Falu the Leader!
By Varinder Rathore
NYC specifically and the world in general has benefited from the South Asian diaspora with regards to to food, culture and music. In the process a new global identity has emerged which transcend time and place to somewhere special and nostalgic halfway around the world. An example in contemporary world music is Falu who performed at Joe's Pub in NYC on May 29, 2012.
From the start of the evening Falu is in control. She appreciates the diversity of South Asian Culture singing in Hindi, Gujarati, Brij, Panjabi and even Sanskrit. When today's Desi artists sole repertoire of music is catchy one dimensional Bollywood numbers, Falu showcases a deeper knowledge and appreciation for the richness and complexity of our cultures and sings difficult classic numbers with ease and understanding. The first thing one notices as soon as Falu opens her mouth is a very basic yet rare find these days, "This women can sing and how!" She subtly intoxicates with her original ghazal "Bhasti (Neighborhood)" and then belts out "Mast Kalander" in Panjabi/Sindhi flowing with ease from one genre of music to another. She does not stop there and has the audience entranced with the classical ballad,"Saajan Moora Ghar Aaye (My Beloved Return Home)". She keeps the evening light-hearted with "Laila" the classical Bollywood tracks from the 70's and finishes the evening with Jagjit Singh's masterpiece "Ahista (Slowly)". Falu has clearly establishes herself as a leader among a young generation of diasporic South Asian musicians.
From the start of the evening Falu is in control. She appreciates the diversity of South Asian Culture singing in Hindi, Gujarati, Brij, Panjabi and even Sanskrit. When today's Desi artists sole repertoire of music is catchy one dimensional Bollywood numbers, Falu showcases a deeper knowledge and appreciation for the richness and complexity of our cultures and sings difficult classic numbers with ease and understanding. The first thing one notices as soon as Falu opens her mouth is a very basic yet rare find these days, "This women can sing and how!" She subtly intoxicates with her original ghazal "Bhasti (Neighborhood)" and then belts out "Mast Kalander" in Panjabi/Sindhi flowing with ease from one genre of music to another. She does not stop there and has the audience entranced with the classical ballad,"Saajan Moora Ghar Aaye (My Beloved Return Home)". She keeps the evening light-hearted with "Laila" the classical Bollywood tracks from the 70's and finishes the evening with Jagjit Singh's masterpiece "Ahista (Slowly)". Falu has clearly establishes herself as a leader among a young generation of diasporic South Asian musicians.