Beedi – A Re-review

A single Beedi intoxicated the entire nation! Wait, I'm not talking about the Beedi that you smoke…

Almost a year after its release, everyone still seems to be reeling under the heady influence of the song Beedi from the film Omkara. Beedi can compete with any song of the year 2006 – whether it is played in a disc or a roadside dhaba, it has tremendous effect. Sunidhi Chauhan and Sukhwinder Singh have given perfect vocals which are uninhibited, unpretentious, and absolutely bindaas. Lyricist Gulzar too, it seems, had set his pen flow free while writing the lyrics for this song. The lyrics are uncouth, irreverent, and “trashy”, as Gulzar rightly calls them. But such lyrics always work wonders with the audience.

Vishal Bhardwaj’s music for Beedi, with traditional instruments like tabla, dholak and harmonium, is heavily folk. And folk is the kind of music which is tried and tested in Bollywood. It always, always works with the front benchers. But Beedi not only made the front benchers dance to its tune, it also made the couple of the year, Abhi-Ash, dance to its tune in their very own sangeet.

Beedi does not need any review at all. And this, here, is no review for Beedi. This is just a reaffirmation: that Beedi is one helluva song!


(also posted at campus18 blogs. )

Appy Fizz Cricket Jingle

Sometimes you can achieve much more with wit and humor than with anger and direct criticism. You make your point and it’s all in good fun!

Appy Fizz radio jingle did just that.

After the Indian cricket team’s disastrous return from the World Cup, India was fuming. Her hopes had gone tumbling down and she was angry. Very angry. And hurt. And then came a radio jingle by Parle’s Appy Fizz which cooled everyone down and made them laugh off India’s grand defeat!

While the jingle took a dig at Indian cricketers through a parody, it also raised some hopes about the next World Cup. The tone and pitch of the ‘singer’ was just right to make it sound like a mockery, and the lyrics were just brilliant:

“Now don’t worry and don’t hang your heads in shame,
Just find another scapegoat who you can blame.
And finally, here’s something to cheer:
There’s always next to next to next to next year!”

One of the best jingles I’ve heard so far. For those who missed it (shame on you!), go catch it on youtube.com!

Kailasa Jhoomo Re

After the super success of the album Kailasa, Kailash Kher and Kailasa (band) return with their second album Kailasa Jhoomo Re. And oh – don’t let the name lead you on. This album not a continuation of the first one. This is altogether new and improved.

Kailash Kher has a unique voice, and he has his own style. And his high pitched, vocal-chord-straining style can sometimes get a bit too much to endure. But I guess Kailash Kher realized this soon enough. Kailasa Jhoomo Re marks Kailash’s maturity as a singer, and the overall growth of his band Kailasa.

The album contains 9 energetic tracks, each of which explores different emotions. The music is predominantly folk, fused with urban and contemporary sounds.

The track ‘Babam Bam’ is a hymn to lord Shiva, with a trans-like feel. ‘Joban Chalke’ and ‘Jhoomo Re’ resonate wonderfully in Kailash’s vocals, and ‘Chaap Tilak’, very different from its usual renditions, is quiter and more reflective. The rest 5 tracks (‘Saiyyan’, ‘Tere Naina’, ‘Daulat Shorat’, ‘Yaar Sajan’ and ‘Tu Meri Jaan’) are love ballads, out of which ‘Saiyyan’ needs special mention. Poignant and beautifully sung, this heart wrenching song is the most memorable in the entire album.

For all lovers of soulful music, and for all Kailash Kher fans, this album is a must-have for your collection.

Metro, the Band

What happens when film director Anurag Basu tells music director Pritam that he requires a ‘band’ for his film, Life…In a Metro? Well, a one-time band is formed.

And what happens when this one-time band gets instant accolades and appreciation? Well, it decides to stay.

So has India finally got a rock band for its masses? We’ll surely have to wait to comment on that. But what we can comment on, at the moment, is Pritam’s music and Metro Band’s performance in the film Life…In a Metro.

Contemporary music, haunting melodies, and heart-warming renditions, is what Metro Band gives us in Life…In a Metro. Pritam, for a change, drops the techno, dance, rap, and sufi sounds in favour of guitar driven stadium rock.

