If you are feeling warm today, it is from all the love we are sending your way! The spirit of Christmas should not just be for one day, but for the whole year.
Wishing you lots and lots of love, joy, peace and happiness the whole year round!

Voice of Kritzy wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Fantabulous New Year!!!

FACTS! FACTS! FACTS!
Aren't facts amazing?

The Universe is a wonderful  place and there are a lot of things we will never know.
Here are 12 facts about music that I felt sounded super crazy and interesting!

MUSIC FACT #1
Your voice sounds better when you sing in the shower. 

MUSIC FACT #2
Your taste in music develops through experience, and is not something you're born with.

MUSIC FACT #3
Cows produce more milk when listening to relaxing music.

MUSIC FACT #4
Over 90% of people use music to escape problems in their lives.

MUSIC FACT #5
Listening to music while working helps to create a positive mood, and helps you to be more productive. 

MUSIC FACT #6
Men and women who listen to music a lot tend to have longer lasting relationships.

MUSIC FACT #7
Your favorite song is your favorite because you associate with an emotional event in your life

MUSIC FACT #8
Flowers can grow faster by listening to music.

MUSIC FACT #9
Loud music can make a person drink more in less time.

MUSIC FACT #10
Your heartbeat changes and mimics the music you listen to.

MUSIC FACT #11
The type of music you listen to affects the way you perceive the world. 

MUSIC FACT #12
The original lyrics of "Happy Birthday to You" song was "Good Morning to You". 

Hey Viewers,

I have something different for you this time. I wanted to video record an Indian Carnatic song to start with.

Will post more videos of my singing in other genres too.

For a change, this time, all of you would review my song and please do comment below on how you felt about the song and the singing.

Hope all of you like it.

DECEMBER. . . . . .

It is the Christmas time across the globe, Isn't it?
But Indian heritage speaks many other celebrations along with Christmas!

Oh! It was around the same time in December.
In early 2000's, I woke up to a bright Sunday morning. As I walked to the living room, mom was busy in her Sunday chores, dad was as always watching the news. I and my brother always had a fight on who would get the newspaper first. My day was brighter! I took the newspaper and I noticed that the newspaper's content was so different and I saw such an intense amount of content on this topic only in December.

As I opened the newspaper, there were about three pages filled with information just about music, the schedules of the musical concerts, details of all the musicians and artists and what not. I was so curious to know why was it that December specifically had music as a major part of it.

So, I asked my parents....
How were December and Music related and Why were there so many musical concerts happening in the month of December?

Here is what they told me. December is a season that rains music in the southern part of India. This is the time of the year when most of the people don't leave the city, and those abroad go to India for vacation, because the invisible umbilical cord called 'Carnatic Music' tugs them. December, in South India, is a month for music. There would be about 1,500 concerts spread across a little over three weeks, the season typically starts mid-December. The month is considered auspicious for God and must be devoted only to prayer and worship. People generally don't perform any auspicious functions.

This month, December, is generally so designated, because learning or listening to Carnatic music (Indian Classical Music) is considered a form of worship.

This is not to say that musical concerts are restricted only to the month of December. They are a round-the-year feature in Indian Classical music. Only that, in December, the craze culminates into a carnival, popularly called as "Music Season", "Music Festival", "Margazhi Festival (Pronounced as Maar-ga-zhi)", "December Season"; easily one of the biggest song and dance shows in the country.

The concerts are held under the banners of various bodies that promote the performing arts. It generally comprises of large number of members who are music-lovers.

But why December? 

December, from the Indian heritage, has been a period just before Dawn for the almighty for whom a human year constitutes one day. The period just before dawn is therefore very sacred and hence, people in ancient period are known to go around the streets singing - the intention is to rouse the latent spiritual powers in every one of us.

If the whole year is deemed to be just one day, December month is the pre-dawn period, when we transit from the stillness and calm of the wintery night to a day of meaningful activities and hence, is celebrated as a season of music and arts.

I found it very interesting and wanted to share it with y'all.  Hope all of you liked it too!

Happy December! 
Merry Christmas! 
And a Happy Music Season!

One of the finest musical orchestral arrangement by one of the blockbuster music director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has created a Maharashtrian ambiance, choruses with traditional Marathi verse. The orchestration and vocals are the most significant parts of this album, with a massive wave of traditional Indian instruments used in his score.

