(You can listen to the soundtrack here.)

When I saw SPB in the credits of Puthiya Manidha I expected the massy yet majestic, philosophical sort of hero song that he usually sings for Rajni, but what greeted me instead was a blast of techno sounds and synthesized voices. Fortunately the vocals are not processed for the entire song and hence we get to enjoy SPB’s vocal brilliance sans adulteration about half way into the song. I am not sure if Khatija Rahman actually sounds that way or there is an electronic assistance, but whatever it is she sounds fantastic! And there are enough Rahman-special elements in the song to make it enjoyable on the whole, but in a very sophisticated way, not the kind generally expected of SPB-Rajni combo.
The moment you hear the beautiful acoustic guitar opening for Kadhal Anukkal you know that nothing can go wrong in this one. And true to expectations a mesmerizing melody follows, Vijay Prakash and Shreya Ghoshal totally rocking the vocals. Them and ARR’s breezy arrangement which includes some surprise elements like the Celtic first interlude – Kadhal Anukkal is instant addiction! Irumbile Oru Idaiyam is a sharp contrast however, an average tune with an overdose of electronic instruments. Kash and Krissy accompany Rahman on the vocals for this one. The under 3 minute Chitti Dance Showcase rendered by Pradeep Vijay, Pravin Mani and Yogi B is a pot pourri of sorts, featuring everything from electronic to konnakol to orchestral elements. And hence it is interesting in parts. But when taken in its entirety it doesn’t make much sense. May be watching it in the movie will give a better idea. Arima Arima is all about orchestral extravagance, Rahman employing an entire range of instruments to effect that imposing feel. I can already picture a Vaaji Vaaji type of setting for this one. And with Hariharan, Sadhna Sargam and the chorus doing a fab job at the vocals as well, Arima Arima is a winner!
Kilimanjaro is entertaining for its tribal fusion elements in arrangement and the vocal efforts of Javed Ali and Chinmayi rather than for the tune per se. It is interesting to note the various instruments, specially the percussion, that make appearance at different points of the song. The soundtrack closes on a relatively lowkey note, with another electronic-soaked track, Boom Boom Robo Da, sung by Yogi B, Swetha Mohan, Kirti Sagathia and Tanvi Shah. Though the base tune is middling, it too does have its interesting points, especially the Middle Eastern elements in places.
While the soundtrack of Endhiran has enough fodder to delight a connoisseur, it remains to be seen how much its sophistication will appeal to the masses, who are after all Rajni’s primary target.

Music Aloud Rating: 8.5/10

Recommended Tracks: Kadhal Anukkal, Arima Arima, Puthiya Manidha

She made her debut with Dhoka in SEL‘s Johnny Gaddaar, and has since then been a regular feature in almost all of SEL’s compositions. In between she also sang for Amit Trivedi‘s Dev D, but that big break kept eluding her. And that happened earlier this month, with Amit Trivedi’s Aisha. And while her Lehrein has been creating lehrein all around, we decided to do an interview of singer Anusha Mani, and here it is!

Could you tell us about your background?
My background in music has been Carnatic classical since its been a family influence… I’ve been singing since childhood but never thought of taking it up professionally.

What were your musical activities prior to entering Bollywood?
Musical activities were college competitions cultural events etc. just like how any other singer would do for fun

Shankar Ehsaan Loy have been your mainstay in Bollywood so far, their scores forming the majority of your repertoire. So how did you get to work for the trio?
Working with SEL has been a dream come true.. i did an album with Amit Trivedi many years ago which i played to Shankar and I got the privilege to sing for him in Johnny Gaddar.. There was no looking back since then…. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for making this happen…

You also happened to sing a song in the pathbreaking soundtrack that was Dev D. Tell us about it.
The song in Dev D was actually a song from my album with Amit we had done years back… Anurag Kashyap heard the song and loved it and wanted it for his film…

How would you compare the experiences of working with SEL and Amit Trivedi, considering they are the two composers you have worked with the most?
There’s no comparison between musicians because everyone has a different style of working… I ve known Amit for a very long time so the comfort level was different… SEL are great fun to work with cause they give you the creative space to play with the song but also give inputs which makes it easier to sing the song…

So how has life changed after Lehrein, one of the best songs of Aisha and presumably your biggest break yet?
Life hasn’t changed after Aisha but yes a lot of people are loving the song and it feels great when your work gets appreciated.. And yes its a great song and Amit Trivedi has yet again proved that he’s different and versatile and has a sound of his own!! Am really glad and feel blessed am getting to work with great musicians in the beginning of my career.. Of course many more great ones to follow too.

