is SDM available on ITunes? I can't wait :) On Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 8:31 AM, Chord <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> "A.R. Rahman has just ended a year for the ages. It is safe to say > that this score will go down as one of his greatest works ever, and by > far his most satisfying international project. If you ask me, Rahman > is leaps and bounds ahead of his competition for Oscar honors. Some > call him God. Others call him a Musical Prophet. Regardless of what > you believe, this masterpiece proves that Rahman is an international > phenomenon producing music at a level higher than anybody else right > now. Listen to him…" > > SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE > Music Review > > Source: avstv.com > By Aakash Gandhi > Reviewer's Rating: 9.5/10 > > Mumbai, India 11/26/2008 – The bustling city of twenty million was > brutally shattered by an unprecedented string of highly-sophisticated > and coordinated attacks never witnessed before. The horror continues > fifty-five hours later, as I painstakingly write these very words. > > During these moments of such deep sorrow and tragedy, writing on a > film may seem rather frivolous…even insensitive. However, God works in > mysterious and miraculous ways my friends. > > Rarely, if ever, does the Western world catch a glimpse into the > beauty and majesty of such a dynamic city as Mumbai. Yet, today, her > innocence has been ravaged and raped, left to bleed in front of the > entire world. A hostage within her own land, her booming image will > vanish within the minds of many internationals worldwide. > > However, like a godsend in the nick of time, Danny Boyle brings the > Western world a cinematic marvel that places Mumbai right back in the > centre of attention…but for all the right reasons this time. Simon > Beautoy's script, based on Vikas Swarup's novel, "Q&A," touches on the > life of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an impoverished orphan raised in the > slums of Mumbai, who unexpectedly reaches the Rs. 20 Million question > on India's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Accused of > cheating, he defends himself against the authorities by narrating his > life on the streets - a sequence of mesmerizing tales which hold the > key to all his right answers. > > Through Anthony Dod Mantel's exquisite cinematography, Beaufoy's > beautifully orchestrated script, and Boyle's breath-taking execution, > SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE pays homage to Mumbai – The resilient city of > unwavering spirit and unbridled passion. She is the city of dreams… > > Many of the few who have been fortunate enough to view this film will > tell you that in addition to the cinematic landscapes, the film's > background score and OST are equally important in the its attempt to > open your eyes and ears to a whole new world. The living masterpiece > behind the music is the legendary A.R. Rahman, India's most treasured > and prized composer. > > The gentleman is having himself a year that even the greatest > musicians could only dream of. After taking India's domestic market by > storm with five critically acclaimed soundtracks, he pours the icing > on the cake with an International project set to light the global > stage on fire (many are already handing the Oscar over to the team of > Slumdog Millionaire). All hype aside, the soundtrack is an absolute > explosion of genres, cultures, and sounds. Rahman's sound, coupled > with Boyle's vision, sculpts a gorgeous three-dimensional statue of > one of the most underrated cities in the world…and one kid's struggle > to survive it… > > We'll first have a listen to the four original songs, followed by > analysis of the six thematic/instrumental pieces. > > Rahman lifts off with O…Saya, a song that is, much like the rest of > the soundtrack, an electrifying detonation of sound and style. Filled > with some riveting electronic tones, Rahman ups the tempo with a > breath-taking drumming performance that features throughout the > backdrops of this flashy and rhythmic track. Perhaps the most > attractive aspect of this number is the international collaboration > between A.R. Rahman and M.I.A., both of whom are featured vocalists. > Lyrically, the song doesn't hold much scope. Verdict: It is the > composition's raw attitude and thumping grooves that will absolutely > light your body on fire! > > Ah…as if out of nowhere, Rahman throws in a little cultural flavor > into this otherwise progressive soundtrack with some traditional > Indian film sounds in Ringa Ringa. Bringing a slight touch of > familiarity to his Indian listeners, the track bears resemblance to > the early 90s cult-classic "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai." Despite the > nostalgia of many of the styles and sounds of the 90s, Rahman infuses > the number with a sultry blend of old and new elements, couples it > with an alluring melody, and ultimately creates a unique sound that is > both traditional and progressive simultaneously. Alka Yagnik, one of > India's most prolific and seasoned playback vocalists, does complete > justice to her role as one of Rahman's favorites. Raqib Alam's lyrics > culminate the musical trinity of Ringa Ringa with class. Verdict: This > song is sure to add a splash of color to Boyle's ambitious portrait. > > "You are my waking dream. You're all that's real to me. You are the > magic in the world I see. You are my prayer I sing. You brought me to > my knees. You are the faith that made me believe. Dreams on > fire…higher and higher. Passions burning…right on the pyre…" – Blaaze > and Wendy Parr > > Rahman begins to show us his sensitively beautiful side in the > absolutely gorgeous Dreams On Fire. Rendered with exquisite passion by > Suzanne D'Mello, your heart skips a beat as your soul is captivated by > the inspiring melody amidst the softly lit acoustic ambiance. The > vocal layering is another example of where this song soars in creative > ingenuity. And just like all the other pieces of Slumdog Millionaire, > Rahman has provided a steady blend of east and west – a phenomenon > that gives the music its universal textures and borderless emotions. > However, the true splendor of this composition would have gone > unrealized if it were not for the awe-inspiring lyrics by Blaaze and > Wendy Parr, whose words rewrite the very essence of romance. Verdict: > Rarely do we earn the opportunity to experience such purity in > music…rarely… > > Just like that, Rahman re-invites sheer power, brute force, and pure > energy into the soundtrack with Jai Ho. An out-and-out dance track, > Jai Ho passes with flying colors thanks to the breezy melodic riffs > and trans-genre feel in the arrangements, enabling the song to take > you wherever you want it to! Interestingly enough, the song has Latin > traces throughout as well. Leading the charge is another Rahman > favorite, Sukhwinder Singh, who always seems to shine in such > exhilarating environments. Mahalaxmi Iyer and Tanvi Shah provide Sukhi > with perfect backing support. Lyricist Gulzar, India's legendary and > revered poet/lyricist, writes on ambition, passion, and victory in the > most poetic of ways. Verdict: Another vibrant composition that is sure > to blow the roof off cinema halls. > > Riots marks the beginning of a series of powerful and vigorous > thematic pieces by Rahman. While the piece is fairly short, it packs a > mighty punch. Rahman, amidst the electronic sounds and synth-ambiance, > seems to have been inspired by many of the tribal sounds of Africa. > Once again, Rahman tames a composition to liquefy cultural sounds to > create the voice of Slumdog Millionaire. > > Mausam & Escape is the best thematic instrumental on the lot! Rahman > simply shows off as programmer. He synthesizes a mesmerizingly wicked > aura of sound that explodes all over you! The piece opens up on an > extremely serene note, courtesy Rashid Ali and Sanjay Joseph's > enticing play of the guitars, before we are completely engulfed by a > musical explosion! Be it the heart-pounding bass lines, Asad's > ridiculously thrilling sitar plucks, the soul-thumping synths, or the > haunting orchestral strings…Rahman's genius is sculpted into a musical > monument that will set screens ablaze! > > What you hear in Liquid Dance is a masterful blend that you've never > heard before, and most probably will never hear again. Apart from > using some very cool new sounds and effects, Rahman once again blends > east and west, as he superimposes a pair of synthesized sargams > (Indian classical vocals), courtesy Palakkad Sriram and Madhumitha, > atop an electronically programmed hip-hop rhythm. Trust me, it's hard > to classify a sound that has never existed before! Adding to the > flair, Rahman's orchestral strings give the piece a hauntingly unique > signature. It's yet another phenomenal piece of work from the genius > of Rahman. > > Latika's Theme, in essence, is the instrumental of the very soulful > "Dreams On Fire." However, Rahman realizes that the beauty of the > original song lies within the melodic power and vocal gentleness. > Hence, the only possible way to fully harness the beauty of the > original is not through instrumental rendition, rather by asking > Suzanne D'Mello, the original singer, to simply hum the entire melody. > And although the original song was lifted furthermore by Blaaze and > Wendy Parr's inspiring words, this silent version creates its own > inspiring poetry, uninhibited by the boundaries of language. > Ultimately, it is the sweetest of musical fragrances. > > Millionaire is perhaps the one and only track that sounds conventional > in its production and overall treatment. It is another fast-tempo > background piece filled with thumps of bass and panning synths. > However, this piece doesn't allow for much creative interjection. In > any other Background OST, this piece would have been extremely well > received, but not here, where Rahman has taken Slumdog Millionaire to > ridiculously high levels. > > We've heard Rahman try his hand at almost every genre in existence, > including many that aren't. Yet, I don't think we would ever predict > Rahman to tackle a Gangsta Rap track – but he does just that and so > much more with Gangsta Blues. Rahman lays the cement with a > Techno-esque hip-hop rhythm, while also adding some Jazz elements, > including some Blues organ sounds. With a bad boy attitude all laid > out for him in the arrangements, Blaaze struts his stuff with a > relaxed reggae `n' rap rendition alongside Tanvi Shah. So let's count > it up, we have a little Techno, some Hip Hop, a splash of Jazz, a hint > of Reggae, and a shade of Rap…the end result of which is pure > entertainment and attitude. How do you do it Rahman? > > SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE'S background OST is a brilliant landscape of > cultural textures, global sounds, and cross-genre transformations. > Rahman's musical voice for the film is one that screams volumes on > screen and entertains wildly in audio. > > A.R. Rahman has just ended a year for the ages. It is safe to say that > this score will go down as one of his greatest works ever, and by far > his most satisfying international project. If you ask me, Rahman is > leaps and bounds ahead of his competition for Oscar honors. Some call > him God. Others call him a Musical Prophet. Regardless of what you > believe, this masterpiece proves that Rahman is an international > phenomenon producing music at a level higher than anybody else right > now. Listen to him… > > Aakash Gandhi is Managing Editor and Senior Writer for > PlanetBollywood.com. He also freelances for the Asian Variety Show at > avstv.com. > > >
