Thanks for the topic Seero - I was going to make one about everyone's performance, but saw you already had that lined out - so here goes my lonnng nothing on this weekend, part1 =)
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Manasi - Right there AT THE TOP, for sure! I'd been one of the majority not a fan of her choice of songs last week, and was looking forward for her comeback in that sense, boy did she bounce or what! I love that she stepped out of soulful and yet within her stream of forte delivered, and delivered for such a tedious song! That was one packed act - right from the start, and although she added body language to literally every second of that song, in particular I was in awe of how the 'rrraseele' rolled off her tongue in flow with the entire line! She rolls her phonetics, takes the high and low, gets in the alaap - and miscellaneous more, all in the flow of a single take 👏
Sachin and Sumeet - were more or less equals for me today, both being complete entertainers on stage, despite whatever minor sidestepping of 'sur' they may have had. In particular, I think Sachinji chose an excellent song, he has to be by far the best 'choice maker' in that sense, because there has yet to be a time I think he made a wrong choice; on the contrary he has a knack of picking songs that go with his character and acts, not to mention the vocals. Sumeet's song was, to me, an average choice, but he did well. I personally think I liked the non-Hindi part better than the segment in Hindi, but overall well done, and somewhat in agreement with Anu Malik he did manage to keep melody even in such a song - which btw, unlike Anu Malik, I don't think much of in terms of being tedious. I think the trick is basically maintaining melody in 'spirit' and that's that - no so much a skill of 'singing' hard sections. But just him there on stage, enjoying his performance and taking the audience in sway - sure thing. Brownie points for the vote appeal 😆
Chavi, Neha, Manish - So in my opinion Manish was easily better than the ladies. I know Chavi has gotten a lot of appreciation for her improvement over the last week or so, but while I didn't get to watch her last week, for today I think she tried biting off more than she could chew, and it seemed all the more obvious in her competing with the likes of Manasi, on a day that the latter performed a track with SO much on her plate to deliver! In general, I have always said Chavi has a good voice, its not trained enough, but more than that, there is something about trying too hard in Chavi's performances, always, which doesn't go down well for me. Neha, inferior to Chavi in her singing, better than her usual self, and in general, another try to hard case. Manish, for me, takes an edge simply because he may not be the best voice there, or the best deliverer of melody, but he's a natural performer on stage. It's impossible to not enjoy his performance, and that just makes him more likable, he enjoys his piece so much, that his voice cannot help but sound decently in tune, if not better. Sure he slips here and there, but for the most he's good. I'd go with Alisha's take on him, In addition I think he's careful of not choosing songs he'd never manage - something that makes him safer than the likes of Chavi, although it also means he'll being predictable about what he could sing. Not impressed by his choice of song, but as such, if I was choosing among these three, Manish would be higher. He's a tad behind Chavi on singing, but he's far ahead on being a 'rockstar' entertainer!
Kapil - Did he seriously pull off the original Challa 😲 *awe struck* for once, WORD to what Anu Malik said, about how his singing brought like this vivid feeling of Punjab all about him. Never seen him before, so he was this new face, but if they hadn't given me an introduction to this man, I'd have easily assumed he was one of those less recognized folk Punjabi singers, less recognized because they weren't the 'hit-pop' in genre. No end to how amazed I was by his performance, perhaps I had no idea what was coming, he took me by such surprise, and all in the good way! I'm going to look forward VERY eagerly to him performing more of these core traditional Punjabi numbers, without caring about his lack of variation in the genre, in fact wanting it to not be - because he's one of the rare kind who can actually do justice! Like my my, to be reminded of Gurdas Maan and how! *still in awe*
Ragini - This is my dubious take. She got a 20 and everyone seems to have loved her, I personally thought there was too much 'made-up' about her singing today. Nothing that she didn't carry off, even well at that, and nothing too much for her vocals as such - but I didn't find it... erm, I dunno, like a real enough performance? There was something very 'on the surface only' about it that I can't pin down and decide about. But since I seem to be the only one thinking so, maybe its me!
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And that's that. Heard Manasi is singing Lambi Judaai tomorrow?! Wooo! Excited for that, yessir! Kapil is, as of this moment with no idea of ahead, my parallel favorite. Stole my heart with Challa original, I'm so so so hoping he sings Chadeyaan Di Jun Buri next... That would be... 😍
Edited by JZephyr - 14 years ago