The Raghu Dixit Project

It might sound stereotypical at first to say that Raghu Dixit’s music crosses “boundaries and shores”, but if you give his self- titled debut album a listen, I’m sure you’d agree. The Raghu Dixit Project was a much awaited and refreshing change from the Alt Rock/Fusion/Extreme Metal we hear everyday. Although it’s a great time for independent artists to make music in India entirely influenced by the west, it is also a great time to put out music, such as Raghu’s- simply because, the audience is open to listening to almost anything. Musicians who have worked on this record have managed to keep it entirely ‘Folk’ and not ‘Fusion’ but it’s rather disappointing to see, that the album has entirely drawn influences from Bollywood and in fact, does sound like the soundtrack of a movie!

The opening track, ‘Hey Bhagwan’ has clean acoustic riffs paired with catchy violin parts. This song and the album on the whole, maintains a lot of energy, one of the highlights of Raghu’s live performances. ‘Mysore Se Aayi’, is a typical love song. Ever watched a Bollywood flick where a guy stands amidst wheat fields in Punjab singing of his love, the wind blowing through his hair and all that? This song gives you the exact same vibe. Is that a good thing? Well, works here.

‘Gudgudiya Sedi Nodo’ is one of the most innovative tracks on this album. The song is an adaptation of the 19th Century poet Shishunala Sharif’s work and yes, just like the title, it’s sung in Kannad. Perhaps the easiest way to identify with the song is it’s philosophical lyrics and hints of Sufiana music.’ Ambar’ is a simple yet soulful song that touches your heart almost instantaneously. Slow tempo songs are not really my thing, but I think this one works brilliantly.

Raghu’s a multi-linguist and has used that to his advantage throughout the album, belting out songs in Hindi, English and Kannada. Another defining aspect of the album is the prominence of the violin adding that Carnatic-folk touch to every track paired with simple yet meaningful lyrics. The lyricists (including Raghu) haven’t really gone out of their way to make the songs too flamboyant in that sense, which is a good thing because with complicated and overtly poetic lyrics, the meaning and essence of what the song-writer is trying to convey is more often than not, lost.

‘Khidki’ is a personal favourite and it’s that upbeat, fun song that every album needs. Anirban’s distorted Rock riffs compliment the acoustics brilliantly and the song really picks up-tempo towards the end. At a Raghu Dixit concert, expect yourself and even those around you jumping to this one! Now, I don’t know what it is with Indian composers incorporating both Hindi and English lyrics in one track, but it really annoys me, to say the least. Even though the instruments sound great on ‘No Man Will Ever Love You, Like I Do’ and ’ I’m In Mumbai Waiting For A Miracle’, the English lyrics for the former are rather cheesy while the latter seems like it’s written by a 5-year old. Quite honestly, when musicians drift into that experimental space, it leads to disasters! ’ Soritihudu Maniya Maligi’ is not average but nothing great either.

Raghu Dixit does have an extremely raw and powerful voice which, like I mentioned earlier, helps maintain an energetic, fun vibe throughout. On the downside, I think the album becomes a drag after a point. Many would disagree but the fact remains that apart from the violin parts and the instrumental aspect of ‘Khidki’ and ‘Ambar’…the album is dominated by elements of Bollywood music. After a point, his voice just gets a little sharp.. And I just didn’t want to listen. The Raghu Dixit Project, in my opinion is rather over-rated. Maybe because of the fact that no independent artist has come out with such music. Or maybe because the audience is most vulnerable and receptive to a new sound NOW. But it isn’t too bad either. And by that I don’t mean average but a notch above that. I love them live. And that, according to me, really is where their skills as musicians count.