Podcast about Indian Music

Aise nahin chalega (this won't fly) !

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:25:00 GMT

I have posted 1 show in more than 3 months !!!

I have just changed jobs and the new job is keeping me very very busy. I just dont have enough time to research and post shows nowadays. And I dont expect the situation to change in the next few months either.

This cant go on like this. I NEED HELP !!! (No, not help from a medical professional, silly. Help in posting the podcasts) I will continue to have enough space and bandwidth. We could try out some collaboration. Got any ideas ?

Please send in your ideas.

Thanks Amit

Top Songs of 2005 (#30 to #21)

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 06:14:00 GMT

Here they are - the first installment of the top 30 songs of 2005. Thanks to Raghav, Guri, Kartikey, Prerna and Aniruddh for your nominations. My top 10 list would be similar in parts to all of you, but for now lets look at the 30-21 :

30. Aashiq Banaya Apne (I know ! Somehow this song just doesnt do it for me)

29. Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaye (Kalyug)

28. Kitni Narmi Se (Dil Jo Bhi Kahey)

27. Falak Dekhoon (Garam Masala)

26. Qatra Qatra (Family)

25. Deedar De (Dus)

24. Sun Zara (Lucky - No Time for Love)

23. Akhiyan Na Maar (Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena)

22. Happy Diwali (Home Delivery)

and at

21. Dus Bahane (Dus)

Lets hear what you have to say !!

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Reality Talent Contest - Fame Gurukul

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 15:58:00 GMT

I have been watching recordings of Sony Television's hit Reality Singing Talent show Fame Gurukul this last one week. I would watch the clips on their website (http://famegurukul.sify.com) last year, but this is the first time I watched the complete shows. And it is one hell of an addictive show.

Is kahani main Suspense hai, Romance hai, Tragedy hai, Drama hai, Comedy hai aur Action bhi hai (in the form of tiffs between Javed Akhtar and anyone else who dares to cross his path !). And on top of that some great singing. The things that irritate are the numerous breaks (quite common for Indian TV viewing I guess) and the overly dramatic and stretched out suspense moments when they announce results.

I have been thoroughly impressed by the contestants' talent. Till very recently I thought being able to sing in tune was the most important (or maybe even the "only") thing required for playback singing. This was perpetuated by the fact that I have extensive Classical Music vocal training and I confidently thought I could sing all songs very well. Not so. Though I can sing most songs in tune, what separates the good from the great are the other ingredients - voice projection (or modulation as maybe some people call it) feeling the song (or singing with the feeling) and the versatility.

Now to the podcast. As you know, this year I want to focus on talking to and showcasing as much new talent as possible. Wouldn't it be great to interview the participants of FG ? I'll try to contact these people on my own, but if any of you know any of these really talented individuals, drop me a line.

And yes the next podcast show is in the can. I'll be posting it soon. Thanks for your patience.

Ciao.

Finally out of hibernation !!!

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:14:00 GMT

Its been a very long gap in "programming". My sincerest apologies to my listeners for whom I couldnt post anything the last 6 weeks.

Had been working on quite a few things that took up most of my time. And then laziness set in. But now I have woken up and dusted the cobwebs off and am ready to start discussing music with all of you again.

I plan to change direction slightly this year and focus more on upcoming bands and artists. But to wrap up the wonderful 2005, I'll start off by posting the Top Songs of 2005. Look out for stuff over the weekend.

Cheers

Top Songs of 2005 ?

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 17:10:00 GMT

What were the top 10 songs of the year 2005 ? Email your top choices to me or just post them in the comments below and lets see how that compares to mine, when I post the show.

For some time I had been trying to create a survey form but it was a little hard to list all the more than 50 good songs on one page.

So send in your choices and lets have some fun !

MTV Immies

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 19:40:00 GMT

The MTV Immies were given away on Dec 9th. the Immies recognize talent in the Indian Music Industry. God ! I would have loved to cover the event... Maybe when (and if) I am in Mumbai in the future, I'll be able to.

