Music Review : Slumdog Millionaire
Director :
Music :
Lyrics :
Starring :
Danny Boyle
A.R Rahman
Raquib Alam, Gulzar, Blaaze, Wendy Parr, M.I.A., A.R. Rahman, & Tanvi Shah
Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal, Imran Hasnee, Dev Patel and Freida
Pinto
By Satyajit, Bollywood Trade News Network
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is one epitome of international success that needs no big
introduction. This Danny Boyle's "rags to riches" (adapted from Vikas Swarup
novel "Q&A") saga is significant in all measures and respects for Bollywood
musical fraternity. After highly acclaimed ELIZABETH -THE GOLDEN AGE, maestro
A.R Rahman's finesse of conglomerating out various moods, sounds and genres for
international project makes its presence felt worldwide. It connects to global
audiences too with M.I.A (real name Mathangi 'Maya' Arulpragasam), UK based pop
singer making her way out with her UK No.1 track ("Paper Planes") in this
album. Will SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE be surpassing all maestros' last previous
international works? Does the global musical feel encapsulated in the album
will have enough captivating potency to lure Indian listeners? Let's be
considerate listeners to find the musical secrets behind those enthralling
scenes that make it phenomenon international
news...!
A.R Rahman's is at fiery best in serenading out the rustic feel of street-side
hullabaloo with effervescently racy and pulsating instrumental flows in the
introductory track "O...Saaya". It conglomerates M.I.A with Rahman for the
first time where bombastically thumped drumming and thriving percussions takes
the aerial route in lifting up spirits. This outrageously loud number works
like edgy but pulsating background score that script out the hustle-bustle of
Mumbai city with a sentimental choir in Rahman's fluid vocals. M.I.A slender
vociferous has bouncy inputs that gives it an international outlook.
"O...Saaya" can be well one among those soundtracks that speaks volumes about
Rahman's prowess as musician than composer. Just play loud and feel its racy
gush...!
"Riots", a thumping and daunting instrumental number brings out different beats
and sounds that collage together to emote out an intimidating thrive of gory
happenings. This brief instrumental has North African style drumming with
electronic tunes that sets an everlasting impression of events.
East Meets West! The subtlety of Eastern musical flair meets the solemnity of
Western feel with rigorously plucked "Sitar" amalgamating up animatedly with
rhythm loops, aggressive percussions and guitar riffs in "fusion" feel track
"Mausam and Escape". It's one gem of instrumental works that elates out the
classical feel of "Sitar" in brightest possible ways. The track initiates out
with serene notes in the prelude and then pompously races up to aggressive
"Sitar" plays that get accompanied with thunderous westernized percussions and
rigorous guitar works. "Mausam and Escape" is "fusion" music at its best and
can well be served as textbook piece for all enthused musicians who crave for
something creatively classical in their work. Outstanding "Jugal-Bandi"!!!
M.I.A most chartbusting and album's most cherished moments comes with
international super-hit track "Paper Planes" that makes its away in its
original version. This alternative hip-hop number comes out with peculiar
political lyricism and can well be workout as consequential background score in
the bon-voyage of protagonist as he finds his way out in a journey. It gets a
thematically melodramatic outlook with gunshots, trigger lock and cash register
clinging sounds getting mixed in the sluggish-tempo music and upfront lyrical
works. Despite some controversies, this upbeat track made itself as UK No.1
track and now is the centre-spread of this much acclaimed cross-over flick.
"Paper Planes (DFA Remix)" is heavily loaded with trance feel electronic beat
patterns with stylish "turntablism" (hip-hop DJ) making a cool maneuvers in
making it a rollicking "club" remix number. Outrageously zippy!!!
After international talk-a-thon, the mood swivels to early 90's stylized
Bollywood genre where Laxmikant-Pyarelal's much talked "Choli Ke Peeche Kya
Hai" (KHALNAYAK (1993)) gets revamped with similar folksy thrust in "Ringa
Ringa". A.R Rehman confessed it to be "inspirational" and used the same vocals
of Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun with Raquib Alam's chirpy wordings to emote out a
typical raunchy Bollywood appeal for international audiences. The final product
is enticing, engrossing and tantalizing enough to deliver out the desired blaze
into the narration of the flick.
