Singing is an art form that requires a lot of hard work and discipline to master. A perfectly trained voice can make even heaven cry and smile at its whim. The value that music and singing add to one’s life cannot go unnoticed. From helping you cry your pain away to being there to add the perfect soundtrack when you’re smiling the brightest, a song is there for you through it all. Though it is challenging to master singing, beginning this long journey is a must for any aspiring singer and what better way to do so than by trying to embody the very singer you are inspired by? 

Let’s look at a few artists who are giving their all to hone their melodious voices to perfection.

O Mere Dil Ke Chain- Cover by Jayant Joshi

Immortalised by the legendary voice of Kishore Kumar, this song is the OG song of love. If you’re a Bollywood fan there’s no doubt that the tune of this song is already ringing in your ears as soon as you read the title. Living up to the standards set by the legend himself is unimaginable but many modern artists have tried their level best. Among these many, the cover by Jayant Joshi stands out the most. By using an acoustic guitar that draws the audience’s attention more to his beautiful voice he manages to capture them by creating the same feel as the original but with a new voice. Perfect for a day when you just wish to take a really long drive while humming to a familiar song. 

Alag Aasmaan- Cover by Pancham Sharma

A comforting and soothing song by Anuv Jain, it will surely make you feel like the main lead who is walking down the pavement with the sun and sunflowers out to greet you. The relaxing cover of this song by Pancham Sharma just gave it the extra layer of tranquillity that it didn’t know it needed. Accompanied by his steady voice and smooth runs Sharma managed to maintain the flow of the entire song without going off-key even once. The transition from the low notes to the high notes is also executed pretty well. It’s a perfect song to hum to when you’re walking on the beach by the shore with the sea breeze washing away your worries while a cone of your favourite ice cream makes the world seem a little more bearable than yesterday.

Kabira- Cover by Aashee Dhiman

Originally sung by Rekha Bhardwaj and Tochi Raina, this song makes one weep and smile at the same time. However, the cover by Aashee Dhiman does just the opposite. Accompanied by her mesmerising voice Dhiman gives a brighter and lighter tone to this song which makes one feel more hopeful. Hitting each note perfectly and adding more graceful runs she makes it all the more soulful. Perfect for a day when you’re walking and exploring a new part of a city.

Tum Se Hi- Cover by Soham

A song etched in the memory of every 2000s Bollywood-loving kid and brought to life by none other than the king of soulful songs Mohit Chauhan is a song that fills one with nostalgia and happiness as one imagines Geet and Aditya finally making their way back to each other. Though the bar is set high many young artists of today have managed to reach it, and among them one such artist is Soham. Accompanied by a voice that is so similar to Chauhan that it makes the audience wonder if it’s not Mohit Chauhan himself. Such a deep and comforting voice serves as the perfect company for stargazing. The only issue we have with the cover is… that it’s too short!

As new singers try to amaze us with their increasing mastery over this art called singing every day, it is we who can ensure that they get the spotlight their talent deserves by encouraging them through comments and likes. So, make sure to check them out!    

Conveying a story and memory through a song has always been so much easier. Music and Lyrics composition when combined can create a piece so beautiful that hits home and makes you feel the right things. Being in love for the first time is such an intimate experience that creates one of the core memories of growing up. We take you back in time with these songs especially dealing with first love and feelings in such an intricate way. Presenting a set of emerging musicians and singers who have done a phenomenal job producing these beautiful pieces. 

Noor – Ashu Shukla 

Noor is a song to inspire pure feeling and portrayal of those through music and video. Ashu Shukla‘s voice paired with the light instrument is soothing to the ears. The lyrical details present in the song makes the music so familiar as if all feeling were noted down and presented in front of you. Shukla’s song is gentle with various combined references, the lyrical beauty takes over and presents a memory of us being in love for the first time right in front of us. A melody you’ll find humming while reminiscing the old days. 

Kaise Batau- Anirudh Nimkar 

Nimkar is so gentle with his words while conveying the sweet questioning letter to someone in form of a song. The composition and lyrics of the song remind you and takes you back to your days of being in love. Nimkar’s flickering-like music is a blessing to the ears with the piece and instrument used. The sole focus remaining in his voice depicts storytelling and a provocative imagination that it lets you feel. Songs like Kaise Batau take you back and makes you reminisce about the good old days by just listening to the piece once. 

