There are only a handful of styles, in terms of musical performances, that India is not intimately familiar with. In a country where there is a huge emphasis on mainstream production of music, Malhaar has been blazing a quiet and steady path for itself, with a genuine focus on beautiful vocal performances. These are five incredibly talented individuals who have tapped into a relatively unexplored style, with each member being as passionate as the next. In a conversation with the band, I learn that their journey has been one of unshakeable perseverance.

Malhaar is an acapella band, with Sahana Hegde, Prathima Karanth and Anirudh Bhargav as the lead vocalists. Shreyas Nayak stands as the only percussionist in the group, while Gagan Raj makes his presence felt with his incredible beatboxing, diving into quite a bit of singing as well. 

Initially part of the same Indian Music team from their college days, Malhaar actually gets its name from the Hindustani classical raga. Of course, the name differs a little from its original spelling, however, that’s only because the people involved, in the original team in college, imparted their own inflections to the name. 

The name isn’t the only thing that stakes out a unique territory for itself. The members of Malhaar have been making waves in a music scene that is predominantly focused on millennial pop or Hip Hop. As Anirudh states, the whole idea of starting an acapella group comes from the western counterpart of the music team in their college. Listening to one of their performances, Anirudh found himself awestruck and sought out the other members, in the hopes of starting something on their own. It is, perhaps, a desire to bring out something that is not only fresh but also aligned with their own artistic inclinations. Even so, they recognize how unfamiliar it might all be to an audience. It is with that same recognition that they seek to bring acapella to a native audience by incorporating a sense of familiarity through Indian music.

It has taken a fair bit of time for people to understand the style in which Malhaar delivers its performances. If you head over to their social channels, you would see that the band covers a wide variety of pretty much everything. From the nostalgic Airtel jingle to a medley of Kishore Kumar’s songs, Malhaar has been doing things its own way, and to be completely honest, doing it incredibly well. It might seem random at first, but if you look closer, you would understand that they follow a certain theme in each of their compositions. For example, the tribute to Kishore Kumar, titled ‘Safar’, is a composition that takes multiple tracks and harmonizes them into a beautifully blended musical arrangement. The idea is to build a founding base where the original track can be moulded into something that each member can lend their own voice to.

All of that can, sometimes, be difficult to navigate, especially when there are multiple people involved. It becomes easier, then, that the members of Malhaar have a long standing friendship with each other. There is a love and understanding between them that is not only evident in the manner in which they speak but also their performances.

Speaking of performances, Sahana tells me about the founding experience that pushed them to start their own channel where they upload their performances. Performing at an alumni meet for their college, the team was invited over to IIT Madras to perform at an event. Notwithstanding the time they performed at their alumni meet, I think that singular acapella performance on stage, at IIT Madras, gave birth to Malhaar, as we know them today. Even so, Anirudh, along with the other members, states that the whole performance was more of a trial run than anything else. And, in a way, it was. It laid the stepping stone for the group to become truly confident in what they do now.

I have said this earlier and I will say it again. Malhaar is not your usual band. No. In fact, they are a uniquely talented acapella group, with five incredibly gifted members standing and supporting each other with their own individual passion and understanding. After all, If that wasn’t the case, you probably would have never gotten this beautiful rendition of ‘Zehnaseeb’. 

At a time when everything seems so uncertain around us, it would do us all some good to sit back and be thankful for the people around us. And what better way to reflect on some of the most cherished moments in our life than with music? We bring you some beautiful original compositions by four talented singers that will truly captivate you. From lost love to the unending search for your other half, these tracks capture the side of us that we can only hope that someone, someday, will truly understand.

Girish Nakod’s collaboration with Harjas Harjaayi on the track ‘Fir Kabhi’ results in some pretty catchy hooks. There is a certain sense of familiarity with the way the song begins. It is hard to place but calls back to some of the popular tracks, from the early 2010s, where Hip Hop was prominently accompanied by pop influenced rhythms. ‘Fir Kabhi’ has Girish Nakod and Harjas Harjaayi singing and rapping about a past relationship and the inability to return back to a time where things were, for the most part, better.

Aditya Rikhari’s ‘Tu Rehti hai’ is an ode to the feeling of being completely lost in someone. ‘Tu Rehti Hai’ is a beautifully sung track, with an incredibly placed softness in its rhythm and tone that truly captures the gentle essence of what love can be like for some. Accompanied by a subtle acoustic backing and carefully arranged percussion beats, that only serve to help the lyrics, ‘Tu Rehti Hai’ is an effortless composition that is not only harmonious but is also well produced. There is a stylish flair to the subtlety of the entire production that is, indeed, only truly understood when listened to.

