Customer Reviews

Kiran Ahluwalia

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Anyone who loves the poems of Rumi, the classical music of Persia as interpreted by Kaylan Kahlour on the kemenche, and the different makams and modes expressed in Turkish Sufi music, will appreciate this modern CD based on the beautiful ancient vocal and musical traditions of India. As described in the liner notes, ghazals are originally poems, which are set to music and become songs. Kiran Ahluwalia rediscovered this creative art form and designed music to accompany the words of modern day Indian poets. Her inspiration was the discovery of poems written in Urdu and Punjabi by three Toronto Canadian residents of Indian descent.

This CD contains superb renditions of magnificent poetry ... the music is played on both traditional [tanpura, tabla, sarangi. flute, shaker and claps] and modern instruments [drums, guitar, harmonium, and fiddle] which melt together into exhilarating passionate lyrical expressions. I love the sound of the words, sung in Punjabi and the Urdu languages and the sensuous vocals by Kiran. Her voice is mysterious ... containing a tinge of velvet, the softness of silk and the sheen of satin. The music is vibrant, lively and flirtatious. The essence of love is revealed through a myriad of musical stylistic expressions and a rainbow of emotion-filled poetic lyrical phrases. This CD captures the soul of traditional Indian music interpreting it for lovers of ethnic music. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Kiran Ahluwalia has put together an enchanting compilation of pieces which make traditional music of the Indian subcontinent accessible to the modern Western audience. The addition of Rez Abassi's guitar adds richness and texture to Kiran's already beautiful music.

I listened to Kiran's Interview on NPR and was mesmerized with her voice and the newness among Ghazal collections. I immediately iTuned these and later reading her bio - Kiran has undergone extensive study in Indian classical music, and then I was not surprised at the ease and flow in her voice which accompanies the renditions. A wonderful treat and I hope others get to experience the same.

The music on this album is wonderful and varied in feel--humor, longing, celebration, romance. I, too, first heard her on NPR but it took me a long time to finally pick up this CD. I listen to it often...love to put Kiran A. in a 5-cd random shuffle with Cesaria Evora, Lila Downs, Sanseverino, and Bebel Gilberto! A great international mix that puts me in a good mood.

If you want to try something else with the Indian flavor that reminds me very much of this group of songs, the instrumentation & lyrics, do check out the Indian film soundtrack of "Omkara" (a fantastic Hindi modern-day adaptation of Othello) by Vishal Bharwadj and Gulzar. The music for the film (to me) has the feeling of Kiran's CD, with the harkening back to traditional sounds but in an updated fashion, with great instrumentation and beautiful lyrics, delivered by great players and singers.

On Kiran Ahluwalia's self-titled third album, I hear a conversation of musical influences that do not compete, but complement each other in true collaboration. The spirit of the music shines brightly through, dissolving any lines separating cultures. Kiran was born in India and raised in Canada, and her music explores and merges these identities, realizing a clear expression.

On this album, Kiran changes her focus of interpreting traditional music from India and Pakistan to creating music for contemporary texts - in this case, the Urdu and Punjabi poetry of three Torontonian poets: Rasheed Nadeem, Rafi Raza and Tahira Masood. This merging of music and poetry brings the Canadian ghazal to life. The ghazal is a form of poetry originating in Persia 700 years ago. On this album, Kiran begins with poems and by adding inspired music turns them into songs. She collaborates with musicians who play a combination of Eastern and Western instruments. The sarangi and tanpura sing alongside the guitar and bass. From still lakes and bubbling creeks, the tablas are like water traversing the disk. They form a percussive base, playing with Kiran's voice to create a variety of colours and moods. Her melodic voice soars above the landscape, narrating the scene, and then swoops down to become a part of it.

Listening, the music affected me in a similar way. At times mesmerizing - disappearing into my subconscious and then emerging with sudden sharp presence. These changes happen subtly, so it's not always clear when the rhythm changes - there is sublimation from one space to the next. It is a journey. I don't understand the words, but I feel the passages. Within the many layers of music, there is the sense of an exchange happening. Inside the music and between the music and me, I experience something that doesn't fit into my language of explanation and I am richer for it.

Bought this after the performance at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival a week back. The CD hasn't left the player since - and that dosen't happen often. The songs are very accessible without being tacky or too commercial. This is one of those gems you won't tire of listening to in a hurry. Frankly was surprised by this effort and eagerly awaiting more.

The songs are so beautiful, I often have to stop everything and just listen to her voice when it's on. What a great CD!

This is really great CD; I'm so glad that NPR chose to spotlight Ahluwalia and thus bring her to my attention. I really enjoy the harmonium, interesting additions of fiddle by Natalie McMaster, and of course, Ahluwalia's singing. Do yourself a favor and really take time to look at the lyrics translations as well (esp. if you don't speak Punjabi!). I think the combination of traditional ghazals with modern original compositions is great. May she have an amazingly successful career!

Kiran Ahluwalia is a modern day composer of ghazals which are Punjabi folk songs. I had heard of her somewhere else as part of a group of artists and was quite impressed and hence, this was the reason for purchasing the CD. Although I am a big fan of Indian music and Kiran is quite an accomplished award-winning musician, I was disappointed in this CD. It is lively and upbeat and I had been expecting something slower, although there are some which slow down a bit. I would suggest not going into this CD with any expectations and perhaps that was my problem with it. I may also have been assuming that because they are folk songs they are slower just as most of our American folk songs are. I love just about all forms of music and perhaps after a few more listens I will fall in love with this one.

Soni is the hindi word for beautiful in case you didn't know! and sonically this CD is beautiful. Kiran's voice is almost too precise. She can hit and sustain every note so precisely that she almost sounds like an instrument, but an instrument played directly by the heart and not by touch or breath alone. She moves you with her voice in a way that few people are able to do. I hope for many more CD's to become available because these are quite tricky to find.

Quality of the recording is excellent and makes use of the extended frequencies of a high end hifi system.

Shreya Ghosal is another lady with a powerful yet vulnerable voice that you might like too.