You seem to be rather selective in Bollywood. Is it that the concerts have been keeping you busy?
I haven’t been selective at all.. Am actually doing everything that comes my way. I want to work with everyone from the fraternity.. I’ve also been busy doing a lot of ad work.

A lot of singers are going the private album way. Any such plans?
No plans for an album so far.. May be sometime later when original music gets better recognition in india..

What are your upcoming projects?
I believe in going with the flow… Going with the tide.. In terms of projects there is a song from a Farhan Akhtar film called Game with Abhishek Bachchan in it… Its a duet with Shankar Mahadevan. Music by SEL.

Who are your idols? Any music director you long to work for?
I’d like to work with everyone around.. Of course A R Rahman is on top of the list.. I love the work of a lot of people including Vishal Bharadwaj, Vishal Shekhar, M M Kreem, Pritam. I idolize Shankar Mahadevan to a huge extent .. He’s been my inspiration to improve and get better. Sharing the stage with him has been the best gift ?God could’ve given me!!

Pritam tries to give his own flavour to the Lata Mangeshkar classic Aa Jaane Jaa in his remix, but fails quite comprehensively,undone by an overdose of electronic elements. Even the efforts of Akriti Kakar and Javed Jaffrey are not enough to prop it up. I would trade this for the Instant Karma version any day. Band Baaja is engaging, but in a very Billo Rani-esque way and that repeat factor wears you down after a bit. Adding to matters is Richa Sharma once again at the helm of affairs. Its better than its remix though. And also better than Dil To Saala which follows next, a very bland composition. Wasteful usage of Sunidhi‘s voice once again. At this rate her bad songs will far outnumber her good ones by the end of her career, which would be very unfortunate for a singer of her caliber.
Attrah Baras is marginally better than the previous two songs, but only marginally, thanks mainly to Suzanne D’Mello‘s sprightly vocals. The arrangement here too is a below par affair. Working Girls which brings up the rear, has an orchestration which is interesting in parts, and a decent vocal effort by Shweta Pandit, Ritu Pathak and Priyadarshini. But whatever interesting points it has gets drowned in the super-useless lyrics!
A pretty forgetful soundtrack from Pritam. But for a movie titled Hello Darling, I don’t think a much better effort was called for in any case.
Music Aloud Rating: 5/10
Recommended Tracks: Not really.

Pritam starts off the soundtrack with a brilliantly orchestrated melody called Mera Jeena, sung by Neeraj Sridhar. A song that meanders through some breezy orchestration dominated by piano and flute for about a minute and a half before switching gears to rock, Mera Jeena provides the perfect start for the album. The remix is not that impressive though, with an overdose of dance pop elements. Pritam is always good doing songs with Latino elements, one of my faves being Falak Dekhoon. Following on similar lines, Dilkash Dildaar Duniya also starts off on a haunting note buoyed by Shaan‘s soulful vocals. That is until misfortune strikes the song in the form of Tulsi Kumar‘s singing! Nevertheless the song makes for a good listen if you decide to ignore the above-mentioned component. The remix is passable.

