Sonu Nigam can be a venturesome singer. But he must getaway from Mohammed Rafi’s influence, especially in the more plaintive numbers forwhich he tends to over-sing the lines. Sanskar is a praiseworthy effort abouttradition, roots, values and corrosion of ideologies in our times.
The lullaby from thefather to his son Soja sapnon mein khoja with surprisingly heart-rending lyrics bySonu, moves one to tears. The devotional and semi-devotional numbers, too,
move intoan arena that’s refreshingly removed from the cynicism and cacophony of today’smusic. This one’s straight from the heart, and so Sonu deserves a fresh round ofapplause.
A cassette of eight bhajans in the voice of Sonu Nigam. The visual image of a well behaved young man hosting the weekly TV shows adds a lot to the messages delivered in the cassette. The music is by Ravi Pawar. Hari mere ghar ko preaches devotion to parents and stresses the value of acquiring punya. The lyrics, not exactly of great philosophical exploration, stick to time-tested moral strictures familiar to all Indians.
Some tunes, accompanied by the pakhawaj and santoor, are strongly reminiscent of old Hindi film music, like in Sangeet Samrat Tansen. The bhajans are addressed to various gods and goddesses, including Sherowalin Maa. Sanskar is a lullaby, a change from the normal devotional songs. The father bequeaths his sanskar as all that he has, to his child. Jab mein bhatak jata hoon has Sonu singing interesting harmonies in the gospel style. But for this one, all songs are conventional Hindi bhajans, with predictable rhythms and movements.
The whole cassette is very pleasant and Sonu Nigam does a creditable job. His voice and rendition in Prabhu le lo phir avatar remind one strongly of Mohammed Rafi in Man re tu kahe na dhir dhare from Hum dono.
