SAKKARAKATI- ARR SPECIAL

SAKKARAKATTI REVIEW

This is the most expected album of this year…..Rahman has given mind blowing music for this album. The album is already a hit with songs topping the charts.

1) Taxi Taxi-Benny Dayal, Blaaze, Viviane, Javed Ali
The album kick starts to fifth gear in the first song itself. This song starts with a funny cute humming by Viviane and then followed by powerful bass lines and thumping beats. Guitars and Mediterranean strings by John Themis deserve a special mention here. The lyrics are powerful and its already a hit all over the city. Rahman has given hip-hop in bhangra style. Benny Dayal is a great find. His singing is very stylish and mature. Some of the bass (particularly from the 3.10 minute) used in this song brings back the vintage old Rahman of Kadhalan days. Good news-he is back with a bang. The French lyrics by Viviane is innovative. Blaaze does his usual rap. Luckily he is an asset to this song. The interludes are interesting. A perfect friendship song.
Rating: 10/10

2) Marudhaani-Madushree, A.R.Rahman and Henry
The song starts with a bang with the melodious Madushree humming her way through. Her voice resonates amidst the beats. This song is the pick of the album. It is lot better than Munbe Vaa and will the former a run for its money. Such is the impact that the song gets better and better after repeated listening. Very effective ambient pad usage in this song. There are oodles of chord progressions in this song. The piano interludes along with flute and chimes are stunning and Rahman still has not started his magic. Wow what a humming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very catchy bass guitar usage and harmony section weaves magic in the song. Lyrics are good-could have been better.
He spells magic on the listeners. The humming alone is enough to give the other songs a run for its money. Absolute magic. Going to rule the charts for times to come.
Rating: 10/10

3) I Miss you da-Chinmayee, Indai Haza
Very unconventional song structure-it belongs to Mazza Mazza (remember Sillunu Oru Kadhal) category…. Chinmayee has given her best in this song. The Eminee chants are very addictive. Indai Haza (Chinmayee’s alter ego) is none other than Chinmayee herself. The husky singing from Chinmayee from 2.10 minute is sheer magic. Ambient pads with flutes and Analagon with the powerful bass guitar/Orchestral hits gives a new dimension to this song. It’s a very catchy song with a futuristic setting. Song structure and sound design ahead of times.
Rating: 9.5/10

4) Chinamma-Benny Dayal and Chinmayee
This song is a remake version of Rahman’s hit number by the same name from the controversial magnum opus-Meenakshi-Tale of Three Cities. This song’s prelude starts an old fashioned distortional FM style flute followed with the crashing Bass guitar. What follows is Rahman’s techno version of Andhra folk. Percussion is the strong point of this song ably complemented by saw lead and electric synth bass. Benny Dayal is an apt choice for Sukwinder Singh. While the hindi version was a solo, here the tamil version is a duet. The usage of claps as a layer in the 1.47 minute and the interlude in the 2.20 minute is great. Chinmayee sounds very different. The well panned rolling beats reminds of Sivamani’s work in Konjum Mainaakale….. The singers have to be complemented for their good work and Rahman retains the final humming of Sukwinder. Really nostalgic. This song is already a hit.
Rating: 9.5/10

5)Elay- Krish, Naresh Iyer
Krish makes his debut under Rahman. Its really surprising as how Rahman has managed to give so many hit numbers in the same album. This is the best song the Mozart of Asia has composed in Country/Soul Genre. Its lot better and refreshing than Roobarooo. Excellent guitar strumming and excellent violins throughout the song. Rahman has tried his hand in fusing Irish folk and the output is unbelievable music.
Excellent usage of chimes and Bondoneon/Harmonica throughout the song.Lyrics are excellent and mundane at some places. Excellent chords elevates this song to new highs and ambient pad in 3.15 minute is trade mark Rahman music. Great fun number.
Rating: 9.5/10

6) Naan Epodhu-Reena Bharadwaj
This is another remake-Yeh Rishta from the movie Meenakshi-Tale of Three Cities. This is a beautiful semi classical Hindustani melody with dholaks and guitars ruling the song. Absolute melody. Excellent bass guitar and piano and the bass guitar played on the keyboard takes us back to the Rahman of early 90’s Hear the bass from 2.10 to 2.14 just before the synth effects come into picture. The water flowing sound with veenas and guitars and pianos adds beauty to the already beautiful song. Rendition of the song is good but the female singer had to work on her pronunciation. Lyrics could have been a lot better.
Rating: 10/10

VERDICT:
An absolute classic album. Don’t miss it. A sure buy for any music fan. Highly addictive.

Jingles of A.R.Rahman

A.R.RAHMAN'S FIRST EXPERIMENTATION-JINGLES

Here is a collection of Rahman's jingles......Dunno how far it is authentic. A friend of mine had collected from some website.....Thanks for that author.....

Rahman's biography all over the internet says he has composed more than 300 jingles.....So this is just a small list.....People may add to the list:

1. Asian Paints directed by rajeev menon

2. Boost featuring Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev

3. Cinthol featuring Arvind Swami dircted by rajeev menon

4. Parry's Kasthuri Tea

5. Tilda Basmati

6. Jeenic Choclates

7. Murugan textiles

8. Leo Coffee featuring Arvind swami

9. Springz Mineral Water

10. Titan watch directed by Rajive Menon

11. Remanika Sarees -thrissur,kerala

12. Premier Pressure Cooker sung by sujata

13. MRF Tyres Directed by Bharatbala

14. Hero Puch

15. The Hindu Young World

16. Allwyn's new Trendy range of watches

17. Nestle Sunrise Cofee directed byRajeev Menon

18. butterfly home appliances

19. Bru cofee

20. Shriram chit funds

21. leo sprinz

22. Tata chola tea directed by Bharatbala

23. MGM Dizee world

24. John's umbrellas

25. Garden vareli sarees

26. BSA Cycles

27. Bavens Studio in Kerala

28.AIRTEL

29.World Space

MY FAVORITES: PUDHU VELLAI MAZHAI

ROJA-PUDHU VELLAI MAZHAI




Song: Pudhu Vellai Mazhai
Movie: Roja (1993)
Singers: Unni Menon, Sujatha
Music: A.R.Rahman

This is the first song that made me to sit and observe its sound design in minute detail. So I thought of writing about this song, which made to sit up and listen with sheer curiosity. I could very well remember the day when the audio was released and I was doing my 5th standard to be precise.

