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The simple lines are known for their potent vibrations that appeal to Lord for His blessings. The album starts with a resonant ‘Om’ that repeats in several melodic pitches to bring in an air of tranquil prayer and gradually has single line verses and then moves on to the Aarogya Mantra itself.

Jagjit Singh has composed the music too. His sonorous voice suits the genre and if only these verses are taking you across half the album it is the soft variations that he has devised that make it interesting. In both the prayers, the rhythm comes after 15 minutes.

Soft on the ears, it could also be soothing to have it play in the mornings as a stress-relieving backgrounder, during the time one meditates or while driving on our ever-congested roads. It is of course meant for direct-play-and-listen for experiencing the vibrations of the mantra for good health.

The literature of the album talks of the ancient healing science and the science of life and longevity as recorded in the Charaka-Samhita and its infinite cycles of appearance brought out through sages. The rare appearance of God in Dhanvantari Avatar is recorded in Shrimad Bhagavatam by Sage Vyaasa as the Arogya Mantra, (Lord Dhanvantari is believed to be holding the nectar of immortality) said to be a remedy for getting rid of bodily diseases.

The second half is the Aarogya Gayatri, a small three-line verse which is a meditation for enlightenment. Conceived by Gouri Yadwadkar, the recording could help relieve strained nerves, especially in a frenetic world where one needs to unwind.

It was, however, “Indian Idol” that gave him the room to expand from classical singing to popular music. Amit’s popularity chart soared, even as he had become a household name, what with the judges recognising his voice quality and commitment. Getting into popular music after 12 years of training in Hindustani was by itself a shift that wasn’t easy, “but that’s the perseverance Amit had” the judges had opined. Today, even as a big fan of Rashid Khan, he has stepped out of the classical genre to get associated with pop, filmi and some trendy music. After a few album releases, new forays into recording exclusive numbers with Shreya Ghoshal and several live shows, Amit’s new album for Times Music, “Yaadein” has him in a different avatar, with long hair, sans spectacles.

With generous use of acoustic guitar, the first number “Yaadein” takes off smoothly for Rajeev Bhat’s score, the lyrics of course talking of the lover’s memories. And surprisingly, it contains another remixed version of the same number. Another way of showing your talent? It is a slightly faster one with more beats and sounds contemporary.

Amit has always said, “If remixes offer something better in terms of creativity, why not.”

“Khalash Dhadkanon Ki Mitt Na Saki” offers an aural treat as far as sound mixing is concerned with the backing vocals creating a seconds effect, and the number again in the remixed version starts with a long spell of beats, of course it retains a lot of the original too. “Woh ho Tum” with scores by both Rajeev Bhatt and Amit Sana also has another remix. Well…wouldn’t people want some more numbers, rather than have the modified adaptation?

Rajeev Bhalla’s music for “Aaja Meri Jaan” could easily be a dance number for its tempo and pace. Good tune and what makes it appealing are the lyrics and some amount of some rap-like sequence.

“Mere Khayalon Mein” is brilliant with Ishq Bector offering a novel tune to suit a perfect evening of relaxation in a Punjabi restaurant!

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