Yuvvraaj Music: A R Rahman Lyrics: Gulzar Label: T-Series Rating: 4/5 The Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na hangover had just got over, but before radio stations and music lovers got sober, Rahman drowned them in Yuvraaj. By all measures, the music of Yuvvraaj makes a good 'dip'. Rahman, in this album, has made abundant use of symphony/string sections and choral music. However, one does not really have to be familiar with Bach, Beethoven or Mozart in order to enjoy this; Gulzar's organic word flow makes this transition easy for the Bollywood aficionado. I found this seven track album filled with archetypical Rahmanisque revelations. Here's how… Starting from the 'sure-to-be-chart-topper' Tu meri dost hain - this is a song where Benny Dayal's voice flawlessly complements the drama building symphonies, whereas Shreya Ghosal's husky voice gives the song an unexpected sensuous touch – Rahman, as mentioned earlier, has incorporated plenty of western choral music and while you get lost in the melody, one wonders what really makes the melody of this song stand out? Well, has to be Rahman's ear for the silence between the notes! The beep-bop head bob song Shano Shano follows next. The song sounds uplifting at first, but has many melody and beat changes as it progresses. With as many as seven people on vocals including Sonu Niigaam, Shano Shano is the'fun track' of the album (guess every film has to have one, no matter what) The song has a remix version by Krishna Chetan featuring 'Ember' – A track which may please the hip-hop junkies, Yo- Man. Alka Yagnik becomes the voice of Katrina Kaif in the slow placed Tu Muskura, which comes next on the track list. If you're lovelorn at the moment – this one's for you! However, it's Javed Ali of Nagada (Jab We Met) fame who takes the cake with his aalaps – one of the reasons why you'd like to put it on a repeat. As far as the lyrics go, Gulzar is undoubtedly at his best. Mastam Mastam sounds like a medley; the motivational lyrics create an uplifting mood. Here, Rahman has experimented with some dramatic-vocals – Sonu Niigaam showcases his mimicking talents whereas Naresh and Benny take on backing vocals. Zindagi by Srinivas has a semi-classical feel, his vocals are reminiscent of Hariharan's deep baritone. With this ghazal like composition, Rahman proves his versatility – this belongs to the list of songs which gradually grow. Absolutely radio-friendly! Sonu Niigaam, Roop Kumar Rathod and Rahman hit the nail on its head in Dil Ka Rishta. The song which has as mix of Hindi-English lyrics has a forlorn feel. One should give an ear to Rahman's vocal improvisations – a class apart! This is the second best appealing song after Tu meri dost. The semi-classical, new-age fusion Manmohini Morey has an emerging and talented Vijay Prakash on vocals. Prakash's voice traverses to the heart instantly in the Raaga based composition Manmohini Morey, which is apparently woven over a pop beat! – The song is testimony to Rahman's constant search for new sounds. Prakash's voice makes a lasting impression in the first two minutes! To sum it up, the songs Tu meri dost hain, Tu Muskura, Dil Ka Rishta and Manmohini Morey are tracks which the listener can easily relate to, however, Yuvvraaj's music is more 'thematic' in nature and perhaps it is best to see how the music is encapsulated in frames, apart from just hearing it (when it come to the rest of the songs). But amidst all this, I wonder, did Ghai hear the music first and then make the film? Or was it vice-versa. Anyway, it's time to dip into some more Rahman...
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