Those days we had a small Panasonic Hi-Fi System. We used to listen to the songs everyday. That was when this happened. I was returning from the school when I heard a completely new sound. I went to my home and heard the song. I asked my father about the song and my father replied it was someone called Rahman who has struck tamil music like a storm. That was the day when I became a hardcore fan of Rahman. Now Rahman is an internationally acclaimed musician and is truly Chennai’s pride.

“Pudhu Vellai Mazhai” starts with an amazing prelude of bass guitar well coerced with cute piano rolls and some synthesized glass-breaking sounds. The song had everything new written about it. The sound, the song structure and more over the choice of singers were all innovative. The interludes with female chorus accompanied by electronic piano and bass guitar is truly amazing. For the Indian audience the sound was entirely new and the beats added energy to the song.

Unni Menon made a re entry into Tamil film music( Earlier he sang “Pon Maane” from “Oru Kaidhiyin Diary” in the name of Vijay) and so did Sujatha. “Pudhu Vellai Mazhai” is a semi classical song and has strains of the 22nd Melakarta raga Kanada.

Rahman is known for blending classical and western music thereby creating his unique sound. Just close your eyes and listen to this song switching off the lights. The sounds resonate throughout the room and it clearly depicts some cool hilly regions. The sounds also suit to the ever-beautiful hilly Kashmir region with voices reverberating throughout the valley.

Rahman has brilliantly used his synthesizer and brought together effects of jazz guitar, cello, mandolin and flutes. Wow.. What an amazing mix. Interestingly this song has a Yanni connection. People who had listened to Yanni-Quiet Man will understand what I meant to say. Thaiyanban who composed for the tele serial “En Iniya Iyandra”( Serial that was telecasted in DD in 1994-but he actually used the haunting BGM from the movie "THE BOUNTY-Vangelis" is another story) came close to Rahman’s track. That was another haunting score.

Yanni and Rahman have mutual admiration for each other that Rahman used Yanni’s orchestra in one of his live shows. To sum it up this is one such amazing song that was in the Yanni-Petshop Boys mould. ARR is an amazing composer and he set a new trend in tamil film music.
Even today if I get a chance to meet Rahman I would request him to dust up his old synthesizer and roll his fingers over it. Such is the magic these songs have spun over us for the past 15 years. Simple music yet more melodious and it has that cute little surprise element in it.

LYRICS
pudhu vellai mazhai ingu pozhiginradhuindhak kollai nilaa udal nanaiginradhuingu sollaadha idam koodak kulirginradhumanam soodaana idham thaedi alaiginradhu
nadhiyae neeyaanaal kadal naanaesiru paravai neeyaanaal un vaanam naanae
(pudhu vellai...)
nee annaikkinra vaelaiyil uyirp poo vedukkenru malarumnee parugaadha poadhilae uyirp poo sarugaaga ularumun pudavai mundhaanai saaindhadhil indha bhoomi pooppooththadhuidhu kamban paadaadha sindhanai un kaadhoadu yaar sonnadhu
(pudhu vellai...)
pen illaadha oorilae adi aan pookaetpadhillaipen illaadha oorilae kodidhaan pooppooppadhillaiiru kaigal theendaadha penmaiyai un kangal pandhaadudhoamalar manjam kaanaadha pennilaa en maarboadu vandhaadudhoa
(pudhu vellai...)

MY FAVORITES: KODIYILE MALLIGA POO

KODIYILE MALLIGA POO

Having written two songs from Rahman, I would like to review a song from India’s greatest ever composer “The Maestro Isaigyani Illayaraja”. Raja is one of the versatile composers that India has ever produced. He can compose anything from folk to classical and then jazz and then shift gears to composing a Symphony (it’s really a puzzle why his Symphony was never released) and it’s a consolation that at least his Oratorio got released. But he continues to mesmerize us by giving memorable numbers and he is the best for re recording in the industry. M.S.V, Illayaraja and A.R.Rahman are the trendsetters as far as the Tamil Film Music is considered (at least for the last 50 years).

It’s a great pleasure and privilege to write about a Maestro’s song. Here I have selected the mellifluous evergreen ‘Kodiyile Malligapoo” from Bharathi Raja’s “Kadalora Kavithaigal”.

First of all, I would like to tell my views about Jayachandran. Kodiyile Malligapoo is one of the excellent songs from the evergreen hit “Kadalora Kavithaigal”. Wow…Wat a song!!!!!! Sung admirably by Jayachandran and Janaki. Jayachandran is one of the most gifted singers in South India but sadly he didn’t get the recognition he deserved. He sang along with the two greats S.P.B and K.J.Yesudoss. Even amidst the two greats, he tried to maintain his identity and has given us some great memorable hits.

Jayachandran is a milder version to K.J.Yesudoss, a perfect mix of the legendary P.B.Srinivas (at higher octaves) and K.J.Yesudoss.. Most of his hit songs were great melodies. Like Yesudoss, he too sang philosophical, soft romantic and pathos songs. Be it a Raja’s “ Kodiyile Malligapoo” or Rahman’s “Yen Mel Vizhundha”, he has shown great adaptability and has rendered both the songs with great panache and flair. Even his latest song “Kanavellam” from Kireedom is all class…Moreover he is a trained mridangam player, a multifaceted personality- a good actor, singer and instrumentalist. Who can forget his yesteryear classic “Thaalaatuthe Vaanam” or the short sweet “Kollaiyile thennai” and “Oru Theivam Thantha Poove “…He is every composer’s dream.

