Let’s state the obvious; 2020 was a horrible year. I could go on and on about all the negatives, but it’s done and dusted at this point. We’re in a new year, and while the signs that better times are on the horizon are far from obvious, perhaps a little bit of hope is all we need. To Mumbai based soul singer Rohanmaz, optimism is a necessary precursor to 2021.
Although in name seemingly grim, Rohan’s solo debut ‘I See Fire’ is an emphatically hopeful cry for hope. Grandiose and gospel, the track is one of the few of its kind in India’s independent scene. “How sh*t 2020 was, it’s given you the skillset to deal with 2021. I’m anti-pessimism as a movement. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.“, says the former vocalist for Mumbai based rock act The Colour Compound.
The song builds gradually, beginning with a thunderous gong-like drum Rohan sings ‘I see fire burn it down/Ashes all around town’. Slowly, a gospel choir starts to…