After Pritam it is the turn of Pakistani singer-composer Shiraz Uppal, who does a re-rendition of a song from his album Ankahi, Rabba. A very feel good sort of song with its peppy youthful orchestration and the man’s singing all fitting to a tee. After that the baton is passed on to Salim-Sulaiman who do four more songs for the album. But things take a relative dip in their first song Ab Mujhko Jeena, in spite of seeing Zubeen Garg return after a long gap. The base tune is in fact decent, but its the banal arrangement that becomes the song’s undoing. Same goes for the remix. Shukriya Zindagi sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali has a very strong deja-vu feel about it, but is engaging nevertheless, thanks to Shafqat’s vocal brilliance and Salim-Sulaiman’s innovation in the arrangement which stands out in places. There is also a short sad version of the song which is for most part Shafqat’s solo act. The feel kind of reminded me of Yeh Hausla. The remix is in bad taste however, robbing the song of all its beauty.

The real clincher from the duo comes in the form of Pal Mein. With mildly ambient orchestration reminiscent of some of the compositions from their previous outings with Nagesh Kukunoor, the composers get it totally right with the vocalists for the two versions – Shreya Ghoshal and Shankar Mahadevan. And though both do their parts brilliantly, the mood of the song is more fit for the female voice and hence Shreya’s version rates higher. And finally there is Mohit Chauhan crooning yet another melody, Chala Aaya Pyar, a very hummable tune but again replete with heard-before elements. Not upto Salim Sulaiman’s standards, especially in comparison to what came before this song, but good nevertheless.

With each of the three composers contributing his bit, the 13-song soundtrack of Aashayein has enough good music to make it worthwhile.

Music Aloud Rating: 8/10

Recommended Tracks: Pal Mein, Rabba, Mera Jeena

Coke Studio is one of the best things that happened to me last year. This whole concept of bringing musicians from different bands together and making them collaborate and reinterpret their music was simply superb. Coke Studio also introduced me to lots of Pakistani musicians like Noori, Javed Bashir, Arief Lohar to name a few. But the ones that impressed me the most was the duo Zeb and Haniya.

Zebunnisa Bangash and Haniya Aslam are cousins from Islamabad. Zeb is the singer and she is a classically trained one. Haniya is the guitarist and songwriter. What makes Zeb and Haniya stand is not just the fact that they are a two-women band from Pakistan but the sheer quality of their music. They are in fact making a statement simply by existing and performing at this level. Even Coke Studio for that matter while beaming thse beautiful songs out of Pakistan is doing something what hours of diplomacy fails to do.

Coming back to Zeb and Haniya, their first album Chup was produced by Mekaal Hasan and figured the who’s who of Pakistani Rock scene as session musicians. The song Aah is beautifully rendered by Zeb, the fusion of her Hindustani classical-based vocals and the blues arrangement of the orchestra is surreal. Kabhi na Kabhi starts off like a jazz number in Urdu but progresses into a rock interlude only to slip back into its initial Jazz groove. The singer is ably complimented by the trumpeter in this track. Daam is a track in the traditions of smooth jazz, the usage of flute as the instrument of choice has paid off and the instrument gels well into the mood of the song. If I am right, Haniya joins Zeb in singing in this track.
The song which I have repeatedly listened, the one which I have kept on singing for days is Chal Diyay. This is one killer of a song. It has that ability to haunt and make you listen to it again and again. I first heard the Coke Studio version wherein Javed Bashir jams with Zeb and Haniya. Coke Studio version is more rooted in Hindustani tradition, while the Chup version is much more westernized with fusion realized only the form of Zeb’s singing and she has delievered it with aplomb. The song scores for its simplicity and it is this quality which makes it listenable in a loop.

Paimona Bitte is a song attributed to Omar Khayyam the Persian poet, it is written in Dari. Dari is also known as Afghani Persian and is one of the two official languages in Afghanistan. The Coke Studio version has a rubab intro which takes the song back to its place of origin. The Chup album version has a flute intro and is an easy listening track. Again Zeb’s voice does wonders here. I have a feeling that Jazz songs sounds the best when sung by women singers. Jazz fusion is not new in the sub-continent, Bollywood composers right from O.P. Nayyar to A. R. Rahman have composed tunes inspired by Jazz. Shankar Jaikishan even came out with a Jazz-Raga fusion album, as early as 1968. Susheela Raman‘s carnatic-jazz fusion works will probably make a good comparative study. But what makes the Zeb and Haniya unique is the choice of elements of fusion. At one end you have smooth jazz, swing and funk and the other the Sufi folk traditions. Out of the whole gamut of Jazz, these styles are the most captivating to a beginner, jazz standards by masters can leave a new listener completely baffled by their time signatures and other intricacies. And Sufi folk music, need I say anything more? Folk music is music of the people, it is the music which is etched into our DNA eventhough we are totally unaware of it. These tunes have been reverberating in the atmosphere for centuries, that is probably why you develop an instant liking to it, the moment you listen. As if you are remembering something from your past life. What Zeb and Haniya has done is to mix milk and honey and what we have is “Chup”. Go give it a listen on their fb page and be enamoured.