“Kodiyile” starts with the beautiful bass guitar and HiHat kind of rhythm complementing both the singers…The first interlude is glorious with bass played along with string section and keyboards and with the trademark tabla adding beauty. The Maestro’s inclination towards Baroque music not withstanding, the second interlude is even glorious with violins, violas, and cellos and with an aggrandized string section; Raja spells magic in our ears. The “instrumental counterpoints” he manages out of bass, flute, violas and keyboards is just amazing. Vairamuthu’s lyrics are an asset to the song and it clearly depicts the song situation. Hats off to him…

And again in the last part, HiHat rhythm (people correct me here) and bass guitar join together to finish the song with such grandeur that only the Maestro can do…where are you sir??? We want back the glorious Raja of 80’s who gave us such memorable classics.



LYRICS

Movie: Kadalora Kavithaigal
Song: Kodiyile Malligapoo
Singers: Jayachandran and S.Janaki
Music: Illayaraja
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

Kodiyilae malligappoo manakkudhae maanae
edukkavaa thodukkavaa thudikiren naanae
parikkach chollith thoondudhae pavazhamallith thoattam
nerunga vidavillaiyae nenjulkullak koochcham

kodiyilae malligappoo manakkudhae maanae
kodukkavaa thadukkavaa thavikiren naanae

manasu thadumaarum adhu nenachchaa niram maarum
mayakkam irundhaalum oru thayakkam thadai poadum
niththam niththam un nenappu nenjukkuzhi kaayum
maadu rendu paadhai rendu vandi engae saerum
poththi vechchaa anbu illae sollipputtaa vambu illae
sollaththaanae thembu illae inba thunbam yaaraal

parakkum dhisaiyaedhu indhap parava ariyaadhu
uravum theriyaadhu ulagam puriyaadhu
paaraiyilae poovalarndhu paarthavanga yaaru
anbu konda nenjaththukku aayisu nooru
kaalam varum vaelaiyilae kaaththiruppaen ponmayilae
thaedhi varum unmaiyilae saedhi solvaen kannaa

(kodiyilae)

MY FAVORITES: MALARGALE MALARGALE

MALARGALE MALARGALE- LOVE BIRDS

This is also one of my favorite semi classical number….Hope many will like it..
The song is “Malargale Malargae” from the movie Love Birds directed by P. Vasu and produced by Pyramid Natarajan and the stars were Prabhu Deva and Nagma. The movie was well appreciated in terms of musical output but was a complete washout in the Box Office. I can very well remember that this movie just ran for 10 days in our neighboring theatre. Rahman-Prabhu Deva combination meant business. Their combination was focused more on rhythm based numbers and an occasional melody in each and every movie. This movie was heavily promoted using Rahman and Prabhu Deva in the lead but the movie was so bad that even Rahman was not able to lift the movie.

Coming to the song “Malargale Malargale”, it was sung by one of my favorite singers Hariharan and Chitra. This combination under the Mozart of Asia (that’s how the Times hail RahmanJ) consistently delivered goods and this number is no exception.
“Malargale Malargale” is a semi classical song and the choice of ragas for this song is also innovative. It is based on the ragas “Saraswati” and “Hamir Kalyani/”….It has shades of both these ragas. Hamvir (Hamir Kalyani in Carnatic music) traces back to Mughal era when it was sung for evening riyaaz.

Rahman himself explains his choice,
“For film music, a tune should be fresh and almost all the simple ragas have been exploited by my predecessors. So, as far as I'm concerned, I treat a raga like a note in western music. So Sawaraswati and Hami Kalyani are much related and they provide a nice change from the traditional tunes you have heard before”.

Avare sollitaaru….Naan enna solla………..This song like other Rahman’s classical songs starts off with a brilliant prelude with synth effects followed by shrill steel flute along with the bass, electronic piano and violin playing the prelude with some splendid singing by Chitra accompanied only by a few instruments-the violins and DNC Hat sample in the backdrop.

The Ist interlude is all grandeur with exquisite pulsating beats, violins and upright/slap bass complementing each other.
The beats are ripped off from Paul Young's 'Love of common people', from the album 'No Parlez', released in 1983. But these are commercial loops which anyone can use. Rahman used the same beats in “Akkadanga Naanga” from the movie Indian.

Hariharan starts only after the Ist prelude but adds more beauty to the song by his Hindustani classical laced singing switching frequently from bass notes to higher crescendos. One of the highlights of this song is the classical guitar work by “Guitar Prasanna” and bass guitar by Keith Peters. The second interlude is a perfect mix of both western and Indian classical with seamless flow of violins, bass guitar and mandolins. Really breathtaking composition.

The lyrics are as follows:

LYRICS

Movie: Love Birds (1996)
Singer: Chitra K S, Hariharan
Music: A.R.Rahman
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

Chitra: malargalae malargalae idhu enne kanava
malaigalae malaigale idhu enne ninaivaa
urugiyadhae enadhullam
perugiyadhae vizhivellam
vinnodu nee dhan
mannodhu nee dhan
kannodu nee dhan
vaa..aaa..aaa
malargalae
C: megam thirandhu vandu
mannil irangi vandhu
marbil olindhu kolla vaa vaa
H: mArbil olindhu kondaal
maaran ambu varum
koondhalil olindhu kolla varavaaa
C: en koondhal devan thoongum palli araiya araiya?
malar soodum vayadhil ennai marandhu povadhu dhan muraiya??
H: ninaikkadha neramillai kaadhal radhiye radhiye
un peyarai sonnaal podhu nindru vazhi vidum kaadhal nadhiye
C: en swaasam un moochil
un varthai en pechil
H: aindhaaru nootrandu vazhvom en vazhve vaa
malargalae malargalae
H : poovil naavirindhaal
kaatrum vai thirandhaal
kaadhal kaadhal endru pesum
C: nila thamizh arindhaal
alai mozhi therindhaal
nam mel kavi ezhudhi veesum
H: vazhve or vazharpirai dhanae vanne nilavae nilavae
vaanodu neelam pole uraindhu ponadhu dhan uravae
C: urangaadha neram kooda kannil undhan kanavae
udalodu uyirai pole uraindhu ponadhu dhaan uravae
H: marakkadhu un raagam
marikkadhu en dhaagam
C: unakkaga uyir vazhven
vaa en vazhve vaa
Malargalae....