The fact that Metro Band comprises of 3 members (Pritam, James, Sohail) who are all singers, adds a lot of freshness and variety to their sound. While Suhail’s “Baatein Kuch Ankahi Si” has a romantic and peppy feel to it, “Rishtey”, with James’ touching voice has a soft rock feel with highly charged emotions. “Kar Saalaam”, on the other hand, sung by all three band members is a high tempo rock song which celebrates life.

And when we’re talking about the music of Metro Band, the lyrics of their songs need a special mention. In a time when most song lyrics are clichéd and frivolous, the lyrics of the songs sung by this band are brilliantly realistic and meaningful.

Metro Band, with music for Life…In a Metro definitely leaves us wanting for more. Let’s hope we get to hear their next album really soon.

Mein Jahan Rahoon: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Krishna

“Mein jahan rahoooon, mein kahi bhi rahoon….teri yaad saath hai….” - As this absolutely pleasant and soothing song plays on, I wonder whose music it is, and a small google search surprises me with the result: it’s none other than Himesh Reshammiya!

Now, after listening to the same old nasal dance numbers of Himesh again and again and yet again, who would ever think that this man would come up with a song like this? But well, we must accept that this man is full of surprises.

Film Namaste London’s ‘Mein Jahan Rahoon’, sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and supported by Krishna, is simply a delightful song. Javed Akhtar’s melancholy poetry is beautifully put to the background of strings, poignant tabla beats, saarangi, piano and guitar fillers, and a semi-ghazal mood. And the brilliant rendition by the singers make this song worth putting on the repeat mode on your music player.

The fact that Himesh has not used his own voice for the song, goes in his favour as a composer. Not that he’s a bad singer, but hey, we do need a break from his voice once in a while, don’t we?

Himesh, please take some inspiration from all this appreciation, extract good work from good singers like Rahat, and please give us more good music like this in future. Please.

The Train

After giving super hits like ‘Tere Bin’, ‘Maula Mere Maula’, and ‘Javeda’, guess who’s back? Yeah, it’s music director Mithoon , and this time he’s back with the music of an entire album to his credit.

Mithoon’s serene, soothing music is impressive in itself, but add to it the emotionally enriched poetry of Sayeed Quadri, and vocals of KK, Zubeen, Mithoon, Shaan and Shilpa Rao…and lo, you’ve got the music of The Train. Very impressive for a newcomer, and a must-buy, if you’d take my word.

The album starts with ‘Woh Ajnabee’, a foot-tapping, clubby track that kick starts the show, and then come the soft and soulful songs like ‘Beetein Lamhe’, ‘Mausam’, and ‘Teri Tamanna’. If you liked the music of Life…In a Metro, chances are that you’ll just love these tracks.

The last track, ‘The Train - An Inspiration’ is the only one that comes as a bit of a disappointment, both in terms of music and lyrics, but Shaan’s vocals make up for it to some extent.

There are, of course, remixes for almost every song, in keeping with the trend. But unlike most of the remixes which are quite trashy, these ones are considerably fun.

Overall, a good album. With music like this, Mithoon’s got a long long way to go.

Cheeni Kum

Hmm…so another offbeat film hits the theaters and we have high expectations from its music. But hold your breath, guys and girls – high expectations often lead to disappointments!

We’re talking about the music of Cheeni Kum.

Composed by the well known South Indian music director, Ilaiyaraaja, the music for the film is a good change for all those who’re fed up of Reshammiyas and Malicks, but it fails to leave an impact on the listeners.

The music is monotonous and reminds one of the music of 60s and 70s. The lyricist Sameer has also done quite a mediocre and unimaginative job, though due credit must be given to Shreya Ghoshal for her sweet, crystal clear voice and vibrant vocals.

Out of the seven tracks of the album, two are instrumental. They’re nice and soothing, no doubt, but quite easily forgettable. Of the other 5 songs, 2 have been repeated with minor variations (repetition, repetition! Phew!). The only track which stands out in the album is “jaane do naa”, apart from the peppy title track, “cheeni kum”. “Jaane do naa”, a love ballad with fusion of Western Orchestra and Indian melody, is hummable, with its naughty and playful feel. It goes well with the film’s narrative, but this too, is not the type that would be remembered for months ahead.

Here today, gone tomorrow, I’d give this album a 5 out of 10.

