Arun Daga is no stranger to the Hindi music scene. A few years ago, he released his debut album “Dil To Pagal Hai “, which was quite popular among the masses.  After taking a hiatus from the music industry, Daga has made a comeback with his second album “Jeena Tere Bina.” Like his previous album, Jeena Tere Bina is also a romantic album. However, the theme is different from Daga’s first album. All of the songs have sad lyrics, perhaps written with a heavy heart. Throughout this album, Daga muses about a lost lover, the agony of separation and painful memories of pleasant times.

     While most youngsters may be ready to tune out at this point, it is important to know that Daga can sing melancholic numbers in a groovy style. Surprisingly, he has experimented quite well with what one would call sorrowful lyrics.  In his eight songs, Daga has proved that listeners can dance to sad numbers, too. Why brood over somebody else’s incomplete love story? With the two included remixes, listeners should get this point.  But more importantly, Daga has come a long way from his debut album.

     One can notice his remarkably controlled voice in the song “Jaise Taazi Taazi”. A fast-paced song, Daga keeps up with the lyrics well. He also includes a classical touch by singing the bits of the sargam (Sa re ga, etc) throughout the song. The title song, “Jeena Tere Bina” sounds so melodious that Daga included a remix of this number in the album. However, I would recommend listening to the original song. The remix version seems to detract from the quality of the song. For the lyrics are so emotional Jeena tere bina maut lage, or (Living without you seems like death) that the trance beat sounds awkward.

     In the orginal version, Daga seems to have poured out his soul in rendering. The lyrics are good, but a little sappy and overly emotional. Still, these may be nice to hear during a long drive. Plus, there is a nice exposition of the jazz piano during one of the intervals before the stanza, which adds to the mood of the song. Kudos to the album’s music composer Sandeep Surya.

     One of the highlights of this album is the song “Mere Mann.” Like the title song, “Mere Mann” is another soul stirring number. Daga seems to be portraying the character of a tongue-tied lover, or such a lover who has lost his beloved. The opening lines of the song, Mere mann mere mann, aisi bandish hai kyun mere mann, bring out such feelings. The stanzas add to it, speaking of separation and the recollection of pleasant memories. The included sitar music, is a treat, while some may wish that Daga would have included more of it.

     Amidst some of these tearful numbers, Daga has also sung a fast, peppy number to please the young listeners. The song “Tapte Tapte” talks about the isolation a lover feels when his beloved wanders away from him. According to the song, this separation only seems to increase with time, yet the lover cannot ever cease from weaving dreams. While it is one of those songs that should directly touch the heart, Daga has sung this number in a fast rhythm. Hence, people would immediately start dancing to it. So what if the lyrics depict nothing but loneliness? The feet will tap, but the heart will not feel pain.

     Just as he did in his title song, Daga has included a remix for “Tapte Tapte” as well. While the remix is not really a bad addition, I found it unnecessary because the original version has such fast, upbeat music. Clearly, the album would have been fine without the remix. But perhaps Boston’s DJs can benefit by playing this addition at lounge events and dance parties.

     Overall, Daga has done a good job with “Jeena Tere Bin.” Clearly, youngsters would appreciate the album more than the older audiences. Somehow, I think ii is really daring to experiment the way he did. Can everyone juxtapose rock music, disco beats and sorrowful lyrics together successfully? By listening to Jeena Tere Bina, it seems that Arun Daga certainly can.  

Priya Kumar, 22, is a graduate student in journalism at Harvard University. She moved to Cambridge almost a year ago from California. She is also a writer for Swadharma Hindu Magazine. An avid performer, her hobbies are dancing and singing. 

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