Deewani Mastani - It starts off with a marathi folk rendition as it flows into the hands of Shreya Ghoshal's lead segment. This, to me, is the highlight of the song. Her rendition is so flawless and beautiful accompanied by Mandolin-laden arrangement. It ends with a Qawwali bit.

Aayat - Would you ever doubt Arijit's singing? A pensive melody Aayat starts off with Arijit's stellar singing, surely competes to standout. As the song proceeds, it moves to a Qawwali-type of digression which suits the orchestration but I am not so positive about having it there.

Malhari - It starts off with a type of orchestration which I feel doesn't go so good with the genre of the movie. It sounds contemporary unlike the movie. But otherwise, a perfect combo of energy with a percussion-heavy orchestration.

Mohe Rang Do Laal - Yet another beautiful Hindustani mixed Carnatic track by Shreya Ghoshal. By far, my most favorite. Such a fascinating arrangement of the Indian Classical instruments with a wonderful composition in Pantuvarali raag amidst kathak bols.

Aaj Tohe Jaane Na Doongi - A feel good musical composition. But not a song I would pick on the soundtrack. Singers had perfect rendition of the song.

Pinga - A mix of multiple dance genres, and older desi songs. Pinga is that type of a song which has a usual orchestration.

Aaj Ibaadat - When the song started off, I was like wow! that is the type of orchestration with the perfect use of sitar, a fantastic melody in yaman raag. Oh! not to forget, equal credit goes to the singers for an amazing rendition.

Fitoori - A folk composition. I probably am not a big fan of folk songs and I feel folk is not something that suits a historical movie genre. Good for a one-time hear.

Gajanana - A tribute to Lord Ganesha, by Sukhwinder Singh, starts off with rendition of Ganesh Aarti. A perfect energizer with a beautiful tribute.

Overall, the musical score was a perfect package with fascinating orchestration which was beyond grandeur type, a type that perfectly suits an Indian historical Genre of a movie.

Music Rating - 9/10

My favorites - Mohe Rang Do Laal, Aaj Ibaadat, Deewani Mastani

Which one is your favorite?

So, in the southern part of India - especially the Brahmin families, have this tradition of sending their children to every art class such as Singing, Dancing, Painting, and the list goes on and on.

Oh! wait! no not everything! no acting! that is out of the list.
My mom did the same. She sent me to learn every little thing, when I was 5 years old. I joined music vocals, dance, art & craft and music instrumentals. She herself being a bharatanatyam dancer, it was less of a pain to travel as I got trained under her in dance.

This went on for a few years and studies came in and swallowed the time. This obviously reduced the time I could dedicate for the art classes. So, my parents took this hard decision to reduce the number of art related extra curricular classes, based on my interest level. The first thing that went out of my list was dance. Oh yeah! I could run better than I could dance.

One down! Three up!

Oh man! It's India! Studies is valued more than extra curricular! School expects a 5th grader to be in the 10th grade standards. Isn't it?
It was that time to drop another and it was art & craft. Though I was good at it, that wasn't something I did with passion. So, yes! art & craft, you are out!

Two down! Two up!

I was in 6th grade and guess what? there was a twist in my life. I had that PASSION FOR MUSIC that I used to wake up at 3:00 AM early in the morning and practice music vocals. I know I used to entertain the ghosts.

India is known for its wide variety of festivals. My parents, I and my brother went to the spiritual place during one of the festivals and there were prayers going on. After a bit, they asked if someone could sing and that was part of the tradition. So, I decided to sing. I started and it drew the attention of the crowd instantaneously, something which I never expected nor have I experienced that before. All went good, I completed singing and to all of our surprise, a middle-aged man walked up to me and offered me with a chance to perform a 2-hour concert at one of the high standing stages in the capital of the state.

That was the moment I realized my passion, devotion, dedication, and love for music. Since then, I started performing and I have given around 100 concerts. Having trained in western classical, I have done playback singing (recordings) for movies, albums and Jingles.

I am a Business Woman but music is something that drives me to do anything and everything in life.

So, I decided to start a blog and voice my views on different songs (all genres, all languages, all countries), a little different approach to music. I really hope all of you like it.

Join Me,
Follow and Subscribe to Voice of Kritzy,
Share your Voice about your favorite song,
and Let's get Hooked on Music!