Warm, rich and honeyed, Ms. Jhaveri’s vocals, along with Ramesh Bapodara on tabla and pakhavaj, Dipesh Desai on harmonium, Ikram Khan on sarangi and Suparna and Shalili on backing vocals, transform the sound space into a Hindustani performance space. Virtuosity doesn’t really seem to cover it as Ms. Jhaveri launches into the opening "Khayal" or the rapid flow of her vocals on the following "Khayal" or chhota khayal, raga Latit. Ms. Jhaveri is joined by a pair of backing vocals on the stunning "Sargam," one of Ms. Jhaveri’s own compositions.
The instrumentation on Prabandh is spare and in complete support of the vocals, creating a fluid meditative musical landscape. Tracks like "Kajari," "Hori" and the artfully graceful "Dhrupad" ride the undulating ribbon of Ms. Jhaveri’s vocals in an unspoken request to be patient, be still and to simply listen. The entirety of Prabandh is indeed outstanding, with sparkling gems like "Chatarang," "Thumri" and "Tarana," another composition by Ms. Jhaveri, sprinkled throughout.
Prabandh includes in its liner notes a bit about the North Indian classical style, terms used for vocal styles and a brief explanation about the composition and lyrics on each track, so fans get a simple guide to the Hindustani style. The cover art doesn’t exactly do the music or its clean, flawless recording justice, but don’t be fooled Prabandh is pure gold.
Available from: shwetajhaveri.com. Other releases available: Anahita, Khayal-Saga, Avishkar, Huge