MY FAVORITE-MARGAZHI POOVE

MARGHAZHI POOVE- MAY MADHAM

The song I am going to describe now is my all time favorite song.

This is one song that is very close to my heart. Initially I decided to review another popular A.R.Rahman number but finally settled to what my heart said. Yes…. People may wonder about the speciality of this song. Yes this song was more popular in 1994 when it topped the charts. But still May Madham had more beautiful numbers like En Mael Vizhundha and Minnale…Those were great numbers but it was Marghazhi Poove which stole my heart and still stays fresh whenever I hear it.

The movie came out in the year 1994 and was directed by Mani Ratnam’s assistant Venus Balu. As usual, expectations were sky high as Rahman churned out hit after hit. Hits became a formality, as most of Rahman’s movies were chartbusters. Only a few failed to fare well in the Box Office. I started to pester my father to buy me a May Madham cassette. But he never bought the cassette and I had to resort to my old radio.

Coming to the song it has a brilliant prelude to start with a tweeting sound of a bird followed by beautiful beats set in a loop and then followed by flute playing the basic tune with a PAD music kind of setting in the background.. Rahman shows his brilliance here by mixing the right sounds-a right mix of synthesized bells, jazz guitar and even a santoor kind of sound in the back ground. Shoba Shankar very well rendered the song and she being classically trained helped her cause. This song made me mad about keyboards and I even went to few of my friends searching for that “tweeting chirping” sound. Incidentally I found that green little bird in my garden…Hmmm...Now sparrows are no where. :( She sang few songs after that but couldn’t match her debut song.

Marghazhi Poove is based on raga Hindholam and the interludes in this song are brilliant. Rahman has this peculiar habit of handling things differently. He broke the traditional song structure and devised his own. For classical raga based songs he used mridangam/tavil( Rahman’s favorite) extensively (whereas the maestro used tabla to great extent) and in the interludes one can find the synthesized tabla/jalandharangam sounds accompanying the beats. Incidentally Rahman uses dholaks for Hindustani based songs.

Again this song has an Enigma connection- may be Rahman would have been inspired by the “enigmatic sounds” in “The Child in Us” from the album Enigma 3: Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!... Rahman has taken a cue from Enigma’s prelude and had extended his imagination to weave an effective one in his own inimitable style.

Moreover the song is heavily inspired from our own Suprapadham and lyrics deserve a special mention here. It describes a rich girl’s desire to break her shackles and be free in this world enjoying every moment in her life. She wants to lead a simple life and enjoy the happiness that each and every simple girl enjoys. This is not an extraordinary song but for reasons unknown this has a soothing effect in my heart and I hear whenever I feel low. Beautiful lyrics, mundane in a few places but still catchy…The postlude also deserves a special praise when the scales changes.
May Madham is inspired from the Oscar winning classic Roman Holiday (starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepbum), which I would recommend you all to see.
The lyrics are as follows:

Song: Marghazhi Poove
Movie: May Madham(1994)
Singer: Shoba Shankar
Music: A.R.Rahman

LYRICS

maargazhip poovae maargazhip poovae unmadi maelae oaridam vaendum meththai mael kangal moodavum illaiun madi saernthaal kanavugal kollai(maargazhi)pookkalaip piriththu puththagam padippaenpulveli kandaal muyal poal kuthippaennaan mattum iravil thanimaiyil nadappaennadaipaadhaik kadayil thaeneer kudippaenvaazhkaiyin oru paadhi naan engu rasiththaenvaazhkaiyin maru paadhi naan enrum rasippaenkaatril varum maegam poalae naan engum midhappaen(maargazhi)(venbaa paadi varum vandukkusendhaen thandhuvidum sirupookkalkonjam paada varum pennukkusandham thandhu vidum mainaakkal) (2)kaavaerik karaiyil nadandhathumillaikadarkarai manalil kaal vaiththadhillaisudhandhira vaanil parandhadhumillaichudach chuda mazhayil nanaindhathum illaisaalaiyil naanaagap poanadhumillaisamayaththil naanaaga aanadhumillaiaezhai manam kaanum inbam naan kaanavillai(maargazhi)(venbaa)


Comments and suggestions welcome. Have a great day…

Maestro Andrum Indrum

Maestro Andrum Indrum


Illayaraja- The legend strikes rich
Hi friends,
Hope all are fine... I am writing after a long time. I thought of refraining myself from writing because of less available time. This is just the flashback of Maestro’s Andrum Indrum Endrum telecasted on Jaya TV. This was some 4 or 5 months back.

At last they telecasted the program “Maestro Andrum Indrum Endrum”.. The Maestro for the first time in 30 years appeared live before the audience.

It was a grandioso performance that I can remember even today. Raja as the name stands is the solfege of Indian Film music. Though this program consisted of a mix of new and old songs, it was his lilting old numbers that stood out with new numbers striking a discordant note.

Raja Sir is an exponent of blending Keeravani and Kalyani ragas...

The opening number “Mandram Vandha” a beautiful Keeravani raag based song brought back nostalgia in the viewers’ minds. Though I am an ardent Rahman fan there are some songs that really make you emotionally choked and your eyes wet. It looked as if all my favorite songs of the golden 80’s stood before me.

“Kaatril Endhan Geetham” again a Keeravani based song that ruled the charts for a long time was played by the orchestra.

“Yedhedho” that Punnagai Mannan number also ruled the show as it brought back memories of Illayaraja bringing in computerized music for the first time with the then musical wiz kid A.S.Dileep Kumar (now A.R.Rahman). Rahman provided the additional programming for that movie’s titles.

“Naan Thedum Sevanthi Poo” a beautiful semi classical number with a beautiful alaap .This is my favorite number after “ Margazhi Poove” from May Madham. The former is one of those songs, which made me look back at the early 80’s golden hits. True the song deserved more once more’s with grand violins, rhythms, flutes and tablas. And more over the maestro himself singing with that rich flourish- truly mesmerizing.

“Pothi Vatcha” again a beautiful semi classical number and Raja’s inclination towards Baroque music not with standing - violinist may relate better as this song with aggrandized string section with Purushotam and Siva Mani at percussion section made this song a grand number. It was one of those golden numbers.