Harish Budhwani’s ‘Zinda’ is, perhaps, the most unique track on this list. Budhwani captures a beautiful story of search and longing in his lyrics that goes beyond the idea of love. More so, ‘Zinda’ is about the idea of true companionship and understanding that one looks for. It is about finding the ‘other half of you’. What’s more impressive is the fact that Budhwani uses nothing else but an acoustic guitar throughout the whole track. The true music lies in his voice and his voice alone. The vocal range in ‘Zinda’ is truly something magical. Give ‘Zinda’ a listen. Trust me, it is worth every second of your time.

Raghav Chaitanya’s ‘Anjaana’ is, perhaps, the one track on this list that will resonate most with the millennial audience. With a truly captivating lyrical video, ‘Anjaana’ is about longing as well. However, unlike some of the other tracks on this list, the longing that Chaitanya sings about has a sense of unfulfillment about it. Chaitanya, through ‘Anjaana’, has managed to capture two oscillating emotions in his track, that of complete fulfillment and of a search forever left unfinished. ‘Anjaana’ will soothe you with how beautifully it is sung, but once you listen closer to the lyrics, it might just touch that feeling you have been trying so hard to hide. 

Desire is an extremely complex emotion. Like a double-edged sword, desire drives some people to insanity, yet helps others conquer their deepest fears. Whether it be the desire to achieve something or the desire for someone, there’s no denying that it is a strong emotion. In fact, desire goes hand-in-hand with passion; just as complex and fanatical. Ehsaas Band explores several different narratives featuring this insanity of passion and desire in their new EP, ‘Baawre’.

Baawre is a Hindi term that literally translates to ‘insane’. But it is usually depicted with a positive glint; with a loving connotation. Like insanity in the creation of art, or making impulsive decisions to appease your heart, or simply someone crazy in love. So, no wonder, Ehsaas band decided to name their debut EP ‘Baawre’.

Get to Know the Ehsaas Band

This Ahmedabad-based band was formed in 2015 when college competitions and gigs at local restaurants brought these talented individuals together. Viral Patel is the lead vocalist. Raj Shah is the one responsible for all the remarkable guitar solos. Parth Bhavsar carries the weight of the drums on his shoulders. Together they have performed over 200 live shows all around India. In fact, they even bagged up some terrific features with the Rolling Stones, Red Indie Fm, Skill Box etc. Moreover, they’ve also performed for multiple regional channels and local FM Stations.

Believe it or not, despite all their struggles (financial, finding the right people for the band, mentally and physically strenuous tasks), they made their EP all on their own! Producing, Shooting, Promoting, as an indie band they had to manage it all by themselves. However, their faith in their work pushed them through. They believe in their art, their music, for they know at the core they are musicians through and through.

People, practice and persistence is the secret to their creative process. Truly, this is the reason they were able to work through the lockdown to create this work of art, Baawre. Even as the global distress laid grey clouds over our heads, their pursuit for passion shined through.

‘Baawre’ for Their Music

A collection of experimental music, the EP features five incredible tracks. Baawre, Ehsaas Band’s title track is all about self-discovery. It is like diving into our own minds and discovering our darkest desires and deepest fears. It questions the true purpose of oneself. Why not follow your dreams, do what your heart desires? What are we so afraid of? This track is about a man who gave in to his desires. He travels miles and miles, driven by nothing but passion. With no destination in sight, he is simply on a long journey of self-discovery.

The next song on the EP, Kal Ki Yaadein is all about memories. This song deals with people fondly reminiscing the time that has passed. Instead of focusing on the miserable past, filled with regrets and grudges, it reminds us of all that we have learned, loved and discovered. Whether that be people and friendships, or passions and hobbies. Ehsaas Band puts our emotions into words with their incredible lyricism.

Meri Haari is a heart-wrenching track about the loss of love. If you’ve ever been left by a lover who you believed was ‘the one’ you would know exactly what I mean. And if you haven’t, then this song will help you understand that tormenting emotion. Delving deep into the scars of our past loves, Ehsaas Band created a song that hits where it hurts. It translates the frustration, desperation, and shattering agony into a musical masterpiece (Can you tell this was a personal favourite?). The dark void that lives within us – for no one can take their place – is expressed incredibly by these talented musicians. Simply put, this song is painstakingly beautiful.

