Chembaka Malare by Abid Kannur

Some songs are made for a single moment. Chembaka Malare is made for all of them. The arrangement here is the work of Nizar Vadakara, and it shows genuine craft in how it builds and releases.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Chembaka Malare, Abid Kannur clearly belongs in the second group. For fans of a talented ensemble cast, Chembaka Malare is one of those songs that immediately conjures specific scenes and emotions.

2020 marked the release of Chembaka Malare, and Chembaka Malare was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. The mood of the track shifts subtly as it progresses, giving even a single listen a sense of journey.

The concision of Chembaka Malare — just 4:25 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. This is music that holds up — not because it is perfect, but because it is honest, and honesty in a song is irreplaceable.