On recent developments, Zeb and Haniya have recorded some new songs for the latest Coke Studio Season. You can read our reviews of Coke Studio Season 3 here – Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4.

(To view each song, click on song title.)

Noori opened Episode 4 (Form) with a family affair, so to say. The song, Hor Vi Neevan Ho, featured the duo’s mother Noor Zehra playing the Sagar Veena, an instrument developed by her father. The instrument kind of reminded me of the Chitra Veena with its equal-sized gourds, the slider etc, except that Sagar Veena sounds lighter. Coming back to the song however, another gem from the band, a mellow semiclassical-folk song. Karavan followed next with Kaisay Mumkin Hai, a performance way better than their act in Episode 1. Of course, the melancholy was still there and so was the rock flavour, but the violin made all the difference! The tune was also more engaging this time.
Zeb and Haniya, quite unsurprisingly, entered with another entertaining tune. This time they chose a Turkish song, Nazaar Eyle, and the highlight of the song is its beat structure. And the vocals, both Zeb’s western tinge in rendition and the choral harmonies. AND the duel between the instrumentals and the vocals for the last 1.5 minutes! Two outstanding singers were up next, Amanat Ali and Sanam Marvi, with another sufi song called Haq Maujood. From the initial alaap the raag seemed to be Ahir Bhairav. And it is the singers’ brilliance that is the standout factor, the trance-like progression bound to get you hooked. The episode ended with Arif Lohar‘s rendition of Mirza Saahibaan. While Lohar’s delivery was energetic enough, in this composition he had the entire orchestra following in at a frenzied pace. But the song sort of went crazy towards the end, the electronic elements a bit of an overkill.
With four more super tracks from Episode 4 to its tally, Coke Studio’s fantastic run in Season 3 continues unabated. Noori and Zeb & Haniya..absolutely out of words!
Music Aloud Rating: 8.5/10
Recommended Tracks: Hor Vi Neevan Ho, Nazaar Eyle, Haq Maujood

Ajay Parasuraman

I know I promised that the next post would be on Ragas but there was a concert review in the pipeline as well. So, this comes before that.

Due to travel issues and budget constraints, I was forced to stay out of T.M Krishna and Sangeetha Sivakumar‘s concert at Narada Gana Sabha. While strolling aimlessly, I chanced upon one other concert which was supposed to be happening at one of the closest venues from my home – one of Sudha Raghunathan(more likely to be identified with this song), which was held as a part of the 75th Avatara Mahotsavam of Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal at Krishna Gana Sabha on 19th July 2010. The audience — with grey-haired men and women all around, I was probably the only one who brought down the average age of people present there, which was about 55 — were made to wait for about half-an-hour from the scheduled start during which the chief guest, Sri Sri Jayendra Swamigal, made his way through to the stage amidst loud chants of ‘Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara’ and variations of the same.

The mini-concert (as it wasn’t an actual full-fledged concert as such) started off with a piece popularized by M.S Subbulakshmi in her times — a shloka on Dakshinamoorthy. Then, she sang the very popular Muthuswamy Dikshithar kriti Vatapi in the Raga Hamsadhwani. The song as you know is in praise of Lord Ganesha and usually, it sets the pace for the rest of the concert to follow. Blame it on the audio system or the constantly murmuring crowd, the performance didn’t live up to expectations. Sudha lacked her usual ferocity as she delivered the sangatis with effort. Her usually vibrant voice refused to abide by her wishes. I frankly felt like the adjudicator at one of the High School Carnatic competitions.

