Abhijit Pohankar's 'Urban Raga' set to mesmerize India
Indian
oi-Staff
By Staff
Thursday,
May
17,
2007
Mumbai,
(UNI):
A
new
age
musician
Abhijit
Pohankar's
album
'Urban
Raga'
was
launched
here
by
Maharashtra
Chief
Minister
Vilasrao
Deshmukh.
Speaking
at
the
launch
of
the
Saregama
album
yesterday,
Mr
Deshmukh
said,
''I
congratulate
Abhijit
on
his
splendid
job
in
classical
music.
We
need
such
companies
to
come
forward
and
encourage
young
artists.
I
am
a
music
lover
and
that
brings
me
amongst
you
all.''
Atul
Churamani,
Vice
President
of
Saregama
Music
Business
said
''Exploring
untreated
ways
and
carving
a
niche
for
himself
with
a
unique
compilation,
Abhijit
Pohankar
has
taken
Indian
music
to
international
platform.
His
unique
style
of
new
age
Indian
music
is
a
great
contribution
to
our
music
industry.''
Abhijit
said,
''As
a
kid
I
used
to
learn
ghazals
and
Sureshji
was
my
guru.
He
will
be
happy
for
me
today.''
'Urban
Raga'
explores
the
alchemy
between
traditional
Indian
music
and
contemporary
sound
textures
with
strains
of
strings
and
winds
rhythmic
grooves
and
the
use
of
harmonies
and
chords
of
the
guitar.
The
highlight
of
the
album
is
the
old
ghazal
by
Begum
Akhtar
'Ae
mohabbat
tere
anjam
pe'
resung
by
Pt
Pohankar
and
musically
arranged
by
Abhijit.
Abhijit
has
been
learning
Indian
classical
instrumental
music
from
Pt
Shiv
Kumar
Sharma.
He
has
done
international
concerts
like
North
Sea
Jazz
festival
and
played
at
prestigious
venues
like
Philharmonic
hall-Liverpool,
Wong
Theatre-Cambridge
and
Baxter
hall-Capetown.
He
was
recently
nominated
by
Society
magazines
for
'Young
Achiever
award.'
His
songs
are
a
regular
feature
of
major
international
World
and
New
age
music
genre
compilation
albums
like
Tandava,
World
Beat
and
Earth.
Recent
Stories
Pritam
and
his
band
in
Metro
Rahman's
soft
heart
speaks
out