Other songs like “Adi Athadi, Shenbagame and Ye Padal Ondru” deserve a special mention but I think I am stretching a bit too far and had gone over board and its funny why I write all this kind of things. I don’t know anything about music and still some thing drives me.. Friends please bear with me.

ANBE AARUYIRE

AH AAH – MUSIC REVIEW

1) Anbe…..Aaruyire…. by A.R.Rahman
A.R.Rahman starts with a bang with his impressive vocals and loud electrifying beats. This song seems to be the intro song for the hero. One of the best intro songs in recent times. This song proves that he still has the grip over Tamil film music because a year had passed since NEW released and Rahman had not disappointed. A sure chartbuster with brilliant interludes and very nice sound design that proves why A.R.Rahman is way ahead of others in the industry. This song is heavy in synth and look for the “ bubble effect “ at the closing stages of the song its really mind blowing. Given S.J.Surya’s penchant for MSV’s music, this song too slightly touches the 70’s style in pronunciation (I am sure S.J.S is going to imitate MGR in the dance sequences).

2) Mayilirage… by Madushri , Naresh Iyer
This song is an absolute beauty a typical melody from the Mozart of Asia. This song starts with Rahman’s favorite Thavil ( by Purushotmam) and an amazing bass guitar in the intro section itself makes this song an interesting number. The song as the lyrics suggest is like a beautiful peacock flower and sure to be loved by classical lovers. The new find Naresh is more of Haricharan of “Kadhal” fame, but he emotes well and a star find and in the other end Madhushri irritates with her pronounciation .Though her voice is refreshing , Shreya Ghosal would have been a better bet. This song after the Thavil / Nadhaswaram intro slightly slips to low with tabla completing the song and again the beautiful Thavil takes over in the end to make it a colossal beauty.

3) Varugiraai…. By Hariharan, Chitra
When I was basking in the beauty of the first two songs this song came as a stunner as the composer had given a new dimension to a pathos song. Remember the stunning “Hamsadvani” raag based “Vennilave”( Minsara Kanavu) and “Kaapi” based “En Mael Vizhundha Mazhai Thuliye ( May Madham) if u are expecting in any of these lines you will be disappointed. Here this song starts with impressive vocals by Hariharan and Chitra. This song is a highly complicated melody reaching high crescendos ( the string section by Chennai Strings Orchestra).None would have done justice to this song as only Rahman’s orchestration and Hari’s vocals carries the song forward. This song is heavy on beats and after some time you will be irritated by the monotonous percussion sounds which doesn’t sound Rahmanish and it sounds like Sirpi had composed the beat section. Drummer Sivamani’s absence surely felt in this song. Inspite of all this song is receiving rave reviews.

4) Thigu…Thigu… by Sadhana Sargam
Though this song is not my cup of tea I will give my thoughts on this song. This song totally embraces the 80’s Illayaraja’s style of seductive numbers .One cant find many of this songs in Rahman’s repertoire .A bad approach as the lyrics are also crude ( by Vaali) .But this song has beautiful interludes and a stunning percussion with tablas ruling the song . This song slightly touches upon the Middle East rhythms and goes upon smoothly. Not a song to be heard aloud.

5) Thazhuvudhu… by SPB, Shreya Ghosal
This song also belongs to the same category as the previous song but here the song is youthful with the evergreen SPB sounding a lot younger and Shreya Ghosal a lot sweeter. This song also has nice bass guitar notes all over and I am puzzled why ARR tried to bring back the classic SPB / Janaki type of “item numbers”. This song starts with a strange “Jungle rhythm” and immerses into nice bass loops. Rahman’s unique orchestration and lively rendition by the singers carry the song forward.

6) Marangothiyee… by Blazee, Shankar Mahadevan, Vasundhra Dass and Pop Shalini
Rahman takes a break in this song. This is a heavy trance number aimed for the dance floors and is also a remix of the second song but with different lyrics. Probably they wanted to create another hit song like “Thottal Poo Malarum”( from NEW) .The composer had made up his mind that the lyrics should not be audible as voice morphing of Shanker Mahadevan takes place at a number of places. The rap part of Blazee only makes matter worse. No doubt this song is energetic and is aimed for the dance buffs.

Overall comments:
First of all I am just a lay man trying to pour my thoughts on this album. On the whole this album contains 3 excellent numbers,2 average songs and a bad song. Listening to this album after the maestro’s “Thiruvasagam” and our ARR’s “The Bose” and “The Rising” this album pales in comparison on melodies. Probably Rahman should give at least two melodies in the same movie like he had given in his earlier movies( Hindolam based “Margazhi Poove” and Kaapi based “En Mael” from May Madham).
And go back to old hands like Ranjith Barot in sound programming .
Had to wait for God Father to hear what “Ah AAh” failed to do.

GOD FATHER- MUSIC REVIEW

1)Ilamai: Aslam, Shalini, Thanvi
A brilliant introduction song. It starts with a beautiful bass guitar loop followed by a strange human voice/SFX generated effect. Rahman this time around takes a cue from the Punjabi folk and executes it to perfection. Beautiful catchy tune, funky rhythms, forms the core of this song. I think this might be the introduction song for Ajith. Some where in the middle, it gives a feeling of “heard before”. Otherwise a brilliant number which contains both the mass and the class. It’s catchy especially when the singer renders a few female names and when he croons “Oh Ooh Ilamai”. -Dangerously addictive.

2) Ilamai ( Remix): Blazee, Suresh Peters
It’s the same song but aimed for dance buffs. As I said in my “Ah Aah review” it’s high time Rahman go back to his old friends. Rightly he goes to his old time buddy Suresh Peters and he does his role with panache. This song with the typical dance floor beat and beautiful voice morphing fits the bill and another song added to the hit list. It’s slightly better than the original song.

