The love song ‘Chandeni’ stands out.
By Rehnuma Majid
WASHINGTON, DC: Crossing cultural boundaries is not an easy thing, especially when you are a blond haired, non-Asian woman from Denmark breaking into the Punjabi music scene in, well, India.
Artists around the world have made it a business to appropriate certain aspects of numerous cultures in order to appeal to a larger audience (or to simply rip off and simplify century old practices for a more exotic look). And this is a move which isn’t looked upon favorably for those on the other end.
But what do we do when an individual immerses herself, not only to take in that which pleases her aesthetically, but to actually absorb and stay true to the richness of a culture to the best of her ability?
That’s what Anita Lerche is striving to do and that’s why I’m giving her music a serious chance.
The 40 year old has released her second Punjabi album titled, “SADKE PUNJAB TON” which features several songs paying tribute to the diversity and growing love for a country which has changed her life.
The album as a whole did not blow me away, but it did help me to understand why she is seen as sort of an ambassador to the Punjabi culture and just why she has received the accolades that she has.
The title song, bearing the same name to the album, showcases her deep appreciation of India, which is apparent in the traditional garb she proudly dons in the video. Though the first minute of the song I found to be a little awkward and out of place with Lerche dressed completely in black and dancing in western clothing, the rest of the song makes up for it. It’s clear that she possesses a pretty respectable vocal talent, reaching high notes which are common in South Asian styles of singing.
The second song titled, “Sammi” is styled as a traditional folk song and is also known as a traditional folk dance for women. The video gives us a choreographed dance routine, with Lerche joining right in with the other colorfully dressed women. Though this was supposed to be a folk song, the production quality does give it a slightly more upbeat pop song vibe to it, which definitely makes this a catchy number.
“Chandeni” is probably the one love song off of the album that stood out, telling the story of a woman who misses her husband and how she asks the moon to pass on her words of love to him. Tying her music to themes we often find in nature really grounded this song for me. Vocally, it wasn’t my favorite, but I did appreciate her attempt to connect the consistency of something, like the moon, to something that can convey feeling over a vast distance.
Lerche also includes several bonus songs in her album, but the previous three are enough to get a taste of her style and artistry, especially if you are new to her music.