Call them the Indian Spice Girls, and you’d be right, for Indiva is a band of four musicians, whose music not only transcends borders, but also brings people closer. Their mellifluous melodies and catchy rhythms, are the highlight here, leaving you asking for more.

What’s more is, when you have India’s leading music director /pianist/composer Merlin D’souza at the helm, you can be sure the music will be awesome. Merlin is joined by Vivienne Pocha, one of most popular vocalista stalwart in theatre, advertising, film and concerts; Hamsika Chammak Challo Iyerwho sang this and the superhit 1234 Get on the Dance Floor from Chennai Express. Lastly Shruti Bhave who plays the violin in Carnatic and Western styles and also a session musician for Bollywood music, pulls off some great interludes on the album. All four come from different walks of life, each of them having achieved their own place in the music world and still making it big day by day.

The album comprises 9 tracks and brings together a blend of Jazz, Rock, Folk, World Music and Indian Classical (Hindustani and Carnatic). The sax on two tracks and violin blend well. Formed about a year ago, the band’s lead single is Suno and addresses the pain and angst of women in our country. The song was composed after the ghastly rape in Delhi. Mannidhu showcases the talent of Shruti to the hilt, not forgetting the powerful sax, on this pure folk piece in Kannada. On Engaya Gaw you’re transported to the lovely land of Goa. The funky pop track is packaged in chaste Konkani. Don’t miss wonder boy Rhys Sebastian D’souza’s sax interplay once again. There’s also the very upbeat Amaar Maa sung in Bengali. Mela takes a picturesque view of India’s chaos and diverse spirit, while Uyire in Tamil urges you to ride the crest of thoughts, sharing in the delights of the endless ebb and flow of ideas. The quartet has also used English, Hindi, Swahili, in their songs thus catering to a wide audience, giving something for everyone, all over the country. This is what happens when you have a band that consists of members from different parts of the country, they not only bring in their musical influences, but also make it part of an entire song, something rarely seen these days. Helelele has a backing lineup of young singers, and gives off a very African touch to it. Nazrein that closes the album is a Sufi – bhangra beat to it and has great percussion and vocals. It begins with a medium paced beat, but ends up with a crescendo of instruments and vocals.

Most songs speak about love, peace, happiness, freedom and everything in between. The tracks cover a wide range of subjects but one thing that ties them to each other is that they all have a message to convey. With lyrics by Asif Ali Beg, Avinash Kamath, S. Balachandran and Imaran Khan Hanafi, this is one album you’ll love to play anytime and anywhere. Way to go ladies.

-- Reviewed by Verus Ferreira