Check out some photos from rediff here : http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2005/dec/12sld1.htm

Was just thinking about the name - The Immies (Indian Music ies). Maybe any contest I have in the future, I should call them the Impies or Pimmies. Probably not the Pimmies - dont know why but it reminds me of Lillette Dubey in Monsoon Wedding. I think Impies it will be. :)

The BBC Interview

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Tue, 6 Dec 2005 21:44:00 GMT

Was a great experience being on BBC Radio and talking about the podcast. You can listen to it here (my part comes 40 minutes into the segment)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/fivelive_aod.shtml?fivelive/pods_blogs

Show #16; Top songs of Oct and Nov 2005

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Mon, 5 Dec 2005 00:42:00 GMT

First of all the winners of the H1Bees contest - Siva and Rishabh, Congratulations !! You'll soon be getting your CDs in the mail (that is of course after I get your mailing addresses :) )

Loved putting this show together. All this time I used to just talk about the similarities between songs, but today I actually tried to demonstrate the likeness. The songs in question were Maar Sutiya from Deewane Hue Paagal (and its striking resemblance to Dil Mera - One Night from Kyaa Kool Hai Hum) both by Anu Malik (you're probably smiling on this one) and the other was "Teri Yaad Yaad" from "Vaah ! Life Ho to Aisi" (and its similarity to Teri Kurti Sexy from Vaada) both by Himesh Reshammiya.

And one more exciting development. BBC (BBC Five Live) is featuring our podcast on their show "Up All Night" on Monday Dec 05, 2005, at 9:45PM EST. I would be appearing live for an interview in the show at that time. Isnt it exciting ? I certainly am thrilled. Here's the link if you want to hear it from their website (it'll also be archived for 7 days). I'll try to host the clip on this website too after that.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/podsandblogs

Ciao !

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Contests still open

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 20:45:00 GMT

Returned from an extended weekend - it was a holiday here in the US - and saw that both contests still were open. The next respondents for both contests get the autographed H1Bees CD. So hurry up... We're waiting to hear from you.

See you soon with the top songs from October and November 2005.

Show #15 : Part 2 of the H1Bees interview

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 15:49:00 GMT

And here's the second one. More songs from the H1Bees album. And the second chance to get your autographed H1Bees CD. Dont let the opportunity slip.

Srikanth and Shankar told us about the artists that contributed to this album. Srikanth sure has an ear for talent. If you have some musical talent you would like to put to good use, go to Srikanth's website http://www.srikanthd.com and contact him. Who knows you might be performing for his next album !!

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Show #15 : H1Bees Interview - Double Bonanza !!

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 15:40:00 GMT

Here's the much awaited interview with Srikanth and Shankar, two of the people behind the widely acclaimed album - H1Bees. There was so much to talk about and so much music to listen to that I am posting this show in two parts of 30 minutes each.

We listened to popular playback singers SP Balasubramaniam and Sujatha and Tippu croon to Srikanth's tunes and also the H1Bees title track in this episode.

And as promised, we are giving away autographed H1Bees CDs. Listen for the question and send in your answer, and you might be the one getting the CD in your mailbox very soon.

To buy the CD yourself, go here : http://cdbaby.com/cd/srikanth

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Show 14 : Review of Neal 'n' Nikki

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sun, 6 Nov 2005 06:22:00 GMT

Neal 'n' Nikki is the next Yash Raj movie and has music by Salim and Sulaiman Merchant. These are the guys who composed the music for Iqbal and Kaal earlier in the year. The songs that we played in this review were : Neal 'n' Nikki, NnN - the Naughty mix, I'm in Love, Akh Ladiye, Halla Re, I just wanna spend my life with you.

Enjoy !

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Upcoming artist ? I dont think so...

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 19:38:00 GMT

I should probably remove the "Upcoming artist" tag from the interview with the producers of H1Bees. Srikanth, the force behind the H1Bees has produced an album (Maha Kavi) with SP Balasubraniam in the past !

