All you music-aficionados get geared one more time to swing your body to the internationally famed beats of DJ Praveen Nair.

Praveen, as of now, is working on his yet untitled forthcoming album. “The title is the last thing that I decide for my albums as I am still working on the tracks. It will have 7-8 tracks of happy numbers and the video will be themed abstract,” briefs Praveen.

His last album ‘Burn The Dance Floor’ comprised of run-of-the-mill commercial music, but this time he promises to give something really different. “With this album I am looking out to cater to international audiences. It’s going to be electronic lounge-ish music, with more of sounds and less of vocals. Basically all the numbers will be the infusion of ethnic voices and ragas with sounds. Apart from Indian instruments like veena, sitar, mridang and flute, I am also incorporating the percussions of darbukha and bell chimes from Istanbul. The whole idea is to mix east and the west,” he fills in.

Working day-in-and-day-out to rush his album to a finish, DJ Praveen is hell bent to release it by the end of this year.

Singer Harish Moyal came to the lime light with India’s first seasonal singing reality show Indian Idol in the year 2005. Four years later, the starlet commences his musical journey all over again with a fresh music album and new films.

“I know it’s too late to begin, but as I always intended to start with some really good music so it took me so long. I am sure my voice will be well received by the audience,” he shares.

As of now, Harish is working on his forthcoming spiritual album ‘Aasra’ for which he has also penned a few lyrical lines. Alongside, he is also singing for a Punjabi film in Babu Maan’s composition. “I have just finished the recording of a Punjabi song for a film. I cannot divulge much about it, as I am not allowed to speak,” he reluctantly imparts.

Famous Gujarati singer, Jaydeep Swadia is soon to release a Hindi album. The album is themed to be devotional and is thus named Prayers.

“The specialty of my album prayer is that, even though it is an ode to God but there is no mention of a single deity. I have addressed the almighty with generic terms like Bhagwaan or Khuda, but there is no particular name,” he briefs about the album.

The singer is as of now looking for producers to launch his album in the market. Dejected by the poor response to his Prayers he expresses his disappointment, “Almost a decade back I sang for leading music companies, but as I am no Anup Jalota it is mighty tough for me to get a company to buy my music.”

Why was Kareena Kapoor not part of the music video that was shot by Rensil D'Silva on Tuesday although she is very much part of Kurbaan and when she was in fact shooting for another film by the same producers (Dharma Productions)?

Kareena says she wasn't needed. But Saif and Rensil, after shooting with the actor alone decided she was needed after all. Images of Kareena were finally included in Saif's music video.

Saif Ali Khan shot a music video for Kurbaan, a seductive tag-on for the film which takes its director Rensil D'Silva back to his roots. Laughed Rensil, "Yeah, I used to shoot music videos ten years ago. I feel I've gone back in time. We decided to do a music video for Kurbaan. But not the usual shor-sharaaba flashy promotional video."

The unusual music video shot at Mukesh Mills in Mumbai was conceptualized by Rensil and choreographed by Bosco. It featured Saif and the chorus dancers in spiritual postures.

Says Rensil, "Unlike the usual music videos this was more spirit than body. There is a lot of visual imagery in the song that we haven't captured before in any music video. Though there are chorus dancers accompanying Saif, you won't see them or Saif doing the usual gyrations."

Rensil was very clear about the music video defining the film's theme. He was also quite sure it would feature only Saif.

But then Kareena's presence was sorely missed. Apparently, Saif suggested that she be present in the music video at least in spirit.

"How could we not have Kareena in the video? I mean she's the music in the film," reasons Rensil.

The director chose what he thought to be her finest dramatic shots from the film and placed them in the music video as images passing by while Saif performs the song in the foreground.

"The impact is potent," says Rensil. "Kareena's the soul of the film. Though we shot the song 'Kurbaan Hua' without her participation, we had to finally acknowledge the fact that she lends a lyricism to our film."

Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja is preparing for a concert in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai along with the Hungary Symphony Orchestra. His Mumbai concert will be on January 26th. At present he is recording for Pankaj Kapur’s Mausam in Budapest along with producer Sheetal Talwar and his wife, Bhavna Talwar.

The three concerts have been planned by the filmmaking couple. He will play Tiruvacakam, the ancient sacred hymns at he concerts where he will be accompanied by Hungary Symphony Orchestra and its conductor Laszlo Kovacs.

Ilaiyaraaja confirmed the news about the concerts. He admits that he finds it easy to work in collaboration with symphonies but it just requires a little extra preparation as the music has to be written down in detail. He also feels that concerts are not a burden. To him, composing music anywhere– whether for a film or playing at a live concert is the same.

He also states he is not a great person but his music is great. He doesn’t compose the music; it flows out of him.

Her voice is husky and sensual, very different from that of the singing legend Lata Mangeshkar, but playback singer Rekha Bharadwaj still considers the nightingale of India her idol and describes Lata as Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning.

"Lataji is my Saraswati. I am very fortunate that I got a chance to see Lataji's recordings and the way she prepares for a song. She is something else. Nobody can be her. We cannot reach that level," Rekha told IANS.

The singer says every song by Lata is a lesson in itself. "Whenever I need to learn something, I listen to her songs and see where she breathes out, where she breathes in, etc," she said.

Rekha feels that such was Lata's talent that she used to lift even mediocre compositions with her voice.

"Even at that time there were some mediocre compositions, but when someone like Lataji used to sing it she used to take it to some other level altogether - such is her talent."

Rekha, who is married to filmmaker-composer Vishal Bharadwaj, has musical roots that lie in Sufi, folk and classical genres. She released her first album "Ishqa Ishqa" in 2004 to critical acclaim. However, it was her song "Namak ishq ak" in her husband's directorial venture "Omkara" that really won her accolades.

The singer has carved a niche for herself and is known for hits like "Genda phool" from "Delhi-6" and "Pehle baar mohabbat ki hai" from "Kaminey".

When asked what took her so long to showcase her talent to the world, Rekha said that she was waiting for the right songs.

"I am very glad I started getting songs that I like and fit my style and understanding. I waited and it paid off," she said.

"Today there are no limits or confines for a singer. Any singer can sing any song. So even though I have a different voice, I can sing a romantic number or may be something else, provided I like it," she added.

Rekha, who is planning to launch her second album next year, was in the capital to attend the 11th Osian's Cinefan film festival and to give a surprise performance of selected Gulzar songs at the inaugural ceremony in honour of the lyricist.

"I am attending this festival for the first time. Gulzar saab got the lifetime achievement award here. It's an honour to be able to do something for Gulzar saab. My performance was a surprise and we managed to keep it a surprise till last moment - that was a great thing," Rekha said.

The singer will be next heard in films like "Radio", "Ishqiya" and "Raavan".