Then she started off singing the anupallavi of the Thyagaraja composition Mokshamu Galadha in the Raga Saramati — Now, I’m opposed to such antics as singing the composition from the last and moving on to the start of it. Picture a composition in praise of Rama that starts off with Hanuman landing in Lanka and ends with Rama’s Pattabhishekam. How would it be if one sung the Pattabhishekam first and then of Sita being held captive in Lanka. The entire intended meaning of a song is reversed. In any case, I’ll let that one go by for now.

The mini-concert took a ‘mini’ break for an hour or so, and we were treated to a very enlightening discourse by Kanchi Periyavaa himself! The concert resumed as soon as the related festivities were done with. The second-half, so to say, began with Mamavatu Sri Saraswati in the Raga Hindolam. Then, the evergreen song extremely popular at Navaratri concerts, Annapoorne Visalakshi in the Raga Sama was sung.

On the whole, we were treated to a lacklustre and mediocre performance from someone whose reputation ranks among the highest in their field. Sudha’s voice lacked the usual tenacity of sangati delivery and effortless brigas. The Chennai kutcheri crowd are among the most demanding and ardent rasikas there are. Did Sudha satisfy their palates? I don’t think so.

I know I promised that the next post would be on Ragas but there was a concert review in the pipeline as well. So, this comes before that.

Due to travel issues and budget constraints, I was forced to stay out of T.M Krishna and Sangeetha Sivakumar’s concert at Narada Gana Sabha. While strolling aimlessly, I chanced upon one other concert which was supposed to be happening at one of the closest venues from my home.

Pic courtesy: Varun Thotathil

“Naveen has given the flute a new identity, creating extraordinary music with his unique genius.” – A R Rahman‘s quote for the cover of Naveen’s debut fusion album called Fluid. Rahman couldn’t have summed up in better words the man who has represented a paramount part of his music, from Roja to Raavan, and is even as I write this, with him as part of his World tour somewhere in Europe. Not many know however, that Naveen has been in the industry much before Rahman came in, and over the nearly three decades he has been around, has played for almost every major composer from South to North, and even outside of India. Kal Ho Na Ho‘s instrumental theme, Zara Zara from RHTDM, Talvin Singh‘s Butterfly (Veena) – if you happen to like any of these tracks there isn’t a chance you would miss Naveen’s woodwind magic in each of them. So here is a nice way to engage your lazy Sunday afternoon as we take you through Naveen’s musical journey in an exclusive interview. For best results play some of Naveen’s classics in the background. We would advise you not to miss the videos at the end, especially the last two.

You have been in the film industry since 1983. But not much is known about your career

before the point when Roja’s music took everyone by storm. Can you tell us a bit about your

works till then? How did you happen to join hands with A R Rahman for Roja?

Mr.Ilayaraja introduced me in his film Thaavani Kanavugal. With him I played for many hits like Raasathi Unnai and the movie My Dear Kuttichaathan. I made use of Chinese flute for the background music of My Dear Kuttichaathan. Also played for a flute-oriented film called Sirivennela. I composed music for 7 Telugu films and 35 devotional albums. Being a free-lance musician I used to work in those days with the Telugu music director Mr. Ramesh Naidu. It was there that I met A R Rahman. He then invited me to play for him. I am proud to say that I have been working with him from his commercials stage.

Lets talk about your 2 private albums, Fluid and Cafe Fluid. Both of them had a lot of classical

influence to them. For instance Mohanam or Fantasyflute is a pure ad-lib sort of a track. So

how much of the albums were pre-composed and how much of them were sort of like live

jamming sessions?

Actually my working style when composing is slightly different. I draw inspiration from simple things. And try to sound more natural. Giving it a little storyboard and then putting tune. Being a self taught musician I am influenced by different kinds of music, so I am able to express myself easy with the music I compose.

How has the response been so far to Cafe Fluid? What do you think of the direction in

which fusion music, more specifically classical fusion, is headed?

