Indian Accent; MoonArra - Reviewed by The Hindu Metroplus on Jan 12 2011
Quintessentially fusion, MoonArra fulfils their claim of playing world music. The band has a sound that connects you to a whole new realm of music that cannot be labelled. It is impossible to classify them as Carnatic, Jazz, Pop or any other genre. With lyrics that are arbitrary and poetic, and music that is erudite and classical fusion, the band gives to the world their new album, “Indian Accent”. The band has been together since the early 2000's and “Indian Accent” is their first ever album. The line up of the band includes Madhuri Jagadeesh on vocals and Jagadeesh M.R along with Wilson Kenneth, Prakash Sontakke and Karthik Mani. The band collectively has a background in Hindustani and Carnatic music coupled with the harmony of jazz, a brush of folk and a tint of pop, you have ten songs that have been fused with brilliance. MoonArra's music draws from different cultures and influences and comes together to create a new and individualistic sound, independent of all else. The album opens with “Indian Summer”, a song that lyrically captures the essence of a simple India, an ethnically diverse India, and an archaic India that has been forgotten. “Children brown and happy as the sun, Can you smell the fragrant jasmine,” the song could be a jingle for an Incredible India advertisement. But with Madhuri's voice that changes texture on demand, the song is the highlight of “Indian Accent”. “Melody Man” has the most striking lyrics among all. With words like crimson and rhythm, and references to mango leaves and turmeric weaves, this song is poetry written and composed by Madhuri and Jagadeesh. “Blue Fuse” is another song that you continue humming, long after you have heard it several times on loop. Keeping with the title of the song, the arrangement has a very significant blues and jazz sound. “Eastern Sun” begins with some very intricate strumming, pleasing and you want it to continue without stopping, and it does for the rest of the track. The song expresses the sunrise over the Eastern hemisphere. The “Dance of Kalyani – Prelude” which has been composed by Madhuri and Jagadeesh is another instrumental which has a strong classical flavour. This is followed by “Dance Of Kalyani” which takes the pure prelude and adulterates it with some smooth jazz and intermittent drumming. The album concludes with “Theme For Chitti - Prelude” and “Theme For Chitti”. The instrumental pieces are a tribute to Chittibabu, a veena player from Karnataka who experimented with fusion in the later 70s.- CATHERINE RHEA ROY
