Having been a LaVeyan Satanist for over a decade, it is not possible to talk to me about issues like god and religion without getting rebuked when I'm not in the best of moods. And even when I'm feeling cheerful and like I couldn't give a hoot, the god-fearing faithful still manage to bag laughter from me into their faces.
In July 2008, I was in Pushkar for 10 days, and though the spiritual vibe of the holy city didn't convert me into a believer, it did move me to a great extent.
Later, in the same year, I had the pleasure of listening to the music of Dasvidaniya and the privilege of reviewing it.
I was so blown away by the emotion of the sounds created by Kailash, Naresh and Paresh that I hailed the composers as the best team to grace the Hindi music industry in a very long time.
I couldn't stop raving about the music of Dasvidaniya and perhaps never will. I also couldn't stop wondering how Kailash Kher and the Kamath brothers were ever possibly going to manage to top Dasvidaniya and their previous non-filmi efforts.
I have now stopped wondering.
Kailash Kher, Naresh Kamath and Paresh Kamath have made me stop wondering.
As I listen to their first international release Kailasa Chaandan Mein, I sit here helpless, captivated by the magic these men have created yet again.
There is a bevy of wonderful instruments blended into the stunningly crafted songs. These unique instruments, instead of making their individual importance felt, become one with every other sound, gracefully paving the way for one gigantic feeling, a heavy atmosphere impossible to move your attention away from.
Every track, ranging from light, fun and mischievous to brooding, questioning is directed at the lover for whom the singer waits, at times seeming hopeless and bordering on despair, yet with tremendous patience only complete and selfless love can arm one with.
Kher, packed with sincerity, inflates Kailasa Chaandan Mein with unflagging devotion. The Kamath brothers, in turn, cement the structure, deftly crafting the huge sounds, layering them adeptly with wisely chosen instruments, picking the best of notes.
The great Kailash Kher immerses himself in the sea of devotion, submerging you with the tide of his sound. You don't protest, and you submit to the magic the trio conjures. Kailash Kher and the brothers Kamath elevate you to the heights of spiritual ecstasy, as they have before, only this time the force is more powerful than ever before, the meaning seeming far greater (I could be wrong here, so correct me) this time around. The emotions I'm feeling experiencing Kailasa Chaandan Mein is similar to the invisible force I felt in Pushkar in July 2008, exactly a year before.
VERDICT
Give it up, world, for the mammoth talents and sheer genius of Kailash, Naresh and Paresh. To leave someone who doesn't believe in god spiritually moved and trembling this way is saying the ineffable. Kailasa Chaandan Mein gets my vote for album of the year, and we're just barely halfway through 2009. Take a bow, gentlemen.
RATING: 5/5 (without hesitation, and without a doubt)
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