3) Innisai : Mahathi, Naresh
4) Innisai Remix1: Mahathi, Saindhavi

5) Innisai Remix2: Mahathi, Saindhavi
Three different versions of which the latter two are almost the same except the “Kuthu beat”... A breath taking effort from the Mozart of Asia. This song is the pick of the album and my favourite too. This song brought back nostalgic memories of Rahman’s magical 90’s numbers. This is a beautiful semi classical number with Rahman blending his favourite Ghatam and Mridangam and bass guitar. He came close in “Mayilirage”, but this one is a complete song with aggrandized string section, beautiful piano notes and a trade mark bass guitar throughout, which only he can dream of improvising. Generally KSR movies do contain classical numbers like the Chakravagam raag based “Vidukathaiya(Muthu)” and the effervescent “Minsaara Poove(Padayappa)” but this song is totally class. Imagine Ajith dancing bharathanatyam to this number. Simply mesmerizing.. This song is going to be a rage after the movie’s release. Naresh is soothing in his vocals.

6) Kaatril: SPB, Reena Bharadwaj, Sadhana Sargam
This song if I am not wrong was the first one to be picturised for this movie. So I had high hopes for this number. But strangely this song fails to impress. I don’t know why Rahman gets inspired by Middle Eastern rhythms. He did it in Rang De Basanthi ( Khalbali) and here this song doesn’t sound native either. To make matters worse, it has that déjà vu feel to it and reminds of “Engey Enathu Kavithai( KanduKondein KanduKondein)” and many old ARR numbers. Only the female leads, SPB and ARR’s innovative orchestration saves this song. A decent number with tablas, dholaks and wonderful strings section but still lacks the punch. It’s a good melody number and it’s a hit already.

7) Kamma Karaiyil: Naresh, Sowmya
Can Rahman compose dapaanguthu songs? Yes… But he does it in his own style.. Naresh has sung some good numbers in this album. He deserves a lot. Energetic beats with good tune and some splendid rhythms complement this song. One appreciable part is Rahman keeps the melody intact though the song is a mass number. Watch out for the African chants in the middle... Excellent fusion. Good music but very ordinary lyrics.

8)Theeyil Vizhundha: A.R. Rahman
Superb song with excellent percussion and it proves Rahman’s command over his fusion ability fusing Sufism and cine music. The way the song proceeds with Rahman singing in high pitches is simply superb. Simple and effective music fusing bass guitar and Ghadam. Melodic sentimental number. A very good number.

9) Thothapuram: Kalpana, Leon James, Peer Mohamad, Ranjith, Sonnu Kakkar
Rahman doesn’t believe in formula’s. He breaks all conventions in this song. This time he takes a cue from Goanese and Ceylon Baila Music and executes to perfection. Excellent percussions, good interludes, Punjabi singer Sonnu had rendered this song well.

GENERAL COMMENTS:
At last they even made Rahman to compose “Kuthu” songs. Overall a very good album. Though not Rahman’s best but still miles ahead of other albums in tamil film music. Waiting for “Jillunu Oru Kadhal”.

SILLUNU ORU KADHAL

SILLUNU ORU KADHAL

1) Kummi Adi: Dr. Siva Chidambaram , Swarnalatha, Naresh Iyer, Theni Kunjarammal, Vignesh

This is the first song in the album. A very energetic number, Rahman starts with his favorite Thavil/nadhaswaram and rustic folkish beats. It’s very clear that this song is aimed at the front benchers. It has that usual Rahmanish touch to it. Melody is interwoven throughout the song. Nice rendition by the younger folks and Dr. Siva Chidambaram and Swarnalatha add beauty to this folk number. A superb number in Rahman’s unique inimitable style. Lyrics are very interesting and add strength to the song.
Rating: 8/10


2) Munbe Vaa: Shreya Ghoshal, Naresh Iyer

It’s a very beautiful romantic number from the Mozart of Asia. Starts off with a simple santoor like prelude with an effective bass guitar and an electric piano, this song is a typical Rahman number with effective string section and synth section. That Rangoli chorus is used to good effect. But this song definitely slips low in charanams and loses steam. But again the lively rendition of Naresh and Shreya and the orchestration lifts the song to great scales. A beautiful semi classical number… Barring the lows in charanams part, this song is a class of its own. This song is sure to rule the charts.
No surprise Rahman himself said this song is going to be the anthem of youth…
Rating: 10/10


3) Maaza Maaza: SPB. Charan, Shreya Ghoshal

A shocker of sorts from Rahman. No Rahman fan or an average fan would enjoy this kind of number. The worrying factor is they had wasted a beautiful tune for this sensual number. Superb punch beats, mild strings throughout the song accompanied by bass guitar and khatams and beautiful synths throughout the song lend dignity to the song. Is this SPB Saran? He sounds so mature and expressive and sounds like SPB. There is nothing to rave about this number. Rahman should refrain from composing these kinds of songs.
Rating: 6/10


4) Machakari: Shankar Mahadevan, Vasundhra Das

This song starts beautifully but it some how gave a déjà vu feeling after listening to its prelude.
Through out this album, Rahman has experimented to the extent possible but is this necessary? Different interludes with synth bass at higher octaves, this song is very different but could have been better if the percussion in the middle portion of the song were reduced. Shankar Mahadevan had given his best and Vasundra Das sings after a long time for Rahman. This is a good number but could have been better.
Rating: 7/10

5) New York: A.R. Rahman

One word to describe this song- “WOW”.. What a song? No words to describe this song…One of the best songs this year has produced. With Rahman himself rendering the vocals, this song is the pick of the album. Classic humming portions by the wizard himself, this song proves one thing to everyone. The wizard is still in form. In this song he brings Kenny G and the beautiful country/pop style of 70’s to life… Pure experimentation that only people like Rahman dare to attempt… This song if picturised properly will rule the charts for long. Great interludes accompanied with guitar strumming throughout and great beats with the gorgeous saxophone and church bells further add strength to the song… The master of techno melodies is back.
Rating: 10/10

5) Maaricham: Carolisa, Mohamad Aslam, Krishna

This is yet another techno track. Impressive vocals by Carolisa, Mohamad Aslam and Krishna… This song belongs to the Bailamore kind of genre. Carolisa reminds Dominique in several aspects as she shifts to higher octaves with ease. Innovative music and some unconventional interludes rule the song. Synth explosion effects and synth slap guitar loops rule the song. The male singer reminds Unni Menon and he renders this song beautifully. Again a lot of experimentation and this song has every thing in it to become a huge hit. It’s a huge disappointment when some one said that this song is not in the movie. Hope it comes in parts because this is a power packed song and one hope it gets its due.
Rating: 9/10