And H1Bees has been covered by The Washinton Post, BBC, CNBC India, National Public Radio (NPR), The Economic Times, Voice of America, Indian Express, The Hindu, India Abroad/Rediff, Aaj Tak, TV Asia, Sulekha and others. Get the details here : http://www.h1bees.com/press.html. So after all this, can I call the producers of the H1Bees upcoming ? I think not.

One bit of bad news though, you might have to wait a few days more for the interview. These guys (as you can imagine) are very very busy and wont be available for an interview till Tuesday. So we'll have their interview available by next week. And this week you'll just have to make do with reviews of new music !! :)

Talk to you soon.

Number change ho gaya !!

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 13:12:00 GMT

Just yesterday, a listener brought to my attention the fact that the number listed at the top (206-202-2648) didnt seem to be mine. Thanks Agul.

Well, I use a free service for this voicemail feature (k7.net - thanks to Raghav for that Tip) and they discontinue the number if there is no activity for 30 days. And since no one called me in the last one month :(, I lost it to someone else. So the new number is 206-203-2648. And please prevent this one from going under too, by calling in and leaving me a message.

This might also be a good time to acknowledge all the people who have sent in corrections/suggestions in the past.

Kartikey, thanks for all your suggestions in the past and also your idea about voting on the 30 top songs of the year. I am going to implement it soon.

Venkatesh and Chinmay thanks for pointing out that Ina Mina Dika was composed by C Ramchandra and not RDB. And again Venkatesh, thanks for catching my slip - My Dil goes Mmm is by Shaan and not Sonu Nigam. And also thank you for the composer for Lawaris - Kalyanji Anandji.

Thanks to the people above and everyone else for listening and writing in. There have been more than 11,000 visits to the page since I started in July and around 7700 downloads which is just phenomenal. Thanks so much !

Show#13 : Music Appreciation - Disco

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sun, 23 Oct 2005 23:37:00 GMT

So what is disco ? When did it start seeping into Indian Music and when did it arrive full force in Hindi Film Music ? Listen all 'bout it !!

And revive your memories of the 70's and 80's by listening to some great Disco songs of the time.

Next week we'll have Srikanth on the show. Srikanth just released the immensely popular H1Bees and has in the past recorded with the likes of SP Balasubramaniam. Stay Tuned !!!

And we might again have a few autographed CDs to give away, so get a head start. Visit http://www.h1bees.com and http://www.srikanthd.com to read up...

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Where's show 13 ?

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 04:36:00 GMT

Here we go again. Another missed deadline. Let me reduce expectations a little bit since I dont seem to very good at keeping to the dates - I'm going to try to post the podcasts on the weekends, but there might be delays now and then. I am working on show #13 - music appreciation. It should be here soon so hang on tight.

The best way to make sure you get it as soon as its available (and that too Automagically!) is to subscribe to the Podcast. And what better way to do that than through the new service from Yahoo! - Yahoo! Podcasts (http://podcasts.yahoo.com). Yes we are listed and here's the link.

Other podcast directories and services where you can get this podcast are listed under Syndication on the bottom left.

Show #12 : Top Songs of Sept 2005

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 03:13:00 GMT

Yes, I know I know, I am two days late. Kya karen, juggling day job and podcasting isnt that easy, and I havent counted family time... Hope you all understand.

The top songs of Sept 2005 according to me were : Yaaron (GM), Chori Chori & Ankhiyan Na Maar(EKEH), Dil Jo Bhi Kahe (DJBK), Halka Halka Sa Yeh Sama (Chocolate), My Dil Goes... (Salaam Namaste), Aashiq Banaya Apne (ABA), God Promise Dil Dola (Shaadi #1). The last one just barely.

And then I played a surprise song (not from Sept 2005 but earlier in the year), that is just an incredibly beautiful song.

Enjoy !

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Show #11 : Album Reviews - EKEH & GM

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Tue, 4 Oct 2005 13:22:00 GMT

Review time ! "Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena" and "Garam Masala", both albums released in September and both had music composed by Pritam.

Hope you like the new website look and feel. Many thanks to Sulakshana for making it possible.