Parwaah-  Vishal R. Tandon 

A sweet song backed with soothing vocals which leave you mesmerized and wanting for more. Tandon’s voice is filled with a sweet embrace of describing a mutual feeling of having someone. The act of caring and reliance flows through the entirety of the song and is so appealing to the ears. The music is upbeat at the same time synchronized so well that they remain gentler with the lyric composition. Parwah is definitely a song to groove at the same time embrace the music. 

Woh Jo Tha – Siddhant Kathuria 

A beautiful medley with raw vocals paired with guitar. The strings and the vocals completely take over and bring out the essence of longing and search so evidently. Wo Jo Tha is a perfect upbeat song for a momentarily feeling cherished and is not lost in a fleeting time. Kathuria’s voice appears so authentic it makes you travel back to your past and recollect memories with a desire to relive and create more. The rhythm and lyrics are so influential, they unconsciously replay in your head and you’ll definitely catch yourself humming along to the beats. 

Beyond the mainstream music and artists is yet another musical sphere that is currently rising to recognition. Indie musicians in India do not come with a silver platter of their own. It is a known fact that Bollywood music reigns complete superiority over the major chunk of the general public, because of a lot of resources, of course. Indie artists, on the other hand, are employing their blood, sweat and tears to make their music heard. However, all is definitely not lost for independent musicians, since there is a massive crowd who loves the kind of music that Indie artists provide. With social media sites like Instagram and YouTube, it has definitely become easier to reach your targeted audience.

We present some soul-soothing and beautiful original music compositions by artists you might want to stumble upon and explore more of their discography.

Pahado Mein – Salman Elahi

Ever wondered what might be the best song for a road trip to the mountains? Well, Salman Elahi has delivered a song just for that! Pahado Mein feels synonymous to the fresh air you breathe in the green and white covers of the Himalayas. For trekkers and people who often pack their bags and leave to the higher curvy roads, this song will be the perfect bittersweet reminders of why you love the mountains and the hills and the nature so much. Salman Elahi, with his pleasant vocals, has created a much needed masterpiece indeed!

Mazaak – Anuv Jain

Anuv Jain has amassed a loyal fan following with his exceptional talent in singing and songwriting. His latest release, Mazaak, was an anticipated one. After releasing beautiful melodies like ‘Baarishein’ and ‘Mishri’ it is not quite surprising that with every upcoming release of his, people have unbounded expectations from him, and Anuv Jain never disappoints. Mazaak is a song narrating the sweetness and serenity that lies in love. It is a celebration of human love, the uncertainty of it, and the disbelief we’re in of its warmth, promises, and beauty.

Muskan – Dikshant

Dikshant is a singer-songwriter. He writes songs in three languages: Hindi, English and Marathi. Dikshant’s perspective towards human emotions is quite different, a more sensitive approach, and this manifests into the words he pens down. His song ‘Muskan’ is a living example of how Dikshant sees human emotions. Through this song, Dikshant has captured the unmatched moments of unbounded happiness when you meet the person you love, especially if it’s a love challenged by time and distance. ‘Muskan’ brings lyricism, melody and soulful vocals, all at the same place.

Khatam – Pratyush Dhiman

Pratyush Dhiman pens down the incomprehensible and heartbreaking feelings of a love that fades away, a love that you lose. ‘Khatam’ is that song track which speaks of your inner feelings of sorrow and angst. Your known ones can not empathise the rejection and despair that follows a heartbreak, and this is when songs and music alike come to understand you, and be your company in the loneliness. This is Pratyush Dhiman’s one of many exceptional songs, in which his own unique element is loud and vivid.

Music is a universal language. We listen, sing, write songs, produce melodies, dance to it, and sometimes just let music take care of our emotions. Music is really a creative process, and people who cherish such creativity and artists are many indeed. When it comes to listening to musical and song covers, it is often a moment of awe and wonderment. The cover is not just a mere imitation of the song or the music, but each cover has a certain uniqueness to it owing to the singer. Each singer and artist adds his own element and aura to it. In this light, we bring you some beautiful music covers by some of these talented artists.

Jab Deep Jale Aana – Parachi Shukla

Prachi Shukla is not the one to lay down low when it comes to highlighting her immaculate vocals. She is an amazing singer with an even greater passion for music and songs. Jab Deep Jale Aana is a classic song, and Prachi Shukla does give it full justice with her cover. There’s a unique splendour to the musical performance, and it is an actual pleasure to listen to Prachi Shukla singing.