6) Jillendru Oru Kadhal: Tanvi

This is the second best song in the album. Rahman has experimented with Jazz again after his earlier experimentations in his musical hit “Iruvar”. The song starts off with saxophone/ trumpet and proceeds throughout with slide guitars, double bass and has that every element of Jazz interspersed with pianos and this is a energy packed fun song… But that mellowing of cat sound could have been avoided. A beautiful song in Jazz style and one hopes this song becomes a huge hit. Tanvi had rendered this song superbly. Her flawed pronunciation sometimes adds as an asset to this song. The song starts of well and ends well… Pure Jazz bliss…
Rating: 10/10

Comments:

Though not Rahman’s best, this album is one of the best albums in this year. Experimentation rules the roost and it proves to be the pros and cons of this album. Rahman should never compose songs like Mazza. 4 songs are sure hits and the rest are just above ordinary.

A must buy for any music fan.

GURU- THE MASTER IS BACK

A.R.Rahman…..This name doesn’t need any introduction. Rahman kick started his career with Mani Ratnam’s “ROJA” and the rest is history. Rahman single handedly changed the entire sound design of the then TFM. Brought out breath taking scintillating numbers in that movie and 14 years had rolled by and their combination had spelled success in each and every outing. Now they had come up with “GURU” which I should say has lived up to its expectations. With the legendary Gulzar in their team, there is no drought in the lyrical beauty.

1) Barso Re: Shreya Ghosal and Uday Mazumdar

This song appeals in the first hearing itself. It starts with a mischievous strings and then Shreya starting with “na na re”. This was some thing I was waiting for- that surprise element in a song. Though the initial percussion reminded of “Mazza Mazza” from JOK, I simply loved it. Followed it with strong energetic drums with the beautiful Shreya’s voice, this song is a beauty. This is a folk number, but Rahman always springs up surprises. He has added nice synth effects( particularly the laser kiks) that makes the song more appealing. The folk piece that comes in the 1.58 minute is simply mind blowing. Listen to the kanjira bit there. Another appreciable part is the way strings and flute melts between her voices. This song is already a hit.

2) Tere Bina: A.R.Rahman and Chinmayee / Additional voices: Murtaza Qadir/ Dialect Coach:Raqeeb Alaam

This is the pick of the album. Also Rahman has dedicated this song to the legendary Sufi great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab. So this has to be a special one and it lives to its expectations. I can actually visualize Nusrat Saab singing in Rahman’s orchestration( they had already sung together in Gurus of Peace) such is the striking similarity in the way Rahman renders his vocals. Rahman usually sings the best song in the album. Beautiful tablas interspersed with strings and brilliant guitars throughout- this song sticks to the pattern. Chinmayee proves her mettle and matches the master. Rahman has improved a lot in singing and I hope he gets an award someday for his singing.

3) Ek Lo Ek Muft: Bappi Lahiri and Chitra / Additional Voices: Tanvi, Saloni, Boney, Jaidev

This is a funny song which appealed to me in the first hearing itself. With strange renditions like Joiyeee joiyeee and Yammoo yamooo le, this song is funny to hear. With the trade mark percussion beats ( similar to the one in Lagaan) there is a fun element in this song. Very funny interludes. Another strange thing is the way Chitra sings- a completely different range. This song during its 0.59 minute reminds me of another old beautiful number ( Eeechi Elumichi from Taj mahal). This is a situational number and the composer has done full justice to the song.

4) Mayya Mayya: Maryem Toller, Chinmayee, Keerthi

Rahman has this fascination towards Middle East rhythms right from the start of his career. Whether it is the Mottu Vittatha ( Pavithra), Humma Humma( Bombay), Sandhana Thenralai(KKKK), Moonrezuthu Ketta(Parthale Paravasam), Khalbali(RDB), he has infused Arabic elements in the songs. This song is no exception. This song is picturised on Mallika Sherawat so it’s the most expected item number in this movie. Maryem Toller’s voice aptly fits this song. With Rahman’s old buddy Ranjit Barot in additional arrangements, this song is unconventional and bears the typical Rahman’s style. Strings add strength to this song with great percussion and fusion at its best. There is an unmistaken Broadway influence throughout this song. Will appeal better on the screen.

5) Ay Hairathe: Hariharan and Alka Yagnik

This is another beautiful number from Rahman. Starts the same way “Tere Bina”starts, but soon Hari enters and what we hear for the next six minutes is simply mind blowing. A beautifully rendered ghazal with those pauses and ever appealing tablas, accordions and the effective string section, this song simply captures your heart. This song is characterized by the conventional interludes and with Alka Yagnik in the other end, its melody throughout. Rahman earlier attempted with ghazals in Tehzeeb but found only a lukewarm response. This song is a stunner and hope the masses also appreciate this song.

6) Baazi Laaga: Udit narayanan, Madhushree, Swetha and Bhargawee

This is a situational song and its arrangements are more of a 80’s style song. It sounds un Rahmanish but his influence is throughout. Its rock’n roll this time. With trumpets and pianos to fore, this is a thoroughly enjoyable number. It’s simply strange how Rahman adapts to the environment. Throw him a challenge- it brings the best in him. With Ranjit Barot at helm of affairs, this song also will appeal better on the screen. It’s a totally energetic number sans Southern influence.

7) Jaage Hain: A.R.Rahman, Chitra, Madras Chorale Group

These days Rahman is composing more with live orchestrations- A welcome change not only reflects the wizard’s confidence and comfort level but also his technical expertise required to handle huge orchestras.

In this song, Rahman takes us a journey into the world of operas and symphonies. He is always at home composing such pieces. With Chitra starting this song, the song soon shifts gears and both the strings and percussions reach higher crescendos with ease. With trumpets, violins, slide guitars and French horns and brass section what can one ask for? Rahman starts with a whispering voice( too low a pitch, he struggles), but he is so comfortable at higher octaves. A stunning number which has class written all over.

