SaReGaMaPa09

Saregamapa 2009 has started in US. The name probably has been changed because the winner of saregamapa will be announced in year 2009. Auditions are done and the show will be on-air on 4th July. Two episodes of saregamapa were aired on 27th and 28th June which was introduction of the show and also contained chit chat and performance by Last year’s winner Aneek. Mauli, Junaid Sheikh, Harpreet and Raja Hasan also performed a few songs.

There has been a change in saregamapa mentor’s panel and Zee TV has introduced Shankar Mahadevan with Lakshya Gharana, Pritam with Dhoom Gharana and Aadesh Srivastava with jay Gharana as replacement of Ismail Darbar and Vishal Shekhar. The rockstar Himesh Reshammiya will stay in his new look without his famous cap. Asha Bhosle will participate as mahaguru in Saregamapa 2009

When the promos for the Rock Gharana in Saregamapa were released, I thought there was a slip of tongue. Didn’t His Majesty, Sir Himesh say Saregamapa Challenge 2009? (And dear Swati and Aliza, before you say RHB is now HRB - may be you are right. I love the new Kesh-armiya look). Why did he not say Saregamapa Challenge 2008?

I rushed to the calendar - it was 2008 alright. Were they running promos a year in advance? I watched the promo again - Sir Himesh said 2009. And the logo too said 2009. What the fish was happening here?

I tried to work out things:

Maybe this year will just be an Indian show - a semifinal of sorts - and next year will see World War 2. (HR doesn’t stand for HitleR - if you thought that way). Or may be the season will be so long that instead of ending right before the prime spending season of Diwali and Eid, it will extend itself to next year. But that is dragging itself a bit too far.

There had to be another theory. There had to be something crazy and weird - which only the numbnuts at Zee could understand. And finally I had the breakthrough.

It is the numerology stupid.

Everyone knows Sir Himesh’s fascination for the number 29. Everything that he does, is related with 29. The Aap Ka Moviee was released on 29th. Karzzzz was mahurated on 29th and will release on some unfortunate 29th. So will the sequel - Aap Ka Himeshbhai.

And that is why Zee are calling it Challenge 2009. Remove the two zeros - and we have Sir Himesh’s 29! This, ladies and gentleman is the scoop of 2008. Sorry, 2009. And I should be getting some sort of an investigative journalism award for figuring out this zee-developed arithmetic. Or maybe the Nobel Prize for Mathematics.

Only in India can we have such retards who would release a 2009 version in 2008. What to do - we are like this only.

Pritam Chakraborty is a happy man. The MTV Award for Best Composer for Dhoommachale dhoom... in the film Dhoom has come his way. However, there is a tinge of sadness when he says that he could not receive the first award of his life in person. Soon, he hopes to win other awards and receive them in person. He will own Dhoom Gharana.

Chakraborty, as the name clearly informs, is from Kolkata where his father Prabodh Chakraborty runs a music school for kids. No surprise then that Pritam has inherited a nature love and feel for music. He sat with his father during music classes and learned to play the guitar while still in school.

He came to Mumbai for more opportunities to showcase his music. He underwent a sound engineering course at the Film and Television Institute in Pune and this was a good opportunity for him to familiarize himself with various genres of world music also. Opportunity also knocked when Hungarian filmmaker Isteran Gaal gave Pritam the chance to compose background music for his film. Pritam also learnt African music from musicologist Kedar Avati during this time. Finally, he landed in Mumbai as a music composer for ad jingles and TV serials. He also found friends in Rajkumar Hirani, Sanjay Gadhvi and Jeet, who played the guitar with Anup Jalota.

The break happened when Gadhvi got Tere Liye. Though the music was good, the film sank quietly. The big break was when Yash and Adi Chopra signed on Gadhvi. The film Sharara consolidated the position of Jeet-Pritam music composer duo as the newest kids on the block.

Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian singer and music composer. He gained fame for his album entitled Breathless in which he apparently sings constantly for 2 minutes and 19 seconds without pausing for taking a breath. He is an engineering graduate trained in Carnatic and Hindustani classical music. He is originally from Palakkad,Kerala. He is the Shankar of the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio. Recently, he became famous as a celebrity judge in the popular reality television show, Fame Gurukul.He will own Lakshya Ghrana

He is also part of a fabulous 30 year old band called Shakti that boasts the likes of Zakir Hussain and famed guitarist John McLaughlin. The trio have been a part of the fusion group for a long time and performed more than 150 shows all over the world. Shankar often collaborates with Swedish group of musicians, Mynta. He is also a part of the Indo-Jazz fusion music band Silk comprising of Louis Banks, Karl Peters and Sivamani.

