Look who’s BACK!

There is something very attractive about comebacks. It’s like speedy recovery from a vanishing act. The subject in question clears the air by telling tales about their travels,ending all speculations,suspense and in some cases,self imposed sabbaticals. Mehnaz is our subject for the day,and to jog a bit of your memory,she gave us Banoongi Mein Miss India. That’s right,one of the pop divas of her times,the singer had been away for quite a while,“but now I’m back,and boy have I got some good news,” she springs in delight and fills in the long blank she left. “2006,pop had died its own death and we were all struggling for space in a Bollywood-driven industry. So,I took a break,and since then,have been on a path of reinvention,re-discovery,” she gets philosophical and utters the words Manooghi Hi. “It’s an American misinterpretation of Banoongi mein. I know,it’s a nonsensical descriptive word,but it’s the title of my latest album,” she says. You see,Mehnaz,ever since her last album Sajnaa in 2006,has been travelling,mainly back and forth to Seattle,US. “And what began as a holiday turned into this huge musical journey,” Mehnaz recounts her ‘organic’ growth,of meeting up with friends,who further introduced her to Mark Nichols and that set the drum rolling. Since then,our very own Mehnaz has become – hold your breath – the lead singer of a Seattle-based band,Manooghi Hi,and yes,she’s been making waves on the international music scene. “It’s all destiny and the best thing that’s come out of it is that I have started writing my own lyrics,” after performing with her bandmates,who are now ‘soulmates’,on songs like Sajnaa and Dum Mast Kalandar,Mehnaz picked the pen,and wrote Kismet. “I was flirting with destiny,” she went with her friend’s words,‘He who does not wager,does not win’. From rocking shows at South by South West Festival in Austin,Texas to Bumbershoot,which is one America’s biggest music and arts festivals,the singer’s been setting the stage on fire with her ‘bombarock panoramic,cross-pollination style’ and is working on an India tour. “Seattle is a very rock based city,but we never interfere or step on each other’s sensibilities,and thus,we have a blend of traditional Indian rhythmic sounds and words,fused with American rock,pop and a soulful sweetness,” the girl’s married her classical Hindustani music training with her band’s western sensibilities unconventionally. “So,we have musical arrangements that spin off rock,grunge,Hindustani classical,Sufi style,soul and Broadway music,and my tabla boli,” she adds,‘when you collaborate,magic happens!’ For more,log on to myspace.