Review Summary: Rahul Mukerji didn’t miss the chance to mine emotional territory on Ma De Re Sha and this is something that has enriched the album.
Rahul Mukerji didn’t miss the chance to mine emotional territory on Ma De Re Sha and this is something that has enriched the album.
Rahul Mukerji has been performing live and making music for over 20 years, with his pieces having featured in movies, radio stations and animations. It was a matter of when, not if then, that he will be regaling listeners with a debut album, which is brimming with genuine emotion and sublime compositions.
In his first collection of songs titled Ma De Re Sha, the India-born guitarist and instrumentalist bridges two musical worlds. At first glance the musical worlds of the East and the West might look extremely different but Rahul Mukerji’s fusion of progressive rock, and at times heavy metal riffs, with Indian and Middle Eastern music is not even for a moment unusual. The arrangements on Ma De Re Sha are intricate without being showy, borrowing from traditional Indian music, while the electric guitar parts are reminiscent of the master of rock instrumental, Joe Satriani. The modest ambition of the guitarist to fuse those elements supplies the music with a certain spark.
This spark is evident in the serene ambiance of the traditional Indian music intertwined with the more hook oriented riffs in songs such as Sita and title track Ma De Re Sha. Rahul Mukerji’s multicultural upbringing between East and West, he’s based in Baltimore, has seeped into every song.
According to the guitarist the project is the embodiment of unity in diversity and ‘’ the compositions and the arrangements were inspired by interactions with people from different cultural backgrounds and walks of life’’ who found a common language in music.
Rahul Mukerji’s guitar prowess is the main talking of this album but credit should also be given to bass player Ruben Rubio and co-producer Bruce Ng for playing their part to bringing this LP to life.
Rahul Mukerji didn’t miss the chance to mine emotional territory on Ma De Re Sha and this is something that has enriched the album.