The soul of Indian classical vocals gets melodic eruption with racy orchestral
flows in consequentially played instrumental number "Liquid Dance". It has
fiery and passionate vocals from purists like Madhumita and Palakkad Sriram
that get fiercely interwoven in wildly punched percussive elements to create a
ferocious feel for the compelling situations and moments of the flick.
"Latika Theme", a rhythm divine "alaap" in sultry tones with rhythmic flows
comes out as fresh whiff of air where experimental moves excels to its acme.
Suzanne D'Mello hums it gracefully with somber tonality of mild orchestral
works. It's simply amazing in its totality as sounds and humming works
expressively in gesticulating out solemn emotions. A brilliant background score
by all standards that not only glorify out the finesse of vocalist but also
honor the craftsmanship of musicians.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's most vivacious floor dancing track "Aaj Ki Raat" (DON)
gets a thriving boost as it gets added in the credits with added electronic
beat fillers. It's a cool entry to make think hotter and spicier for
international audiences and surely be adding thrust in story-telling.
"Millionaire", a sportive and spontaneous sounding instrumental number works
like an aggressive commercial musical piece propagating out the much talked
"quiz" show with all its electronic beat flamboyance. The racy splurge with
feminine echoes streams out a desire for "rags to riches" dreams with funky
trance musical stuff that gels well with the spirit of the theme.
Afro-American stylized "Gangsta hip-hop" with pulsating zing of "blues" and
funky electronica gushes out with Blaaze taking out the proceeding in "Gangsta
Blues". Rahman camouflages trendy hip-hop rhythms with sportive feel of reggae
that has been hallmark of all hot-selling US best-sellers hip-hop tracks. It
gist out the outrageous attitudes of "bad boys" on street and is likely to be
one hot sizzling track for your audio systems.
Aha, there is…a melody too! Suzanne D'Mello is having a ball and this time it
comes big all the way in "soul" genre of musical binge in intrinsically western
love ballad "Dreams on Fire". A.R Rahman shows out his international class,
similar to melodic flair heard in ELIZABETH -THE GOLDEN AGE. The subtleness of
feminine emotions gets wings of slender vocals that get interwoven with
textures of mesmerizing music and heart-warming lyrics. It gracefully revisits
Celine Dion's soulful "It's All Coming Back to me" with influential Rahman's
melodic finesse. Unlike "Latika Theme", this comes out as sentimental vocal
mouth-piece in solemn orchestral flows, serenading out a passionate flare of
acquiring dreams. Enchanting!!!
After being served with blend of international musical cuisines, the finale
comes out in contemporary triumphant notes with racing orchestrations emoting
out volumes about joy of winning in enthusiastically pumped "Jai Ho". Gulzar's
meticulously poetic wordings are sporadic enough to emanate the joyous moments
with Rahman's bombastic orchestral flows (loud drumming, enthused percussions)
taking listeners by storm. Sukhwinder Singh's vociferous baritones are at its
rollicking best as they modulate out the victorious zest. Tanvi Shah and
Mahalaxmi Iyer's slender voices join the victory march in tandem and proves to
affable support in narrating out the exultant feel.
A.R Rahman's SLUMDOG MILLIONARIE blossoms out to be multi-colored fiesta of
melodic excellence where international genres, moods, sounds, vocals and
instrumentals collage together prosperously to showcase out the
multidimensional facades of the genius. It's one grand international endeavor
that embarks the grandiloquence of esteemed Bollywood composer in triumphant
way. A thriving promotion is now the need of the hour and all those Rahmaniacs
will be having millions of reasons to smile as this one is all set to rule
music-lovers hearts worldwide.
Worth-a-million!!!
Rating : 4.5/5
http://www.glamsham.com/music/reviews/11-music-review-slumdog-millionaire-1208014.asp
