“Maya” in Hinduism stands for the supernatural power wielded by gods and demons.

Now I don’t know what kind of sorcery this is, but the fact that I can pretty much sing along to these beautiful eight tracks without knowing a single word of Nepali, speaks volume of the wizardry of Darjeeling’s very own, Bipul Chettri.

The stage has been set with his debut album “Sketches Of Darjeeling” and an enchantingly melodic show has been arranged just for you. The follow up, “Maya”, is going to make you beam with joy, retrospect lost love, sway to its grooves and overall make you believe in magic.

It leaves me absolutely speechless how it manages to do all of this to a guy who can’t comprehend the words being said. But I think there is something magically tangible to this album which goes way beyond the lingual barriers.

Bipul, with his craftwork comprising of catchy guitar riffs and enticing vocal hooks, is pulling giant trucks out of his hat with songs like “Syndicate” which has garnered a whopping three million views in less than a year.

This album is filled with gems like the jazzy “Kahiley Kahi” and tribalesque “Mann” showcasing that the artist at work is true to his roots and influences. The soft track “Junkeri” has a backdrop of crickets and immerses you into leisurely thoughts of hopes and dreams. My personal favorite “Siriri” (below) demands multiple listens with its story-like song structure comprising of a beginning, middle and climactic end.

As a Muggle (yet), while I’m waiting for my Hogwarts letter, I shall be keeping an eye out for Bipul’s future tricks, for I’m sure he has many up his sleeves. I wanted to end this article with the Nepali word for love. It moves me to say the Nepali word for unconditional love is, wait for it, “Maya”. The album says it all I guess. The only kind of real magic is, in fact, love.

You can find “Maya” LP on iTunes.

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