Few composers in the Indian music scene have experimented
with odd time signatures although Indian classical music has thrived on 7x4
& 5x4 time signatures. Well it is only appropriate that Coke Studio
introduced progressive stuff this year with its season 3 and how!
Coke Studio has become a platform for composers to bring out
music which is completely different from the mainstream Bollywood stuff and Season
3 has lived upto the expectations. Such avenues have enabled musicians to
express themselves rather than help expressing a director’s storyline.
After his mind-blowing compositions such as Madari and Saathi Salaam in season 2, Clinton Cerejo is back with a bang. This
composition Baina is different yet
equally enthralling. As I post this, the video has just about 40k views while
according to me it deserves many more. The track might not be progressive music
in its purest sense but the change to a 7x4 time signature for the chorus is
just remarkably done. The amalgamation of Veena and Guitar, of Qawwals and
untrained vocals, of the Manjiras and the drums is very well arranged. The
attention paid to the minutest details such as the guitar feedback note played
at 2:40 which then fuses into a Cello is noteworthy.
Watch out for the bass guitar at 2:35, the Veena coming in
with the synth playing deep notes at 4:13, Vijay’s Prakash’s vocals and the super
guitar tones. Clinton Cerejo’s harmonizing vocals with the chorus totally stand
out in your left earphone/speaker.
‘Baina’ has come so close to becoming my favorite track this
season. Wish the end were cut a bit short and the drums had more punch to it.
Wonder how awesome it would have been to listen to some triplets and quads
among the fills especially during the chorus!
It would be completely unfair to not acknowledge Rahman’s
mesmerizing compositions. And yet, the most anticipated episode by Amit Trivedi
is due this week! If Baina has got you interested, do make sure to check out Marghat from the same episode and Aigiri Nandini by Ram Sampath which also
boasts of a little prog inspiration by itself. \m/
