Great pic... :) Regards, Anantha the Dreamer http://arrtheboss.blogspot.com Joan Rivers - "Never floss with a stranger."
On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 12:37 PM, Vithur <[email protected]> wrote: > Few music directors in present-day Bollywood dare to showcase South > Asian classical music in its purest forms. Fortunately, AR Rahman is one who > does. His latest release comes at the end of a particularly fruitful > creative period. It began in early 2008 with notable soundtracks such as > Jodhaa Akbar and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, and continued with the soundtrack to > Slumdog Millionaire, for which he has won a Golden Globe and a Bafta, and > secured three Oscar nominations. Now, with Delhi-6, he impresses again. > > The film, directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, tells the story of an > American-born Indian who travels to Delhi with his ailing grandmother. What > was meant to be a quick visit turns into a protracted journey that places > him in the heart of Chandni Chowk, the rambling, mazelike market district in > Old Delhi. The number 6 is derived from the last digit of its postcode, > which has become its local shorthand name. > > The first song of the album, Masakali (Free Spirited) sung by Mohit > Chauhan, is playful, with soft percussion and keyboards. The accordion takes > centre stage along with Chauhan's voice, the music and vocals expressing the > song's sentiment perfectly. Rahman's Sufi influences are evident on the > second track, Arziyan (Requests), performed as a qaawali, the style of > religious song made famous by the Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In > turn, Aarti (Tumre Bhavan Mein) is a sombre, Hindu prayer song – the title > of which translates as In Your Abode) – delivered over restrained and > minimal accompaniment. > > However, it is in Bhor Bhaye (The Arrival of Dawn) that the listener is > introduced to the rich tradition of Hindustani classical music. Paying close > attention to harmony and melody while cleverly tying the past to the present > and future, Rahman samples the voice of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a > legendary Patiala gharana singer who died in 1968, then intersperses it with > contributions by the up and coming young performer Shreya Ghoshal. > > Delhi-6, the title track, is a jumble of contemporary styles featuring the > Tamil rapper, BlaaZe. The song can be seen as an effort to try to capture > the two sides (both geographic and metaphorical) of the city in which the > movie is set. The north-central side, wherein lies Chandni Chowk, is known > for its crowded lanes, mosques and delicious Mughlai cuisine. The southern > part of the city, better known as New Delhi is just that: a hub of embassies > and gleaming government offices alongside the well-scrubbed façades of > five-star hotels and wide, tree-lined streets. > > On Rehna Tu (You Stay) the producer leads the vocals in a duet with Tanvi > Shah. This track is typical Rahman in at least two senses. Firstly he is > known for appearing on at least one track on each of his albums and, > secondly, he is responsible for discovering a number of prominent Bollywood > playback singers, including Shah, with whom he first worked in 2004. > > Genda Phool (Marigold Flower), meanwhile, is just beautiful. Rahman mixes > looped synthesised bass into a slow and simple Rajasthani folk song. It > sounds basic, but it is this kind of restrained fusion that sets him apart. > Indeed this has the subtle, contemporary appeal could place it squarely in > the Indian charts. > > In short, this soundtrack is not for those looking for cliched Bollywood > music, which often involves little more than unimaginative beats designed > for actors to dance to, staidly remixed by popular DJs. Delhi-6 is in a > different class altogether. With its exploration of the delicate nuances of > South Asian classical music, it rewards careful listening. Whatever happens > at the Oscars we can expect Rahman to be more of a presence in the > international scene from now on, bringing his eastern sensibilities with him > and applying them to the music of the world. > http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090211/ART/181134524/-1/SPORT > > -- > regards, > Vithur > > > > >
