Music Review: Water By Sanjay Ram
28 February 2007, 07:09 AM
Film: Water
Music: A R Rahman
Rating: 4/5
A R Rahman's music is distinctive. He has his way of mixing music and
organising different
layers to result in a splendid composition. The music of Water is yet another
superlative
example of the new age musical maestro's mastery over the medium.
In Tune:
Aayo re sakhi, rendered by sukhwinder and Sadhna Sargam, is the opening track
of the album and
rightfully so. This track has a wonderful blend of percussion instruments and
with the
vocalists' voice building up gradually, it makes for a splendid song. Sadhna
Sargam, who seemed
to have been forgotten as a vocalist, has been brought back into the field and
can rightfully
reclaim her position among the top of the heap.
Rendering each one in a crystal clear manner, adding character to each word
that she sings;
Sargam excels in Piya ho, which she sings along with Sukhwinder Singh. This is
a great
classical number, ideal to perform on. It is soothing and the icing on the cake
is the flute,
which provides just the right touch.
If you liked the tracks from Raincoat, then you are bound to like Naina Heer.
Sadhna Sargam
manages to beautifully convey the feeling of solitude on a dhow, as it
traverses the calm
backwaters; breaking the silence of the water, sending ripples across.
Sham Rang Bhar Do, coupled with a little 'bhang' will make your Holi just what
it should be.
Sung by Richa Sharma, Raqeeb Alam and Surjo Bhattacharya, this track has a
rustic beat, and yet
manages to be contemporary enough through the rendition. This is the best
example of Rahman's
layering of the sounds of various instruments.
Vaishnava jana to, the popular Gandhian bhajan, features in this album and has
been rendered
well by Ajay Charaborthy. There are times when 'bhajans' are altered to fit the
pace of the
entire album, but Rahman has not tried any such gimmicks and it retains its
simple beauty.
Bhangari Marori, sung by Sukhwinder Singh, is a track that traces the
Radha-Krishna story. One
can almost visualise the setting of the song, with the sound of rippling water
that flows
through the track. A short track, but it manages to create the mood.
The CD includes six bonus tracks, those that might be considered Rahman's best
compositions in
recent times. These include Barso re and Ay Hairathe from Guru, Dheeme Dheeme,
one of my
favourites from Zubeidaa, Tu Bin bataye from Rang De Basanti, Dhuan Dhuan from
Meenaxi; and
Ghanan Ghanan from Lagaan.
You ought to buy this soundtrack if you have an ear for classical music and if
you are moved by
Rahman's work. If not for anything else, pick it up for the way Rahman weaves
the music with
the vocals. It's matchless.
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