Reviews
Whether it's Western genres, like jazz and rock, melodious Bollywood tunes or classical forms, Delhi's music scene has developed from a wide range of inspirations. Here is a prime example of one artist making waves across the underground music scene.
Piyali Ganguly has set the bar very high artistically and provided a powerful, poignant musical document of what it means to be a human being.
"Hey hey hey hey...my fellow humans / I'm singing to you with heart open / I'm just a singer song-writer / Soothing my mind, taking it higher..."
Overall, this is a fantastic song performed by an excellent singer and performer, delivered with finesse and feeling. It is a perfect choice as a single, with its radio friendly sound and instantly catchy title hook. It will undoubtedly gain Piyali Ganguly new admirers to add to her already considerable fan-base, and consolidate her position as an authentic Delhi icon of her era.
Listen to 'I Live In Love' (Ich Lebe In Liebe)
Exposed Vocals, February 14, 2018
https://exposedvocals.com/features/live-love-ich-lebe-liebe-piyali-ganguly/
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This CD, Unborn Star, mybe only seven tracks, but in those seven tracks, Piyali establishes herself as one of the premier Neo-Indian chanteuses out there. From the more traditional sounds to up-to-date synthesizer work, this CD includes it all. Her voice can be frail yet tremendously strong at the same time, which makes taking in her wailing voice over the synthesizer-based tracks even more dilectable. While the lyrics are a bit trite at times, Piyali's voice carries the day, making this a treat for the ears. - Riina Koskinen, July 17, 2000
A great - for me new - singer, with exciting material and fine arrangements!
-- stellanon April 6, 2015
https://www.amazon.com/Unborn-Star-Piyali/dp/B00000GC3U/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_2
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Piyalis' voice was trained in Indian classical music, under the guidance of her mother, Krishna Chakraborty, who is an exponent of Hindustani classical music. Between 1986 and 1988, she won first prizes (western music vocal) at various inter-college festivals, had concerts in various cities in India and there were quite a few good articles and reviews published in Indian newspapers and magazines, regarding her voice and performances. In the years 1989 and 1990, two albums were released: # 1. "Quasme" by Sonex Pvt. Ltd., Calcutta, India # 2. "FastForward" by CBS Gramaphone Records and Tapes (India) Ltd.
Between the years 1991 to 1997, that Piyali spent in Japan, she was interviewed by Fuji Television, Tokyo and Saison TV, Tsukuba, Japan. Many interview based articles and reviews accolading her singing prowess and performance, appeared in various Japanese magazines and newspapers. Piyali performed at Ibaraki Intl. Assn. 'Friendship' concerts in Tsukuba, Hitachi, Yokohama & Mito, Japan, at the charity concert held at the Gakuin University Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Also performed at Kuryian Hall and Ako Studio, Tokyo, Jpn. In 1994 & 1995, Piyali was awarded Judges Prize at the Foreigners Singing Contest (Japanese), hosted by TV Tokyo, Japan, which was televised nationally. Piyali also held a music workshop, for members of the Intl. Children's Bunko Assn., Tokyo, Japan.
1998 heralds the release of Piyalis' first self composed debute album, "Unborn Star", in the USA. Piyali also writes poetry and her work has been chosen and published (audio and printed), by the National Library Of Poetry, MD, USA
Piyali's music falls somewhere between the New Age and Popular categories. Its sound is unique with shades of Indian melodies in structured western compositions with touches of other ethnic sounds. Her singing style is her own very fresh and quite different from the usual popular voices. Both, her music and voice are products of early training in Hindusthani music superposed on a liking for a western musical style.
---Harmony Ridge Music
https://www.rahul.net/jsutton/discos/fafram14.html
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Unborn Star is a recipe for insight and meditation.
Unborn Star is not just a new album, it is a recipe for insight, meditation and transformation. Piyali Ganguly has blended the finest ingredients...poetry, energy, enthusiasm and beat with a powerful yet pretty voice, great backup and superb arrangements. The end result is a musical meal fit for a king. There are seven songs on Unborn Star, each as different from one another as night is from day, and yet all in alignment with their heartfelt messages of peace, passion and betterment. The title song, about disenchantment says, "I never want to go back/to the land of politics/The land where people play games/With hard kicks" On the other hand, Today of all Days is a beautiful wedding song dedicated to eternal love. "Today of all days/I pledge you my life./As the Gods witnesses,/we shine in the light./Together, together side by side/forever we're tied".
In addition to her huge talent as a vocalist, Piyali wrote all the music and produced this fine album. She has won prizes in Calcutta and Tokyo and is proficient in English, Bangla (Mother Tongue), Japanese and Hindi. This kind of international background adds just the right spices to the songs performed.
If you've been looking for an album to satisfy your craving for good music and moving lyrics that speak of peace and betterment, look no further. Unborn Star by Piyali will satisfy your appetite...with spirit and a sensual beat that will linger long after this musical meal ends.
Richard Fuller--Senior Editor of "Metaphysical Reviews, April 2nd, 1999
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Piyali's Album "Support" with Abyss Making Waves
Cross Continental Album Showcases Piyali's Award-Winning Voice
San Ramon, California - February 21st, 2016 -Singer songwriter Piyali has released her long overdue second album, Support, a collaboration with Australian Abyss, who wrote and performed the music and produced the album.
