Well ok, Raageshwari is a friend of mine in Bombay, but this is nonetheless an excellent slice of Arabic-India pop fusion that is at once both alluring, exotic and pop. Born to an Indian nationally recognized musician, her Father Trilok Singh Loomba is an established composer in his own right – Raageshwari came to prominence in India with her first CD. It was a collection of admittedly Hindu pop songs, but catchy, with the track Duniya becoming the summer hit of the year. That was followed with a reintroduction of Egyptian belly dancing to Indian popular club culture with her CD Pyaar Ka Rang. Raageshwari has a repertoire ranging from Pop songs to Ballads, Bhangra to Bollywood, London Club to Underground Pub, Sufi to Disco. In incorporating regional rhythms into what are essentially Hindi songs, Raageshwari is succeeding, in a somewhat sugary, but nonetheless evocative way Arabic and Persian influences into India, in a much trodden cultural path that essentially stopped from the early days of the Raj. Her next CD, Ginans – Lifting the Veil is a spiritual, devotional, Sufi album based on the Shia Imami Ismaili Ginans. Raageshwari will dedicate it to the people of Islam and intends to release it to spread the message of brotherhood, peace and secularism. For a sound of what’s on the streets today in Mumbai, then Raageshwari’s summer grooves are a pleasant way to enjoy a glass of Sula and relax in one of Bombays many rooftop cafes overlooking the Arabian sea.
Website: http://www.raageshwari.com/
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