Kotha Dao – Saikat Roy

Singer Saikat Roy pays tribute to Manna Dey, one of the most celebrated Indian playback singer, with this beautiful cover of his song, Kotha Dao. Saikat delivers the song with so much emotions that one is forced to immerse in his melodic and deep vocals. Each verse and each syllable of the song comes to the listener like a soulful entity of its own. Moreover, the music video embraces the same love, calmness and promise that the song delivers.

Uchiyaan Dewaraan – Saumya Patni

Who hasn’t swayed their heads to Uchiyaan Dewaraan? Isn’t it one of those songs which will be considered a classic in the coming future? Saumya Patni, in an intense and deeply felt music video, brings a beautiful cover of the song. In just a short one minute cover, Saumya Patni proves that she lays both emotion and passion while singing. Her refined and charming vocals add to the serenity and weight of the original song.

Darmiyaan – Dhamchin Norbu

Deep and sturdy vocals like Dhamchin Norbu will obviously mean that you can be promised the perfect cover of a song like Darmiyaan. Dhamchin Norbu delivers a powerful yet alluring cover, standing against the pink and purple sunset sky, which adds more to the transcendental performance.

We tend to modify and improve the given form according to the convenience of the layman. Classics which endure the originality of the art form are tough for a layman to acquire. Folk culture, on the other hand is seen rather as an art form made for pleasure than as an art with aestheticism. To bridge this dichotomy here, the fusion of folk and classical emerged. In music, the genre of fusion gained immense popularity as well. Fusion songs borrow the element of ease from the folk songs and inherit the element of critical aestheticism from the classical songs. There are several prevalent forms of fusion of folk and classical music in India. We’ll be mentioning all the major ones.

The Rabindra Sangeet

Rabindra Sangeet is the form of music named after its composer, the noble laureate, composer, poet, writer and Bengali polymath, Rabindranath Tagore. He drew inspiration from the Thumri sub genre of Hindustani classical music and added variations to the strict raga system in his songs. Writings of Rabindranath Tagore were highly lyrical with the thematic undercurrent of love and devotion, mainly towards God. His songs have spiritualistic tranquility that bewitches one’s mind to experience calmness, and this is what Rabindra Sangeet encompasses too.

Sugam Sangeet

Sugam Sangeet is the music that has been made free of text-laden technicalities of classical music. That isn’t to say that it does not follow some of the technicalities, but it has been certainly made flexible to changes. The lexicon of the song is made easier by often containing words adopted from regional languages. Etymologically, since Sugam translates to ‘comforting’, Sugam Sangeet is the genre which is born out of the convenience of a layman who is destitute of deeper details dwelling in classical music.

Haveli Sangeet

Haveli Sangeet are devotional songs performed in temples, often as a part of ritual. India has conjectured the tradition of Haveli Sangeet since primitive times. These songs originated in the Mathura region of Uttar Pradesh. Reverentially, they’re majorly sung in the praise of or in devotion to Hindu deity Lord Krishna. Haveli Sangeet is popular even in the states of Rajasthan and Gujrat. They carry the regional alterations of dialect and that makes them a part of fusion. Although the songs are highly religious in their themes, they can be enjoyed by atheists for their cultural beauty.

Gana Sangeet

The British colonialism majorly annihilated India, but few good things came out of it. The patriotic fervor that the freedom drive created gave rise to many culturally important art forms. One such is Gana Sangeet, which was born out protests against the British rule in India and are generally sung in chorus to represent the strength of unity and contains a social message. Initial themes included patriotism, community strength on the front, but post-colonization, Gana Sangeet incorporated other socially important themes were also adapted in the genre.
There are plethora of categories and forms of songs made out of the fusion of classical and Folk music in India and it certainly isn’t possible briefing all of them. Other popular forms, however, include Qawwali, which is a Sufi form of devotional songs and has religious Islamic origins. Another fusion music form is Shabad. These are didactic songs generally sung by Sikh gurus and are believed to be originated in Punjab.

Lost in the woods of western influences, we often forget the soothing ground of our abode and its pacifying culture. The transcendental values exhibited by our culture should be envisioned in our memory if not reflected in our action.