Shankar works as a music director with two others Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendosa They rose to fame after their movie Dil Chahta Hai's music became an instant hit. Shankar Mahadevan is a singer, Ehsaan is a guitar specialist; and Loy a keyboard player.They have teamed together to provide music for several Indian Films. Some of their famous works includes scores for movies such as Mission Kashmir (2000), Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Bunty Aur Babli (2005), Don and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006)

he young and dynamic Music Director, Aadesh Srivastava started his career in 1990 with his first musical Debut “Sailaab” alongside renowned music director Bhappi Lahiri. But his first big break as Music Director came with the 1994 film “Aao Pyar Karen” with his hit number “Haathon mein aa gaya jo kal”. He will own now jay Gharana in SRGMP in 2009.

HE MADE everyone shake a leg with the Big B in Shava Shava (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham - K3G). Prior to K3G he had done it with Sona Sona in Major Saab. Aadesh Shrivastav tunes these kinds of scores with great gusto.

This talented brother-in-law of music composer duo Jatin-Lalit is now going miles with his score for a Hollywood movie Hanuman.

He has his plate full of musical assignments - Deewar (starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt) B.R. Chopra's Baghbaan (Big B, Hema Malini and Salman Khan), Govind Nihalani's Dev (Amitabh, Kareena, Fardeen and Om Puri) and an untitled film of Kalpana Lajmi.

His music may sound loud, but has verve and a `Punjabi Bhangra' feel about it.

Aadesh Shrivastav has a funky look about him - streaked hair, a trendy, tiny beard at the end of the chin, loads of jewellery and hip clothes.

"Hanuman has a modern look and children will enjoy it. Produced by Raju Patel and directed by Luis Mandoki, (director of the JLo starrer Angel Eyes) this movie will have music based on classical raags and a blend of symphony and opera."

"This is the first time the London Philharmonic orchestra will be playing in the film. I will be recording with them in August. The initial scratches are already complete," says a happy Aadesh about his Hollywood project.

In Baghbaan Aadesh got Amitabh to sing five songs and roped in Pakistani Sufi singer Abida Parveen.

"Deewar will change the musical trend. It is classical in a modern format," says a proud Aadesh. Also on the agenda is a private album under an international label sometime towards the end of the year.

"I have teamed up with Hugh Paghdan, five times Grammy Award winner. The album will have 100 per cent classical music in a dance mood. I have sung three songs and I will be recording more later. That will surely be something to look out for," he says.

How does he feel sharing composing space with others? "When Karan Johar was not satisfied with Jatin-Lalit and Sandesh Shandilya he asked me to compose. Also I share a good rapport with Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. I did four songs in Chalte Chalte because of the emotional rapport I share with Aziz Mirza and Shah Rukh. But after K3G and Chalte Chalte I don't want to share space with other music directors. It's a wrong practice," he says emphatically.

Himesh Reshammiya will be presenting Rock Gharana in the saregamapa challenge 2009. He comes out without the cap and looks pretty smart. We don’t need to know more about him, he has already been a rock star of indian entertainment industry.
Himesh Reshammiya, Bollywood’s hottest composer began his career nearly 10 years ago, with ANDAZ. He was a producer for TV serials and could compose hit title tracks. He has put in nearly 1500 hours for Zee TV alone. Himesh entered films when he composed a chart topping number for the flick PYAAR KKIYA TO DARNA KYA in 1998. Two years later, he got his first solo break with DULHAN HUM LE HAYENGE. In an industry which is severe with music composers, insiders and producers have noticed that Himesh’s numbers strike the right note with the audience through the flicks themselves are total losers.

It’s is the biggest change ever as all the previous judges on 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' have been swapped expect for Himmesh Reshamiya. Bappi Lahiri, who added charm to the show last year has been replaced by Shankar Mahadevan, the slogan of Shankar’s team will be ‘Har-Har Mahadev’. Aadesh Srivastava, who was previously on 'Amul Star VOI' has joined the 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' team and he has replaced Ismail Darbar on the show, in the previous season Ismail had created some controversies by using ‘foul language’.

'Amul Star VOI Chothe Ustaad' judge Pritam has been roped in the place of Vishal-n-Shekhar as the duo is currently busy on ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar’. Himmesh Reshamiya is the only judge that has been retained and the musician turned actor is sticking to slogan of ‘Jai Mata Di Let’s Rock’. Aditya Narayan would be hosting the 2008 season too, now in 2007 gals would go and grab Aditya and give him a peck on his cheek. But now the set is so designed that no gal can reach Aditya hence al gals will just have to blow away some ‘flying kisses’ for Aditya.