Rahman Praying For His Brothers

Here are three reasons why you should be listening to A. R. Rahman’s latest single, Pray For Me Brother:
a. Because it is Rahman
b. Because it is Rahman’s first English composition.
c. Because it is for a noble cause - It is an initiative by A.R. Rahman Foundation to collect funds for the U.N. Millennium Development Programme, aimed at eradicating poverty.

And here are two reasons why you should be watching its video:
a. Because it is shot by Bharatbala of ‘Vande Matram’ fame.
b. Because it is the world’s first music video which is shot in vertical cinemascope (for mobile phones) rather than the usual horizontal picture.

And here is one reason you’ll forget about it soon enough:
a. It’s all the same as before.

A.R. Rahman is known for his musical contributions to social causes – whether it was ‘Vande Matram’ or ‘Jana Gana Mana’, Rahman always gave out a social message through his (non-film) compositions. Pray For Me Brother does just the same.

A mix of traditional western and rap, the music of this track sure has a global appeal, but there’s nothing new in it. The very first time you hear it, you’d say you’ve heard it before. Sure, Rahman has given great vocals, but a great song has more than just great vocals.

The lyrics are clichéd and tend to be preachy: “Be what you wanna be now, let’s heal the confusion…” Moreover, the much-hyped video is so typically Bharatbala. It has nothing very innovative to offer. Except the fact that this one is in black & white, and is shot in vertical cinemascope, it’s the same as the other Rahman-Bharatbala videos.

There is no doubt that Rahman is one of the greatest music directors we have. And there’s no doubt that he’s a genius of a kind. But sometimes geniuses also need a change. Maybe.

Kisi Din – Adnan Sami

Adnan Sami is in news for two things: his new look and his new album. While we whole-heartedly appreciate his new look, we’d like to comment at length on his new album, Kisi Din.

Rain, nostalgia, and lots of love: in Kisi Din, Adnan Sami does what he’s best at. It’s an easy listening, hum-able album with Adnan’s trademark dreamy vocals. It’s not bad, but what it lacks is a hint of something new.

The album starts with the already popular ‘Teri Yaad’, and then moves on to the title track ‘Kisi Din’ which has a 70s feel to it – nothing new about the composition and nothing new about the singing style. The next track, ‘Baarish’ is quite groovy and grows on you with time. Its unplugged version is even better and highly recommended for a rainy day. ‘Dekho Jaaneman’, with a middle-eastern flavour, starts off with a promise of something different, but the promise fades away as the song proceeds. ‘Salaam Walekum’ is peppy, but extremely filmy, and ‘Waqt’ is very nicely orchestrated. Rest all songs are quite flat and bland. The two remixes provide good beat for dance, but are quite unnecessary for an album like this.

After listening to the whole album, we can say one thing with conviction: Adnan is surely a good singer. But he needs to give some variety to his music and singing style. Badly.

Rozana – The Singer Amitabh Returns.

So Big B is back with another song to his credit: Rozana.

Composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, this soundtrack for Ram Gopal Verma’s film, Nishabd, is an extremely passionate love ballad, to which Amitabh Bachchan has done full justice. Rozana, which doesn’t even make its presence felt in the film, but instead comes on as an added song, is a heartfelt melody about a lover’s memories of his beloved, after they part. And Bachchan’s vocals are rendering, meaningful and expressed to a degree which makes us marvel at the man’s genius.

But Rozana comes as an instant surprise for the casual Bollywood fan, at the direction Bachchan has turned into, in his journey as a singer. Bachchan’s fans will always remember him for his nostalgic dance numbers like Mere Angne Mein, Mein Hoon Anthony Gonzalviz, Rang Barse, and more recently, Shava Shava. These are the songs which tinged Bollywood, and these are the songs for which Bachchan is most noted, as a singer. It’s not that Amitabh Bachchan has not delved into intense, serious musical territory before – he has done it. But none of those songs were ever as successful as his colorful, peppy numbers. So, it remains to be seen whether the huge fan base we have, fed on decades of item number song culture, will be ready to accept his increasing number of melancholy, musically rich songs or not.

Is Rozana a coming of age song, not only for Bachchan, but for the whole musical diaspora that is Bollywood? Is it a sign of Bachchan’s maturity as a singer and an actor? It quite seems so, but audiences still haven’t grown enough to love this kind of music. So, we guess we just have to wait, don’t we?

(by soumya & saumya)