Beyond Bollywood! Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal, Bhoomi Trivedi, Shweta Pandit, Meenal Nigam come up with devotional songs
The last few days have seen devotional songs ruling the non-film music space. Here, musicians talk to us about working on them.
The last 10 days have seen several musicians come up with devotional songs. From Chaitra Navratri and Eid to Ram Navami, musicians have released devotional songs dedicated to deities such as Durga, Ram, Mahavir, Hanuman etc. Here, we look at a few of the recent releases, with musicians talking about what went into making them.
Mano Toh Bhi Ram
Shaan
To mark Ram Navami on Sunday (April 6), singer Shaan came up with a bhajan, titled Mano Toh Bhi Ram. Composed and sung by him, the track has been penned by Rajiv Rana. Talking to us about it, Shaan says, “While composing the song, the words Mano Toh Bhi Ram, Naa Mano Toh Bhi Ram struck a chord with me. Whether we are aware of it or not, but the divine is always there for us, guiding and loving us. The beauty of this bhajan is that it talks about the values of gratitude and surrender.”
Bhavani Ashtakam and Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu
Meenal Nigam
Singer-composer Meenal Nigam marked Navratri by releasing two Durga bhajans. “Bhavani Ashtakam came to me as a gift from Swami Niranjanananda ji. In 2016, I visited the BSY Munger Ashram. I got a chance to sing a bhajan in front of swami ji and while singing, despite being nervous, I could feel that he was blessing me. It was the turning point in my life. Bhavani Ashtakam was my first-ever bhajan, which I managed to finally record last year and release this Navratri. I composed and recorded Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu during the pandemic to help a friend who wanted to launch a platform for yoga enthusiasts and teachers. I am so happy to have released it during Chaitra Navratri,” says Meenal.
Shri Ramchandra Krupalu
Shweta Pandit
Sung and composed by Shweta Pandit, it’s her version of the bhajan penned by Sant Tulsidas. “The song came about when I heard (late singer) Lata Mangeshkar ji’s version of the song when my daughter, Izana, was born. It acted like a lullaby for my daughter. Last year, I was singing it during Ganpati celebrations and my friends suggested that I should have my own composition of the song. This year, my daughter turned five. So, I wanted her to record the song. I got into the studio with her and while getting the Sanskrit right was tough, she went ahead with the mukhda. In the video, my daughter plays the baby version of Lord Ram,” says Shweta.
Hanuman Chalisa
Shreya Ghoshal
Composed by Salim-Sulaiman, singer Shreya Ghoshal’s Hanuman Chalisa releases on YouTube today. It features Paras Nath on the flute and Ganesh Sawant on the pakhawaj. “We are so looking forward to releasing Shri Hanuman Chalisa in the divine voice of Shreya Ghoshal,” composer Salim Merchant posted on Insta.
Hain Sab Ram Ke
Pratibha Singh Baghel
Composed by Kshitij Tarey and written by Aalok Shrivastav, this Ram bhajan has been sung by Pratibha Singh Baghel. It was released on Ram Navami (April 6). Talking about it, Aalok says, “Whenever I write devotional songs, I feel it’s the protagonist of the bhajan who helps me do justice with the writing. In this case, I feel Ram ji helped me write Hain Sab Ram Ke. I feel grateful.”
Jagdambe
Bhoomi Trivedi
On Saturday (April 5), which marked Ashtami, the eighth day of Chaitra Navratri, singer Bhoomi Trivedi released a single, titled Jagdambe. The singer also visited Vaishnodevi (Katra, Jammu and Kashmir) before releasing the bhajan. She wrote on Insta, “Jai Mata Di. Vaishnodevi ke darbaar haazri lagaane, bhent gaane ka bulaava aaya hai.” The song is all about paying homage to Goddess Durga. She says, “Jagadambe is dedicated to Maa Ambe and my mother. I wrote the song during lockdown with the intention of asking for grace, forgiveness and people’s well-being. I am so glad I could release it now. I could feel the presence of the divine while writing, singing and shooting the music video.”