Thanks very much to everyone who has written in. Shiva, Hannah, Raghav, Venkatesh, Kartikey, Anil, Manisha, Ireth, Peretz, Anu, Sashin and Atin (sorry if I missed anyone out). Hannah, Shiva, sorry you didn't win this time. Better luck next time.

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Show #10 : Contest 2

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Mon, 3 Oct 2005 13:05:00 GMT

Ruchir Agarwal is the winner of the second Contest ! The correct answer was Hazrat Waaris Ali Shah.

Congrats Sonal and Ruchir ! Enjoy your CDs.

Show #10 : SaazMantra CD Giveaway

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 18:21:00 GMT

Hmm... Still havent got our response #5 to give away the autographed SaazMantra CD. Let me repeat the question. What is the name of the Sufi Poet that SaazMantra's song Rashq Ki has a couplet from ? Send the answer to indianmusicpodcast at gmail dot com and we'll mail the autographed CD to you.

Cheers

Show #10 : Contest 1 - we have a winner

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 01:50:00 GMT

Congrats Sonal ! Yes, the female singer for "Main Tumse Hoon" is indeed Ranjini. We will be mailing you an autographed CD as soon as we get your mailing address.

The other contest is still open. We havent got the 5th respondent with the correct answer yet. So do send in your answer, and who knows you might be the lucky one. (And dont worry if you are not in the US - wherever in the world you are, we'll get the CD to you) So what are you waiting for ?

Show #10 : SaazMantra

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 01:16:00 GMT

Finally ! You get to meet SaazMantra and their beautiful songs. And dont forget, there are two opportunities to win autographed CDs from this duo that is on the verge of the big league. So send in the answers to the easy questions at the earliest or you'll be ruing it when its really hard to get their autographs ! And their CDs :)

Enjoy !

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Show #10 : Update

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 18:55:00 GMT

Hello everyone, Due to a small family medical emergency, posting of show #10 is getting delayed. I should be able to post it in a couple of days (maybe even earlier). You'll get to hear SaazMantra, who are poised to hit the big time (they've already been signed by a big label). Which label ? Find that and much much more when I post the show.

Also you would be the very first ones to get to listen to some really fresh music that they are still developing for their next album

We'll be giving away CDs for answering really simple questions. So take positions and get ready to type out the answers. (Hint : visit their website and read up on them. go to http://www.saazmantra.com)

Amit

Show #9 : Rock 'n' Roll in Hindi Film Music

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 05:32:00 GMT

First of a series of Music Appreciation Shows. Started to analyze how Rock 'n' Roll has influenced Hindi Film Music. The show gradually became an Anand Milind show !! :)

We're not going to change the name of the Podcast. However the 5 free songs are still up for grabs. The first person to send me an email asking for the songs, gets them.

And don't forget, next week is an interview with Saazmantra with lots of giveaways.

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Show #8 - Top songs of August 2005

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sat, 3 Sep 2005 05:29:00 GMT

This is going to be a monthly feature from now on - last month's top songs. Listen and critique the top songs of August with me :

Ishq Di Gali Vich (No Entry), Nakhre (Barsaat), Aashiq Banaya Apne (Aashiq Banaya Apne), Just Chill (Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya), Halka Halka Sa Yeh Sama (Chocolate), My Dil Goes Mmm (Salaam Namaste), Main Vari Vari (The Rising - Mangal Pandey). I also played Aaje Ve Maahi (Fida) to illustrate a point.

ALSO THE CONTEST

Dont forget to send me your ideas for re-naming this podcast to win your five free song downloads from CrimsonBay

Have fun ! :) Bye

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Show #7 : Reviewing Vishal Shekhar

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 05:18:00 GMT

Listening to music is analogous with dating ? Read my take on how a five star rating can be applied to rating songs as well as for dating/friendship/relationships !!

Using that rating scheme, I rate a few Vishal Shekhar songs in this episode.

Hope you enjoy !

Amit

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Show #6 : Interviewing the Lukkhhas

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sun, 21 Aug 2005 11:47:00 GMT

Interviewing the Lukkhhas, a desi band from New Orleans. I had a lot fo fun producing this show - I hope you enjoy too.