Overall Comments:

Superb album as every song is unique and it appeals in one or the other aspect. May be this was that elusive album, Rahman fans were waiting so long.
A brilliant attempt that it had raised the expectations manifold for the magnum opus “Shivaji”. Hope Rahman strikes rich.

SHIVAJI THE BOSS- REVIEW

Shivaji- The Boss has finally arrived. Shankar, A.R.Rahman and RajiniKanth have got together for the first time. This was the highly expected album of the year. Thorough professionals they are they know the pulse of the nation. Rahman had given some evergreen hits and musical gems for Shankar and Rajini Kanth before. But this time around they all come together under the AVM banner and the result is mind blowing music. Let me give my thoughts regarding the music.
1) Balleilakka : (S.P. Balasubramaniam, Raihanah, Benny & Chorus)
Additional Voices: Swetha & Darshana
Lyrics: Na. Muthukumar
A perfect start to this album. Rahman has given a pure folk song in his own inimitable style. The song starts with the chorus “Sooriyano chandirano. Yaar ivano sattena sollu” and gradually gathers momentum and its nice to see S.P.B sing after Rahman’s experimentation with Shankar Mahadevan in Baba. Lyrics deserve a special mention here as this song throws new surprises on each hearing. It’s truly amazing how S.P.B sang so effortlessly holding his breath (or it’s a clever use of technology). Percussion has been used intelligently with the clever mix of dholaks, tablas and wind instruments. Here again one can notice the usage of nadhaswaram and the majestic horns in all grandeur. This song is already a hit and bound to grow on you.
Rating: 8/10

2) Sahana: Udit Narayanan, Chinmayee
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
This is what most people expect from Rahman. A great melody rendered beautifully by Udit Narayanan and Chinmayee. This song reminds the Rahman of early 90’s. Frankly speaking after listening to the leaked tracks I thought Rahman had made a mistake in choosing Udit. But when I heard the final version it sounded so beautiful that even the flawed pronounciation of Udit goes unnoticed. Rahman always has this penchant for mridangam that he uses in all his semi classical compositions. Effective usage of mridangam and the strings section elevates this song to great heights. Special mention on Rahman’s “dheem thana dheem thana” in one of the interludes and followed by French Horn…Wow…He truly mesmerizes us. Chinmayee is at her best. A lovely duet.
Rating: 9.5/10

3) Style: Rags, Tanvi, Suresh Peters, Blaaze
Lyrics: Pa Vijay
This is the most unorthodox song of this album. Rahman is known for breaking conventions. It’s only through this way he had set trends that only he can break. Though this track is very off beat, I am not that impressed with this track…People may disagree with me. This is a great fusion in Hip-Hop but at what cost?…Should tamil be butchered for this song? Anyway it’s a great attempt. The song picks up momentum as soon as the bass guitar picks up. Voice morphing is at its best in this song. This song is already a hit and it’s sure to top the charts with the visuals.
Rating: 7.5/10

4) Athiradee : (A.R. Rahman & Sayanora)
Additional Voices: Karthik, Mohammed Aslam & Naresh Iyer
Additional Production: Ranjith Barot
Lyrics: Vaali
Rahman teams up with his old buddy Ranjit Barot for this song. The song starts off with an interesting prelude with the motorbike acceleration effect and then jumps into a heard before rhythm pattern (thanks to Ranjit Barot). Though people may claim this song’s rhythm is dangerously close to JAM/Dangerous, Rahman had used this kind of rhythm early in his career in “Kabhi Na Kabhi”. It has been tweaked to great effect. But these so called similarities are only for half a minute and after that both Rahman and Sayanora rule the song. Great guitar along with Rahman’s energetic singing and Sayanora’s stylish singing makes this song a clear favorite. Rahman has embraced Middle East rhythms here and there and as a singer has improved a lot and has taken a break from his usual slow paced melodies. This time he comes with a bang. My all worries are now how RajiniKanth is going to dance for these numbers. Highly addictive.
Rating: 9.5/10

5) The Boss: Blaaze, Naresh Iyer, Raqueeb Alam
Lyrics:Na.Muthukumar, Blaaze
The theme starts of with the usual “swoosh” effect panning across the speakers and gradually proceeds to modulated claps and then comes the electric guitar. The theme is very good and it straightaway depicts that it’s for the action scenes. With great-synthesized beats, this is a great attempt. Again the Horn had been put to great effect. It adds to the grandeur of this piece. But as everyone expected I expected the theme to be like the majestic “Ratchagan- Theme music”. I always believed that track was best suited to Rajini. Anyway movies are different and this theme is best in its own way.
Rating: 8/10

6) Vaaji Vaaji :Hariharan, Madhushree & Chorus
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
The song starts off with a prelude, which gives the impression that it’s actually a melody in Mandarin but as we know Rahman can throw in surprises. What follows next is a decently paced melody with beautiful string section and bass section. Vairamuthu shows his prowess in Tamil by using pure tamil words like “Poombaavai aambal aambal punnagayo mouval mouval”. Hariharan has given his best for this song. Though Madhushree’s pronunciation is flawed, her “Vaaji Vaaji Vaaji” (the second one) is good to hear. Look out for the less prominent distortion guitar at the background. Its nice to hear. This song has the touches of Hindustani Classical here and there and it’s a very good melody.
Rating: 9/10

7) Sahara: Vijay Yesudas, Gomathi Sree & Chorus
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
This is the best song in this album. After hearing Vijay Yesudass version, I only hoped he could have sung the duet version too. His voice is so divine like his dad that the song does something to your heart. The song starts off with a great prelude with strings section and flute and V.Yesudass has given his best for this great number. This is a pathos number and he has poured his emotions into this song. Commendable chorus section aptly supported by great music makes this a soulful number. The thirupaavai bit by Gomathi Sree is great. I only wished the song could go on and on. Great number.
Rating:10/10
This album has exceeded the expectations and it is on the verge of breaking several records. This is a nicely packaged album with the right mix of dance numbers and melodies. Hats off to the entire team for providing such a good commercial album