Our season opens with a cross-border collaboration where East meets West in the spiritual journey that is 'Let Go'. The episode features the emotive acoustics of British singer-songwriter Fin Greenall and the soulful voice of Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan from Pakistan, as they experience Mumbai through the eyes of their hosts Salim-Sulaiman, the prolific Bollywood composer duo. Fin adds his indie-folky style to Shafqat's powerful vocals, while Salim and Sulaiman produce a contrasting yet effective fusion that can only be understood as sufi-step.
'Tom, Dick & Harry' is a powerfully droll satire penned by the outspoken English rapper, teacher, poet and journalist, Akala, and the equally versatile Piyush Mishra -- actor, music director, lyricist, singer, and scriptwriter. Watch as they spar with each other to comment on the political cul-de-sac that is the state of affairs, away from the worldly clamour in the untouched, stunnning Andaman and Nicobar islands.
'Today' is a mélange of pulp and pop by Shaa'ir + Func and La Pongal. Randolph Correia and Darbuka Siva match each other, beat for step, as the incredible vocals of Monica Dogra and Anthony Daasan create high-octane folktronica, where eccentricity grooves with the humility of folk music from Chennai.
'Make Love' is a mixed bag of alternative-funk by Thermal and a Quarter, the bluesy rhythms of Adil & Vasundhara and the inspiriting notes from Ashwin Srinivasan's flute that seamlessly blend to create an old world charm. Bangalore plays host to this eclectic mix that makes one pause for a moment and laugh at the eccentricity of life
'The Gypsy' is an ode to wanderlust, featuring Anoushka Shankar on sitar, Sanjeev Shankar on shehnai, and Pirashanna Thevarajah on percussion. Much like the city the episode was filmed in, New Delhi, the track is unapologetically modern, and yet steeped in tradition.
Dualist Inquiry and Advaita travel to Shimla to create a sound that neither have dabbled in before. Watch as they build a musical chemistry and blend their sounds together.
'Qutub Minar' is a song that singer-songwriter Akhu first wrote with Imphal Talkies. The song is about the experiences one man has while taking the historic Qutub Minar from Delhi to Imphal. The song gets fresh legs with Asian Dub Foundation as they add a deep, driving bassline with electro-folk elements on a rock beat.
In this episode Brooklyn Shanti and Mou Sultana come to their home town Kolkata. Nucleya joins them to create a track about their relationship with the city. The song has two distinct parts, one featuring a bass-heavy dance beat and the other a mellow bengali rap. Watch as they talk about their beginnings and make 'Bangla Bass'
In this episode, award-winning percussionist Trilok Gurtu teams up with electronic folk duo Hari + Sukhmani in their hometown of Chandigarh. 'Maati' is an ambient folk song that is set to the poetry of 18th century Sufi poet Bulleh Shah. The song has been given legs by a range of sounds thanks to the percussive genius of Trilok Gurtu.
'The Minstrel's Tale', the song written on the season finale of The Dewarists, is a track about the thoughts of a traveler who's a long way from home. The song has a Celtic melody with a mix of English, Assamese and Hindi lyrics.