting recognized by some of the most legendary figures in music. From A. R. Rahman to Asha Bhonsle, Kaur has been commended by the best of the best. When she talks about that, Kaur explicitly states that, even today, she finds it hard to believe that some of the most established figures in the Indian Music Industry recognized her potential and ability. If you are familiar with the format of the audition process, when Kaur auditioned for ‘The Voice’, she recalls how A. R. Rahman said that she was, symbolically speaking, the voice of the country. That, in itself, was a surreal moment for her.

When watching her performances, one of the first things you notice is the range in Kaur’s voice. A little deeper than the average pitch, Kaur’s ability to hit the highest of notes without losing any of that signature weight in her voice is truly something to envy. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t care to hold a tune to save his life. All trivial humour aside, Kaur reveals that her fascination with challenging herself is one of the primary reasons that she gravitates towards music with a lot of range. 

When we step back and take a look at it all, it’s hard to not recognize the incredible journey she has been on. Kaur has been performing since she was a child. And, that is something that needs to be talked about when it comes to the idea of finding confidence in one’s own work and art. As a singer and artist, Kaur reveals that it is crucial to be able to assimilate the idea of letting others see what you can do. That sounds like a basic concept, however, it really isn’t. Letting your work exist in the public eye, Kaur explains, will do more for you than thousands of hours of training and practice done in pure isolation. An external critical eye will add a layer of objectivity when it comes to perfecting your craft.

When we near the end of our conversation, I sense a little reluctance on Kaur’s part to advise anyone on anything outside of her own experiences. That, by itself, says a lot about her strength of character. Kaur is not someone to merely presume. However, if she did have to, to anyone starting out in a field that they are passionate about, Kaur would counsel patience. Patience and persistence. After all, Hargun Kaur doesn’t stand where she is without those two things. Well, that and a heap of vocal talent.

Sometimes we tend to forget how big the world of music really is. There are so many avenues one can follow, be it playback, freelance, backup vocals, cover artist or instrumentalist. So why do we think that there’s no place for more people? Why do we feel that one must be ‘chosen’ to be successful? The Indian music industry boasts a very talented landscape & the truth is that one doesn’t necessarily need to sign record deals to make it big. Welcome to the age of self-reliance!

There have been so many musicians who have carved their own paths into creating something totally unique. Some blend genres, some create a new one & some bring a new twist to an old tune. But all things said and done, there’s no doubt that the artists these days are pouring their hearts and souls into their music. 

And it doesn’t get any better than Ishaan Nigam.

In 2011, he started off as a cover artist on his eponymous YouTube channel. And things changed for the better. He’s released more than 70 covers and even forayed into the much-loved genre of Indie music. Last year he came out with 3 indie singles which catapulted him into larger spotlights. One of which, the song ‘O Jaana’ has been viewed more than 100k+ times.

Nigam hails from the small town of Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh where he spent much of his young days nurturing his big dream of becoming a playback singer. Maybe this passion was further heightened by listening to tracks from legends like Mohd. Rafi, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar (and another famous Nigam). They were his first light of inspiration before he started giving public performances at the age of 10.

As he grew up, he graduated with a bachelor’s in Computer engineering and pursued a Master’s in Indian Classical vocals. He says that coming from a middle-class family helped him realise that even the strongest passions need a backup plan. But thankfully for us, the first plan worked out quite well! 

Here’s proof of how multi-talented Ishaan really is

In 2018, he debuted in the  Telugu Devotional Music Industry!

He sung a devotional song called  Kotah Panta Patha Panta composed by Josyabathla Sarma which got telecast-ed on the  SVBC TTD channel for the program Annamayya Pataku Pattabhishekam. The whole event was conducted by legendary music directors Shri MM Keervani and Shri K Raghavendra Rao.

So if you’re keeping a checklist, Nigam has checked off cover music ✅ indie music ✅ and devotional music✅. I suppose this is the gift of the modern age, there are no fixed boxes one must be in. In fact, in 2015, he received a scholarship program at KM Music Conservatory, Chennai(A.R. Rahman Music College) by UTV Bindass.

So if you’re ever in need of a pick-me-up, remember to listen to Nigam’s 5  indie releases. Including O Jaana, Saawariya and Qaafiraana Shayrana. 

Ishaan’s message to all the talented Indians

“It’s never late to pursue what you love and never give up on your dreams. Work constantly on your craft and goals and if you are honest to it, one day you’ll get what you deserve. With every dream, there are thousands of challenges associated which helps an individual to learn many things which he an individual to shape the things better.”