Sunday, August 8, 2010

Enthiran Music Review



Music Director : A.R.Rahman


Vocals : S.P.Balasubramaniam, A.R.Rahman, Khatija Rahman, Vijay Prakash, Shreya Ghosal, Kash n’ Krissy, Pradeep Vijay, Pravin Mani, Yogi B, Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam, Benny Dayal, Naresh Iyer, Javed Ali, Chinmayee, Kirthi Sagathia, Swetha Mohan, Tanvi Shah.

Lyrics : Vairamuthu, Karky, Pa.Vijay



Produced by Kalanidhi Maran and directed by Shankar, this very costly movie was filmed at locations around the world. It stars Rajinikanth ( as Vaseegaran and Chitti) Aiswarya Rai, Danny Dengzongpa and others. This was the last movie writer Sujatha penned dialogues for. With Sabu Cyril handling the art department and A.R.Rahman doing the music and background score for it,( not to mention the special effects and CGI) this film is being eagerly anticipated by all film buffs.



Pudhiya Manidha...

Vocals: S.P.Balasubramaniam, A.R.Rahman, Khatija Rahman.

Lyrics: Vairamuthu

Excitement, breathlessness and hope all find a place in this song which has synthesized music weaving in and out of it all through. The alternating low and high pitched rendering serves to add a lot of attention to the interesting lyrics. Neat to listen to. Terrific experimentation of ARR for a rajani movie as a title music. None ever attempted this yet. Hope it will redifine the formats



Kadhal Anukkal...

Vocals: Vijay Prakash, Shreya Ghosal

Lyrics: Vairamuthu


The feathery guitar notes at the start just make you wonder- -yes, Rahman’s fascination with Bilahari raga continues. . Good singing and possibly fabulous visuals!



Irumbile oru Irudhayam...

Vocals: A.R.Rahman, Kash n’ Krissy

Lyrics: Karky

English Lyrics: Kash n’ Krissy


Intelligent lyrics from Karky. But the English lyrics are flat yet having a good punch. Reminiscent me of that old aqua song. Nice to hear this song  again and again. Mixed opinions among experts. Very peppy one. This could be a tight dance number.And such lighthearted singing from ARR! Superb beats and synths... This song is now topping charts. Superb superb..........



Chitti Dance Showcase...

Vocals: Pradeep Vijay, Pravin Mani, Yogi B

Additional Programming by Pravin Mani


A small fusion bit with vibrant guitars, wispy flute notes and calm violins . Strings portion is magical to hear. Pravin mani made an excellent work i think.  Let us see how the visuals do justice. Awsome synths and layerings. I just love this number...



Arima Arima...

Vocals: Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam

Additional vocals by Benny Dayal, Naresh Iyer

Lyrics: Vairamuthu

 Sexy use of trumpets , aggressive vocals from Hari ji balanced by sweet singing from Sadhana all make you long for the visuals. Enery level is top hitting...... Great work by ARR



Kilimanjaro...

Vocals: Javed Ali, Chinmayee

Additional vocal arrangements by Clinton Cerejo

Lyrics: Pa.Vijay


My favourite song in endhiran guys. Just love this song. Hats off to ARR sir and javed ali. Such heady use of percussive instruments here! They add a whole new touch of gaiety to the song.  Must be a fantasy number, this, with Shankar’s famed visual richness. Javed Ali’s effort deserves mention. Cool Vox by chinmayee. Chinmayee sounds naughty. This song is supposed to have been filmed at the historic Macchu Picchu site in Peru.



Boom Boom Robo Da...

Vocals: Yogi B, Kirthi Sagathia, Swetha Mohan, Tanvi Shah


Yogi B and ARR superb combo for the first time. Very techno song. Suiting for the movie and an apt choise. Holding in all the international standards... 


Verdict:

Yes, it annoy you when you listen for the first time. But as you listen again, you realize that though Rahman gives this album a crisp metallic touch in keeping with the theme of the story. Watch how cleverly he varies the feel of the normal duets and ‘robo-based’ duets. The lyrics are interesting too. If the listener shakes off his conditioned thinking while listening to this album, he is in for a treat.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

ENDHIRAN AUDIO LAUNCH ANNOUNCED!

The audio launch of Endhiran will take place on July 18th. This is a strong indication that the film is gearing up for a release sooner than expected. Endhiran is a very high budget movie, which is being produced by Sun Pictures and directed by Shankar. The film has Rajinikanth pairing up with the former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for the first time, which has created a lot of expectations among the fans. AR Rahman’s music is another highlight.


Being a big budget film, there is a strong indication that Endhiran’s audio launch will be a grand affair. Let’s wait for more info on this.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Raavan Music Review........

                                                                                                 
Singers: Kirti Sagathia, Vijay Prakash, Karthik, Sukhwinder Singh, Rekha Bhardwaj, Javed Ali, Reena Bhardwaj, Ila Arun, Sapna Awasthi and Kunal Ganjawala

Music Director: A.R. Rahman
Lyricist: Gulzar
My rating: 5 stars
When a movie has A.R. Rahman as the composer and  Gulzar as lyricist along with  Mani Ratnam the director, it is for sure going to create magic. In "Raavan", the trio has brought a combination presenting a soundtrack that is fresh, high on energy and in tune with the soul of the movie. 
The movie starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, "Raavan" has six songs.
The album starts with "Beera" that describes Abhishek's character in the film. With strong congo beats and foot-tapping rhythm, the song instantly connects with the listener and is highly intriguing. Sung by Vijay Prakash, Mustafa Kutoane and Keerthi Sagathia, "Beera" is truly enthralling.
Next is "Behene de". The song has been beautifully crooned by Karthik and Mohammed Irfan, it is the best song of the album. Even though it has a 50-second-long and haunting prelude, the listener doesn't lose interest. The prelude creates more inertest to the listeners as to what is in store.
Changing the mood of the album is the next song called "Thok de killi". Sukhwinder Singh takes the ong to the different level with his magical voice.  The track is loud, rustic and impressive. There is an increased pace and rise in the tempo towards the end. Then there is "Ranjha ranjha", which is an track belted out by Rekha Bhradwaj and Javed Ali.
Up next is "Khilli re", a slow, soft love song that brings out the longing of a woman for her lover. Sung by Reena Bhardwaj in her sweet melodious voice, it has a balmy effect and the melody strikes a chord with the listener.
The wedding song "Kata kata"  also has the thumping beats and strong orchestration. The song is sung by Ila Arun, Sapna Awasthi and Kunal Ganjawala, the track has a celebratory tune and a Rajasthani folk touch.
On the whole, the album is a musical treat and impresses thoroughly. Away from the usual psychedelic beats and run -of-the-mill compositions, the music of "Raavan" shows that Rahman is truly a maestro and when he teams up with Gulzar and Mani Ratnam, the result is pure magic.
Here are some key thoughts about
the album from me:

The Positives:
- Huge range of sound and musical forms......very multi-genre, showcasing ARR's
tremendous range and versatility in compositional style and content.
- Sound quality is fantastic......"Blue's" issues are history.
- Each song has a very strong identity that leaves you with a different
feeling.....the emotions in each song are strong and concentrated, packing a
punch. A very impactful album.
- Singing and lyrics are top notch. ARR's use of chorus and percussion stand
out the most in this album, keeping fit with the movie theme and plot.
- I love the heavy folk nature of many of the songs.......takes me back to
traditional India and its inherent charm and rusticity.
- Use of electric guitars is widespread, but tasteful in this album and not
overdone.
- Behene De is one of ARR's most epic sounding tracks ever. It's a monster
track......rich in sound, heavy mood, and the ending is simply larger than life.
- Khili Re is one of the sweetest, most lilting melodies ARR has ever composed,
beautifully rendered by Reena Bhardwaj. This will be an evergreen classic.
- There's so much going on musically in each track with layers of sound and
instrumentation and ornamental effects.......a classic trademark of ARR's
genius.
- Ranjha Ranjha is my top favourite song in this album. This track is extremely mesmerizing me. You are great rahman sir...........

The Negatives:
- I feel the album is too short. The listening experience goes by too quickly,
leaving me wanting for more music (which may be a function of my own greed too).
- The album's strong musical unconventionality and rough sounding/edgy parts
may restrict universal appeal.
 - I wish some of the songs had longer, more elaborate, and more melodic musical
interludes.

All in all, I love Raavan's music and want to listen to it again and again.


Sunday, May 30, 2010

The phenomenon called Rahman.... An interview with ARR

click image to zoom

Rahman latest interview on Hindustan Times Ht Cafe

Click image to ZOOM
Click image to ZOOM
Click image to ZOOM

A.R Rahman - Some Rare and Old Snaps

click images to zoom
With Yesudas during composing of an old malayalam movie

As music assistant for malayalam and tamil composers during late 80's as A.S.DileepKumar

During the live studio recording of a malayalam movie as an instrumentalist 
With the magical Shankar. Great combo
Old snaps
At the panchathan studio during the composition of ROJA
With Mani Ratnam and Vairamuthu during the composition of ROJA
                                  
           His old band ROOTS.....

                                      
With malayali guitarist John Anthony of band Roots

His best and old friend John Anthony
With Late Jojo, John Anthony and Sivamani
Caroline('Thee Thee': Thiruda Thiruda singer), Late Jojo and John Anthony
Band Roots with Sakkir hussain during their performance on IIT madras
His school mates

Band 'Magic',  Dheena, A Sivamani, A.R Rahman, John Anthony and the late Jojo. Rahman only did one performance with the band at the Music acadamy





Courtesy:Guitarist John Anthony