“…the amazing energy of Odisha and Rajasthan in one song…” reads the description of ‘Saawariya’, the new song/video that features on ‘Big Golden Voice Season 6’, the music based show on Zee5. The ‘Odisha’ reference is probably there to signify the presence of vocalist Shibu Prasad, who hails from Odisha as the song itself does not have a trace of folk music of Odisha. What the track does have is a nice amalgamation of a popular folk song from Rajasthan with a jazz based soundscape. A few seconds into the song, one hears the rustic voice of Shibu Prasad and some keys which clearly signify the kind of elements the song is playing around with.
Creating a fusion based track is always a little tricky as the distinctive elements of the two (or more) genres you are playing around must gel with each other effortlessly. The trick lies in striking the right balance. While Shibu sets the tone for the song by chanting the lines ‘saawariya saawariya baawariya…’ in a rendition filled with thehrav, Shweta brings a distinctive spunk as she croons “jogan ban gayi main…”. The two singers complement each other’s voices very well and bring the song to a rousing finale.
The jazz based background is provided by the musicians playing the keyboard, guitar and the drums. To accentuate the traditional-ness in the song, there is also a wonderful tabla section playing in the background. Overall, ‘Saawariya’ is an enjoyable and accessible fusion number which deserves a listen.