Jaya He! *Artist:* A R Rahman, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Sonu Niigaam, Hariharan, Mumbai Film Choir and others *Music Director:* A R Rahman *Lyricist:* Rabindranath Tagore, Traditional *Label:* Times Music *Genre: *Others<http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicopedia/music_articles.php?mid=61> [image: lyrics] Printer-Friendly Version<http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicreporter/printreview.php?printid=272> [image: Forward] <javascript: ;> Review: This album deserves a standing ovation. And that's not just because it has six different versions of the national anthem. With very limited material, our resident genius A R Rahman has pulled off a spectacular success. It is the ultimate album of patriotic numbers and he's got the who's who of Indian musicians to sing for him.
The album begins with an orchestral version of ‘Jana Gana Mana’. It has a majestic sound with the horns blaring out fully. If there are strings, they are very subtle; so subtle that until the very end (the 'Jaya He' bit), they're almost not audible. The second song, ‘Azaadi<http://www.planetradiocity.com/radiolounge/items_load.php?level=1&id=172&flv=http://music.planetradiocity.com/uploadtracks/jaya-he-azaadi.flv&pagenum=2&sname=Azaadi>’, starts off with an operatic flavour with vocal overlays that continue for half a minute. Then the song segues into Rahman singing in his spare style, not overly modulated. The lines ‘Kal tak mein tanha’ is spectacularly rendered and gooseflesh inducing. Rahman is one of our better singers, and that is constantly being forgotten in the midst of his talent as a composer. When he goes ‘Azaadi.... paayenge’, it is clear that there are very few male singers who could have achieved that pitch. Wish he'd sing a lot more often! The collective ‘Jana Gana’ has been heard often on Doordarshan and is superb with or without its video. Packed with classical singers, the song is kicked off by Lata Mangeshkar and she is followed by Pt Jasraj and Pt Bhimsen Joshi, along with some of the best singers of the last 50 years. It is possibly the best version of this song ever sung. ‘Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja<http://www.planetradiocity.com/radiolounge/items_load.php?level=1&id=172&flv=http://music.planetradiocity.com/uploadtracks/jaya-he-kadam-kadam-badhaye-ja.flv&pagenum=1&sname=Kadam%20Kadam%20Badhaye%20Ja>’ is set to the rat-a-tat of a military drumbeat with a horn blaring the melody out. The song is sung by the Mumbai Film Choir. They have done it brilliantly, and for most of the song you can only hear a united voice. The song itself is beautifully written in Urdu and has lines like ‘Yeh zindagi hai quam ki, tu quam pe lootayeja’. There is also an instrumental version of ‘Kadam Kadam Badhayeja’ on the album. Review: ‘Desh Ki Mitti<http://www.planetradiocity.com/radiolounge/items_load.php?level=1&id=172&flv=http://music.planetradiocity.com/uploadtracks/jaya-he-desh-ki-mitti.flv&pagenum=2&sname=Desh%20Ki%20Mitti>’ starts off very softly and Sonu Niigaam is very fine with his singing. He remains the singer who can communicate longing better than any other biggie in Bollywood. But the song is weak in melody and overall a let-down. The choir chips in again, but that bit is a washout. One feels that Rahman had to include something other than the various versions of the national anthem. Lata’s solo version of ‘Jana Gana Mana<http://www.planetradiocity.com/radiolounge/items_load.php?level=1&id=172&flv=http://music.planetradiocity.com/uploadtracks/jaya-he-jana-gana-mana-lata.flv&pagenum=1&sname=Jana%20Gana%20Mana%20(Lata%20Mangeshkar)>’ is differentiated by a creeping tension which comes from plucked strings. She has very little music other than this and at ‘Tava Jaya Gatha’ it dies down for just the line before coming back. To know why Lata Mangeshkar – who's been old for over 20 years – is a legend, you have to go to the end. ‘Jaya He, Jaya He, Jaya He’ is at full Lata-pitch, and that means that it is probably unsingable by 99 per cent of today's singers because it's too high. And that's why there's only one Lata. ‘Ekla Chalo Re<http://www.planetradiocity.com/radiolounge/items_load.php?level=1&id=172&flv=http://music.planetradiocity.com/uploadtracks/jaya-he-akela-chalo.flv&pagenum=2&sname=Ekla%20Chalo>’, a poem by Rabindranath Tagore, was a great favourite of Mahatma Gandhi's. And this is a first-rate version by Sonu Niigaam. The song opens with a very good Bengali accent and spartan orchestration. Then Sonu comes along in Hindi – ‘tanha rahi apna raah chalta jayega’. The song has lots of strings and that softens the song even further as it becomes pure poetry. ‘Jana Gana Mana<http://www.planetradiocity.com/radiolounge/items_load.php?level=1&id=172&flv=http://music.planetradiocity.com/uploadtracks/jaya-he-jana-gana-mana-asha-bhsole.flv&pagenum=1&sname=Jana%20Gana%20Mana%20(Asha%20Bhsole)>’ comes up again twice towards the end, the first time with Asha Bhosle. Her version, just like her sister's solo, has very little music for the most part. I have always thought Asha's singing to be more emotional, but this has been difficult to say because the sisters have never sung the same song. This time they have, and I can say that my sentiment is borne out. Asha's singing, while technically not like sister Lata's, is a better carrier of emotion. She is in top form on this song and perhaps the greatness of it brings that out in her. Another variation comes by way of ‘Desh Ka Salaam<http://www.planetradiocity.com/radiolounge/items_load.php?level=1&id=172&flv=http://music.planetradiocity.com/uploadtracks/jaya-he-desh-ka-salaam-hariharan.flv&pagenum=2&sname=Desh%20Ka%20Salaam%20(Hariharan)>’. Hariharan, who is normally a very low singer, starts off very high. He sings a tarana, which few Bollywood singers can do because they don't have a classical background. It's a one and a half minute song that has no music other than a tanpura. Only Hariharan could have pulled it off. And, of course, only Rahman could have pulled this album off. http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicreporter/review.php?reviewid=272&pgno=2 -- regards, Vithur
