The Revisit Project is back with another release, one of many single releases this year. Never Too Far talks about how distance helps the love grow fonder between two lovers.

Taking inspiration from Robert Glasper, Erykah Badu and modern R‘n’B, gospel roots, the writing is majorly focused on how stressors are necessary to grow as individuals, and standing through the toughest period of relationships actually teaches us more than the happier period ever will.

The jazz-funk infused single with intricate lyrics is already featured on Indie English on Spotify, and the band was the cover artist on Wynk Music’s Indie English playlist.

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Standing in the sun,
Gonna have a lot of fun,
Bring out the best,
Keep the devil at rest,
Show it, show it, and do it, do it,
Come on… look inside, don’t try to hide.
Rise and shine,
You got the talents,
Move on, move on…
The beautiful people, young people,
Choose the teen… the teen of the year!

… sang Usha Uthup in her jingle specially composed for the Teen of the Year 2002 pageant. The catchy 10-second jingle was played at all the Teen of the Year pageants thereafter, until the curtains came down on it in 2012. With words and music by Fr Robin Gomes, SDB, Usha didi as she is fondly called, motivated the youth to reach for the stars in her short motivational jingle.

With a voice that can set your hair on end and live performances that rock, Usha Uthup packs a punch wherever she goes. The dazzling and charismatic singer with her trademark jazzy vermillion, traditional colourful necklaces and her kanjeevaram saris, adorned with fresh flowers in her hair, is a regular at most events.

Regarded as one of India’s earliest female pop and jazz singers, who has performed at nightclubs to packed concerts across India and the world, done Bollywood music, has over a 100 music albums and counting, Usha’s music appeals to everyone. When Usha sings, you just can’t help dancing.

The legend recently performed at a fundraiser in Mumbai for Alert India wherein in an exclusive interview with VERUS FERREIRA, the prolific singer recounts her over 53-year-old musical journey.

From Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Rambha Ho and Koi Yahaan Nache Nache, you have come a long way. How do you look back on your long and eventful career?
It’s been 53 years since I’ve been singing, singing English songs long before I got a chance to sing in a Hindi film. I’ve been singing in nightclubs since 1969. It’s been absolutely wonderful, and my journey so far has been really, really amazing because people have always supported me. People like you, who you know, who want to still write, write about me and get youngsters to read about me, it’s just fantastic! So when I look back on this long career of mine, I can only say with all humility, thank you God, thank you to my musicians, thank you to all the audiences that I’ve had for so long.

You’ve made a career singing jazz at nightclubs wearing kanjeevaram saris, gajras and bindis. How did this fashion statement come about which even today flows well wherever you go?
I sang jazz at nightclubs wearing kanjeevaram saris, gajras and bindis and this I did only because I come from a very normal, traditional South Indian middle-class family. I just wore whatever my sisters wore, whatever my mother wore and whatever saris were in the house, I just wore them. As for the bindis, it started off with small bindis, then slowly the sizes became big and then creative, in between became even bigger. Soon it became a fashion statement. People love all this and love the kanjeevaram shoes I wear. The kids say she’s so cool, some say I’m so swag! That’s all because of all of you.

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Brit-Bangladeshi singer Tara Lily has just finished her set at the Vh1 Supersonic 2023 and is lazing around with her bandmates in the artists’ lounge. With slightly permed hair, a necklace, bindi, nose ring and high heels and with a Rihanna-style look, Tara is a young singer who has made a mark on the London jazz scene. It’s interesting to hear about a 24-year-old new talent who got signed to Motown Records, U.K. with the distinction of being their first British singer.

Hailing from South London and of South Asian/U.K. heritage, Tara Lily spent her late teens developing her own unique brand of jazz, despite growing up around rappers and beat-makers. She secured a place at the prestigious Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music to study jazz vocals and piano, at the same time continuing to write songs and produce her own tracks.

In an exclusive meeting, Tara Lily speaks with VERUS FERREIRA on her journey in music.

Tell us something about yourself. How did you get into music?
So, both my parents are musicians; my father is a Bengali and my mother is Scottish, and they both played music together, but very different styles. My dad listened to a lot of traditional Bengali music, Bengali folk and Bollywood. He used to play the tabla and harmonium and my mum was a punk-folk singer. My mum was more into rock and jazz, so they came together and they basically brought me up with an eclectic mix of sounds. Both my parents were self-taught musicians. I’ve always been a very eccentric person because of my parents, who are from two different worlds with two different sounds. I think I am a unique musician and really embody everything that I do and love to explore new spaces.

That’s great. Have you been exposed to a lot of Indian music?
I listened to a lot of it while growing up. As a child, I would listen to my parents playing a lot of their music too. I grew up in Peckham in South London, so there’s a lot of rap and pop music and that also influenced my growing up years. As I’ve gotten older, I studied jazz for four years at a conservatoire and then I incorporated all of these sounds into my latest project and my new forthcoming music which is a mix of different stuff. I’m into exploring new sonic spaces, drawing on east and west, old and new.

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UNIVERSAL MUSIC, Rs 295

Those who have followed her music know her style and her jazz influences felt on most of her work down her 14-year career. Norah Jones’ sixth album features nine original songs and three covers that take you back to her roots.
Norah makes a jazz record with the help of iconic saxophonist Wayne Shorter, drummer Brian Blade, bassist John Patitucci and organist Dr Lonnie Smith. The covers include Horace Silver’s Peace, Duke Ellington’s Fleurette Africaine and Neil Young’s Don’t Be Denied. She sounds empowered on Horace Silver’s Peace: “Life’s true meaning comes to you / And the freedom you seek is one / Peace is for everyone.”

Wayne Shorter appears on the opener Burn, his soprano saxophone the perfect accompanist to Norah’s velvety lead. On Tragedy, we see the slow side of the singer as she harps on just one word. Flipside, a song about racial and civic injustice, sees her pick up the pace spending most of its time on rippling piano and a repetitious swinging groove. The lyrics that dwell on freedom call out: “If we’re all free, then why does it seem we can’t just be?” running up to, “Your temperature’s well past a hundred and two / Put the guns away, or we’ll all gonna lose…”.

The joyous swinging It’s A Wonderful Time For Love is followed by the mid-tempo, mellow And Then There Was You. The bluesy Once I Had A Laugh has a more edgy sound reminiscent of her earlier piano pieces. Norah seems to be enjoying herself on the piano, sometimes in a crawl, to a slow jam, to keep up the pace of the album. The track is minus any great lyrics, but Norah’s luscious voice seems to enjoy telling you when we used to have a good time, now that we are getting older. Sleeping Wild is full jazz play while Carry On, with its sweet melody, focuses on leaving the past as the past and carrying on.

With almost all lyrics written by Norah, expect some great compositions from the young lady who never fails to make an album to remember. She has fallen back in love with her piano and it permeates every note. Add to this the jazz influenced arrangements and sublime musicianship of her band with accomplished musicians and what you get is a faultless production. Put this on a good sound system and I guarantee that you will have the impression that you are sitting a few feet away from the musicians.

Day Breaks sees Norah return to familiar territory; it is a beautiful album which, at times, is sure to give you chills. Lyrics included.

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