Vandana Vishwas Monologues Self-Release

The Indo-Canadian roots of Vandana Vishwas are clearly evidenced on her sophomore release, Monologues. Contrary to the initial tone of the title, there are songs on the album with good vocalizations and the same songs steeped in Hindustani classical music, Persian melodies, and Urdu poetic masterpieces. The upbeat music is driven by tabla drums, but the unmistakable drone of the sitar is also present, along with sax, flute, guitar, piano, and keyboard. The floating vocals are classical and contemporary in the same vein. It seems Lata Mangeshkar comes to mind on the vocals, but in a much more contemporary way. However, the music is not Hindi pop/dance music. It is influenced by global wanderings and a rich, South Asian heritage in the musical arts. The scintillating melodies and dreamy percussion tracks are outstanding. Nothing is questionable here. ~ Matthew Forss