RIDING the WAVE

From artists who are all set to shake up the musical landscape to some of the literary world’s new kids on the block – meet the people to namedrop next

- BARRY RODGERS

Waving the flag for new singer-songwriters is film music composer and lyricist SAMEER RAHAT, whose debut solo album Aamad features collaborations with poets, musicians, clothing designers, and visual artists. Rahat toured across India, the UK, and Europe throughout 2021, showcasing his poetry and lyrical genius through intimate performances. According to Tewari, Rahat’s “words complement his beautiful hummable melodies.”

There’s a quality about music that’s so universal – it soothes us during times of sadness, hypes us up during celebratory moments, and may even serve as the ideal backdrop while you are writing your next novel or completing mundane tasks. The thing about music though, is that it evolves with the times. We asked actor and musician, ANKUR TEWARI who he thinks will shake the musical landscape in 2022 and who we should keep our ears tuned for.

If you are looking for a fresh take on hip-hop, Tewari recommends HANUMANKIND, the lyrical rap identity of Sooraj Cherukat. The Kerala-born, Bengaluru-based rapper’s lyrical compositions are not only elementally unique, but encompass lyrics that are relevant and important during today’s generation.

Bengaluru-based duo CLIFR & RANJ is among the most exciting new acts for 2022. Apart from being an amazing studio group, they are also a slick live act. Their track, Mutual Smoothie, provides the musical landscape of what fading love feels like.

We would be remiss not to include Kabeer (OAFF) and Savera who have been making waves in the indie scene for a while now. However, their debut in the mainstream cinema is most notable with their work in Shakun Batra’s Gehraiyaan starring Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi.