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.
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.
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.
