This is an EXTREMELY rough demo, because it's all I had time for. A lot of polishing required.
The song is a nod to the Baul and Bhatiali styles of folk music from Bengal (both the Indian state of West-Bengal, and Bangladesh), mixed with the more mainstream improvisation style of North Indian classical (Hindustani). The song might sound strange to some people (and in some ways that is intentional), but for me, as a Bengali, the groove, and melodic motifs are from a sound that I grew up listening to.
The groove is typical in the aforementioned style of music, which can be considered a kind of 3/4 or 6/8 beat. However it's not uncommon to find it being played in a lopsided, swung style, and I have tried to imitate and maybe exaggerate that by using quintuplets (taking a page from Adam Neely's book).
The vocal solo is a standard Hindustani-style improv, which I have spent years learning. Although lately I've been feeling quite insecure about my voice. So this solo is also in a way an attempt to break out of that insecurity :)
@mahtowin Apr 2022
Oh, this is something totally different to most off the music played hear …
I love this so much …. and there is a mix off the traditional arrangement with modern instruments? Cool
And this suprising changes in the rhythm !! Great!
@ambroise Feb 2022
I really like your voice. It's warm and soft and flexible, but it's got strength and determination too. One can feel you know what note you mean to hit and you've got a nice projection. I wish I could be that confident with mine.
I also like that different styles of music are mixed together.
On a blind test I would have mistook the drums during the vocals for an occidental drum ; and the rest of the rytmic section for an african adding. But the way you slide notes on the string instrument and the vocal are definitely linked to the indian subcontinent. The result is a unique, rich and surprising collage like in some of my favorite articsts (such as Franck Zappa or Manu Chao each in their own style).
(also : Rough demo are nice we can here polished stuff anywhere !)
@dianaviney Feb 2022
The instrumentation is lovely...cant wait to hear your voice. This is so complex, do you play all of the instruments?
So cool...keep singing- its amazing!
@audrey Feb 2022
Oh, this is wonderful! I love the complex beats - it's like two different time signatures running at the same time. It's also a very different style of counterpoint between the instruments than what I'm used to with my Western music education, but it doesn't matter because this is absolutely beautiful, and I love it. Your singing brought in a lovely change of mood too. Love the outro too. Wow! Love everything about this!! I'm so glad I stopped by to hear it. So glad you are a part of FAWM.
@feb21sundari Feb 2022
I like the stylemix, actually I would have found a Western melody nice in the Bengali part.
@rubberbandage Feb 2022
Love it — great groove, and your guitar and vocal melodies are wonderful. Western music is utterly dominated by latin/African rhythms, and so I have very little exposure to this style, and it’s really fun. Thanks for recording, this sounds like a pretty solid demo to me!
@frank Feb 2022
You have a great voice, and you show it off well here!
@caseewilson Feb 2022
This is fantastic! I love the swing, it's really addictive to listen to and makes my brain very happy. I honestly don't know a better way to describe it then that. Gorgeous, complex and delightful.
@jayjay Feb 2022
Amazing, I’d also love to see this sound as fusion into more western folk or pop It’s a fabulous sound.