The meticulous effort put into this EP is clear as day. The fact that this is their debut album is absolutely astounding! I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the final two tracks! Ek Anjaani and Kal Ki Yaadein (Encore)! Keep your eyes and ears open for the new music this indie rock band is about to drop!

Some artists have a penchant for experimenting, and for drawing inspiration from their fanbase. ZelliX goes a step ahead with that in his new original single ‘Bas Ab Sukoon’. This song of romance and pretty melodies has left his fans mesmerised, and has also given them an extra reason to rejoice by making them a part of its creation. It’s a love song made out of the contribution of his loving followers. 

Written, produced, and performed by ZelliX, it was released on April 23. While the song is proof enough of his talents, his video of its behind-the-scenes creation also clearly reveals his amazing flair and ability of music and song-making. He sits down to not just create its beautiful melody, but also write the lyrics out of words suggested by his Instagram followers. 

This catchy and pleasant song by ZelliX seems like a successful quarantine project for a musician, and an even perfect quarantine track for his audience. With an ideal confluence of lyrics and music, the song is equal parts soulful and sweet. His listeners have surely enjoyed it as much as he enjoyed creating it! 

Go listen to it now and immerse yourself in the soothing words of a musician!

There is a lot to be said about making music. We could talk about the blood, sweat and tears that go into producing a track or, perhaps, we could touch on the creative maneuvering that is necessary when laying the beats to a song. Raj Pandit could tell you all about this. Behind him, lies 10 years of experience, time he spent working with the acclaimed duo, Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, honing his own craft. Even so, he asserts that he has just begun, and while that may be true considering the scope of the music industry, his journey, so far, is one worth taking a closer glance at.

Born and raised in Mumbai, Pandit spent his childhood immersed in music. His mother, a Kashmiri Folk singer, was, perhaps, his brush with music. Placed in an environment that made him naturally inclined towards music, he began learning to play the tabla at the age of 4, before going on to take up the piano when he was 9. Considering everything, Pandit knew, from an early age, that music was something he wanted to pursue. And, he did just that.

However, mere passion and talent can, sometimes, fall short. Pandit states that he has been fortunate enough to be surrounded by the right kind of people. There is, as he says, a massive learning curve in a creative field. Being mentally prepared for that and spending enough time to hone his own grasp of the craft was of critical importance to him. Indeed, he has been working with Salim and Sulaiman Merchant for the last 10 years, collaborating on tracks and producing music. Not surprisingly, he considers the time he has spent with the renowned duo as one of the most important periods of growth in his life.

Even so, Pandit feels blessed to be able to pursue his passion for music in a professional sphere. Believing that taking leaps of faith, for the things one is passionate about, to be of crucial importance, he firmly maintains that, sometimes, just going for it opens up avenues that, otherwise, would not be possible.

Recently, Pandit just released his debut single, ‘Vibe’. Having spent years learning and perfecting his own style and voice, Pandit wanted to release his own independent track at a time that he considered right. While on a flight to Australia with the Merchant duo, he came up with the hook for the track. He immediately went on to record it in a voice note before building a basic groove on his phone. That, alone, excited him enough to come back and work on the track. Finally, after the lockdown eased up a little, Pandit decided to release the track, finishing working on it in a month.

It seems like a rosy life from the outside and understandably so. Pandit has been following his passion, managing to turn it into something that he pursues professionally and working with some of the most established figures in the music industry in the country. However, Pandit has had his own challenges, stumbling blocks he has had to overcome and grow from. Years ago, for instance, he recalls one of his initial concerts with Salim-Sulaiman, where he forgot the lyrics to an entire verse on stage, in spite of having spent time rehearsing it diligently. That, according to him, was one of the most embarrassing moments for him to be in. He understood, then, how much more it takes to reach a certain level on stage. He took that whole incident in stride, determined to work harder, not only for himself but, also, for his co-performers.

For Pandit, his affinity for music is a natural blessing. Even so, he reaffirms how much time and persistent effort he has had to put in. Patience, as he says, is one of the most important things when it comes to pursuing something you are passionate about. Sticking to your own belief, while putting in the effort, is crucial to succeeding. And, that is advice derived from his own personal experience and journey. After all, Raj Pandit has spent the last 10 years learning and growing from those around him, while sticking to his own belief in himself.

It is an impressive path that he has walked and, judging from the reception to his debut, it is, undoubtedly, the one to success.