Anurag Saikia known for his soulful compositions infused with the traditional folk sounds of Assam yet again creates magic with his new composition Kasiyoli.
‘Kasiyoli’ is an Assamese folk song sung by Vishal Vivek Hariharan, and Jutimala Buragohain goes a step ahead by bringing in progressive rock with Tai Ahom chants as part of the Bhoomi 2021 collection.
Bhoomi 2021 features ten mesmerizing melodies performed by India’s top vocalists. The soundtrack captures India’s traditional folk, classical ragas, and instruments in a unique way. Among the ten melodies, Kasiyoli is one of the songs that have a mix of western-classical forms.
In an interview with Salim Merchant, Anurag Saikia, said that he was inspired by the compositions of Srimanta Sankerdev, the pioneer of classical music in Assam and the Northeast, who created ‘Khorman taal’,’ Xorg Bixom’, and ‘Bor Bixom’, which have been practiced for over 600 years, and that the song was composed in 5 beats using 10 beats from “Khorman Taal”.
“I consider myself fortunate to come from a musical family, as my father is an ethnomusicologist and my mother is a folk singer,” stated Anurag Saikia.
Saikia also broached the topic of “Raas” a folk culture in which he used to play ‘khuti taal’ with his mother. He further added, “I am shocked how Srimanta Sanrdev and Madhav Deb composed the taals 600 years ago, and I believe that this kind of melody has not been heard outside of Assam. I am fortunate to be able to allow exhibiting Assam’s tradition in Bhoomi.”
Salim Merchant commended Saikia’s creativity, as well as the efforts of the entire team in creating a magnificent, melodious song. He also commended Saikia’s musical knowledge and the concept for the song’s beginning.