Amit

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Filler before Show #6

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 03:55:00 GMT

My apologies - I am getting a little delayed posting show #6. I feel really bad keeping you all waiting, and so while I work on show 6 here is something for you to listen to :

Show number 5.45 that lasts for 5.45 minutes !!

Enjoy !

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Details on Show #6

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 14:57:00 GMT

Recorded show #6 with the Lukkhhas (http://www.lukkhhas.com) on saturday. Should make for an interesting show - will take me another day to post it.

Thanks for your patience.Stay tuned !

Amit

Show #5 - Ram Sampat

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sun, 7 Aug 2005 19:54:00 GMT

Show #5 : Another very promising young composer - Ram Sampat. His songs from Khakee and then a few compositions he did for Shaan - Love-ology, Tanha Dil and Gum Gum ho Kyun.

Starting from this show we are stereo. Hope that enhances your listening pleasure.

Also now, you can phone in your comments and I would love to include them on my show. So call 206-202-AMIT (206-202-2648) (thanks Raghav !) and let me know what you think. Or post your comments as always on this page or email them to me.

Amit

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Show #4 : Shankar Ehsaan Loy - romantic and dance compositions

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 15:34:00 GMT

Show #4 : This one rounds up the SEL series. The Brilliance of Kal Ho Na Ho's music. Their movies after KHNH. And a few romantic and dance numbers.

Show pipeline is building up - future shows will have upcoming artists, so stay tuned !

As always keep the comments coming.

Amit

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Show #3 : Shankar Ehsaan Loy - their romantic numbers

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sun, 24 Jul 2005 03:04:00 GMT

Show #3 : Shankar Ehsaan Loy's romantic compositions. The movies that they have composed for in chronological order.

Have tried a couple of new things in this show. Lets see if you guys notice. Also with this show, I am moving the show to saturdays.

Let me know what you think by posting your comments here or sending me an email

Hope you enjoy the show.

Amit

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Factual Corrections to Show#2

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 04:08:00 GMT

A couple of corrections to the show : a) Loy not only has a Jazz background but also Motown, R&B & Soul. More about the trio here, their official website. Check out the cafe on this website - a discussion forum where these guys regularly respond to questions from visitors. Way too cool ! b) The other mistake was saying Prannoy Roy can be called an economist; he cannot. He is a psephologist and a political analyst.

My apologies. Take care. Bye

Amit

Show #2 : Shankar Ehsaan Loy - about them and a couple of their slow songs

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 03:42:00 GMT

Here it is ! Show #2. About the three of them. Loy's early compositions. Their backgrounds. And then a couple of their wonderful slow songs.

Let me know what you think by posting your comments here or sending me an email

Hope you enjoy the show. Next show is SEL's romantic songs and then their dance numbers.

Stay tuned ! Bye !

Amit

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Thanks for all your interest

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Sun, 10 Jul 2005 16:31:00 GMT

Am greatly encouraged by all the interest in this podcast. Am also anxious because the first show was more of a sound check - testing out the whole Podcasting process; and I hope that it hasnt turned away a few people who tried it out. Please let me know in the comments section what you thought of the first show. That'll really help me improve.

The coming shows will be a lot more fun - we'll have better production quality (in the first show it was hard to hear me speak and I have corrected that in the coming shows), also I plan to have less of me speaking and more of music - I hope you'll all like that. Also I plan to invite some guests - people seriously into music for the upcoming shows.

Let me know if there's anything that you'd like and I'll try my best.

Thanks again for all your interest.

Amit

First Podcast on Indian Music

amit.varshneya@gmail.com — Thu, 7 Jul 2005 14:20:00 GMT

This is the first edition of the Indian Music Podcast. The purpose of this edition was to try out the creation process and layout a small introduction to what this Podcast is going to be about. So what is it going to be about ? Indian Music. Every edition I plan to air my opinion on the current Indian music scene, review the work of some Contemporary Music Composers and also briefly review the latest releases. In this podcast I started to talk about AR Rahman and Shankar Ehsaan and Loy...

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