"I love collaborating with talented independent artists, and would be in heaven to perform with great musicians in the best venues worldwide," said Piyali. "My message is one of love, unity and peace-making the world a better place to live for us and our children."
The singer is trained in Indian classical music, and prior to immigrating to the United States was a regular on the inter-college festival circuit of Kolkata (Calcutta), India, winning first prizes for western music vocals. Piyali's uplifting lyrics send an inspiring message that show her passion for life and music. Her talent and hard work show in her ear-pleasing vocals and Abyss' music is the perfect match for it.
Support was released on December 18th, 2015 to critical acclaim and follows on from her first solo album, Unborn Star. Her first album was a finalist for "Best Vocal Album of 1999" for New Age Voice.
https://www.artistpr.com/press-release/piyalis-album-support-with-abyss-making-waves/
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Piyali is a silky sounding chaneuse, a soulful songbird, a passionate new contemporary singer. She soars into the international recording scene with a stylish, self-assured singing style, high quality original compositions, great backing musicians and a well produced debut album. Appropriately titled, Unborn Star, features a smooth blend of musical touches that include world, pop, funk and R&B elements. The message I get from Piyali's music, is going for what you want in your life, following your true path, doing what makes you whole, which in her case, is her incredible journey to this point.
-- Ben Kettlewell, Editor of Alternative Music Press
https://www.alternatemusicpress.com/reviews/piyali.html
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Piyali is a brilliant composer and singer. She sings a collection of seven compositions that could be labelled as avant-garde Pop. Her beautiful voice, the atmospheric keyboards, the Hindu drums and the inspired lyrics are the elements that shape the personality of the music and enhance it's potential to lead the listeners to meditate about the utopic hope to someday attain a better world full of love, peace and harmony. This is warm music. Music near to the heart and feeling.
-- Pascual Jurado, of Amazing Sounds
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A feast At Summer Fest'87
Now it was time for the member of the fairer sex to make her presence strongly felt. Enter Piyali. This vocalist has an incredible voice, though lacking a bit in emotion. Her renditions of George Benson's "Greatest Love of All" and Jennifer Rush's "Power of Love" were truly mindblowing. The final song before the intermission was dedicated to Mrs. Armstead, the principal of Harrow Hall. The song - "That's What Friends Are For". Vocalists - Jeff, Cornel, Parvez and Piyali. The rendition - excellent.
-- Review by "Off Age" Magazine, July 1987, Kolkata, India.
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A feast At Summer Fest'87
It was now time for Cal's Whitney Houston and young Piyali Chakravarty, a student of Jadavpur University, enthralled the mass gathering with her renditions of "Greatest Love of All" and "Saving All My Love For You". She also impersonated Jennifer Rush with the greatest of ease doing, "The Power of Love". Given the opportunity and guidance, she can go places.
-- Sun Club, Kolkata, India
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Piyali Chakravarti, Calcutta's Whitney Houston, is going places with her powerful melodious voice. A student of Mass Communication, Jadavpur University Calcutta. She has achieved a special position in the heart of the city's pop audience.
Piyu, as she is known to her close friends has not restricted her repertoire to Western music alone. She is equally passionate about Hindi film songs and ghazals. She prefers Pakistani ghazal singers because she feels that they have a greater depth of feeling for the lyrics. She doesn't fancy the present day pop singers like Alisha, as they lack a classical background, this she considers is an essential element necessary for the formation of a proper base. And Piyu has a classical base. She was given her initial training by her mother Krishna Chakravarti, who is an exponent of Indian classical music. She recalls that she started by singing choral music. She ventured into Western folk, jazz and pop songs. Her parents not only patronized her but gave the necessary encouraged her to go in for her own compositions. When asked whether she would like to venture into the Hindi pop arena, she smiled and said she had something of that sort in mind but she was yet to decide as to how to go about it.
Piyali has participated in numerous fests and has many medals to her credit. She has participated in the St. Xavier College and Presidency College fests. She has added may a feather to her cap with her performances in Duliajan (Assam) in 1986, Durgapur also in 1986 and the Summer Fest 1987 in Calcutta. She has performed at Grand Hotel and various other clubs in the city. Her perfomance at the Navy Queen Ball in Vishakapatnam enthralled the audience. Last year her performance at Kazz'88 show at DAT was commendable.
Along with her various stage performances, she has her voice often heard in Television and Radio advertisements. She has worked with various Indian Rock groups. She posseses the overriding ambition to win a Grammy someday. With such ambition and such perseverence it won't be a surprise if she makes it big someday.
-- Mallika Bakshi, Sun Magazine, October 21st 1989
P.S. by Piyali - I studied not Mass communication in Jadavpur University, but Comparative Literature. I did a course in Mass Communication elsewhere. I added this write-up about me because this too contributed to the way I think and live my life today. I found this old write-up on 4/19/2018, while going through my old clips and cuttings and cuttings about my singing, etc all those years ago. Read it with new eyes and a much more developed sense of my place in the world of music. So much I can say and write, but, I'll let it rest here and share these few memories with you.
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