Cafe Fluid is doing wonderfully. It has found a place in the music charts and I am very happy for it. Nowadays people are more open taking in different forms of music and interacting with it. Its great that we are able to understand the beauty of music. Music has no langauge, so whatever comes from the heart with pure elements will definitely be accepted, whether it is classical or world. Specially in case of music like classical, people like it because that is their tradition. So its fun to make such music.

A lot of your compatriots, like Sivamani, Louiz Banks, Mandolin Srinivas etc are part of a lot

of fusion ensembles. Are you part of any such group? Or are the film assignments keeping

you too busy for all that?

I am performing with the title Fluid in public. Have done a couple of shows locally, Jaipur and Delhi. Also being a free-lance musician I have also played with Mr. Sivamani, Louiz Banks, Sultan ji, Mandolin Srinivas etc. We have done a show with Mr. John McLaughlin. I have also performed in places like Blue Frog Mumbai. But I am mainly into sessions with composers, working in main stream Bollywood and commercials.

Tell us about the experience of performing live with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

It was a wonderful opportunity to be playing along with them. With our music (ARR’s compositions), and the Symphony playing with a lots of dynamics and different variations being introduced by them it sounded so..ultimate! I was so thrilled to play, felt a sort of happiness equivalent to coming back home.

You have worked with almost every leading composer in India over your long career, though,

your best contributions almost always happen for ARR. How would you compare the

experience of working with ARR and with others?

I am so well branded as ARR’s musician that whatever I play gets likened to ARR’s tunes. Of course I always try to give my best output with every one. All my work with Pritam, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Sajid-Wajid, Salim Sulaiman and others have been very good. Dhoom,Veer Zaara, Taare Zameen Par, Rab Ne Banaa Di Jodi, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi..lots..
Not many people know that I have also sung seconds for about 20 songs in Tamil, for ARR, MM Keeravani and Deva. Songs like Kaadhal Sadugudu from Mani Sir’s Alaipaayuthey and Deva’s Salam Gulamu from Hello.

Flute is an instrument which is highly expressive and capable of portraying a complete range

of emotions. How much of the same depends on the skill/technique and how much on the

instrument itself?

It needs a personal touch for any instrument, the way you play. An instrument is an instrument at the end of it. Unless you try to put ur heart on it it will never sound its best. This requires a lot of practice, and belief in God and his works.

Following from the above question, from the vast array of flutes that you use, which is

your favourite and why?

I like the bamboo flute the most, because that is the one I have had from the beginning. It was presented to me by my dad Sri. Dharma Chari. And whenever I have a very sorrowful or very happy time in life I play it and get comfort from it.

What was the inspiration behind “The Naveen Flute”? Are you working on more sounds/flute

structures?

Once in studio while I was doing riyaz I noticed a sort of vibrating sounds, some kind of reverb. I found that it is coming from a guitar. So I thought why not introduce a string by the side of the flute. Thats how it started. I also invented a glass flute and an overtone flute. A lot more are coming up.

Could you tell us a bit about the current/upcoming projects you are engaged in?

Right now I am travelling with ARR for his world tour. Heading to Europe this week. Have done a couple of sessions for Pritam n SEL. Other than that I am doing a devotional album. And also my 3rd flute album. I am in fact looking forward to Hollywood, and have been getting a few offers.

Which are your favourites from tracks you have played for?

Some of my favourite tracks are Bombay Theme, Meenaxi movie album, Veer Zaara, Kal Ho Naa Ho title track, Harris Jayaraj‘s Zara Zara from Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein and Jab We Met

Just out of curiosity, is there any ARR project that you have had to miss?

Actually I have missed some of his projects, though very few. My last work was for Raavan, Khilli Re. I moved to Mumbai 7 years back, so whenever I go to Chennai I record projects for him if thats manageable, or at times when there is urgent requirement. For movies like Couples Retreat I played from Mumbai and he recorded me sitting in L.A. Having said that I am sure he doesn’t miss me. Whether I play for him or not he will complete his projects with full satisfaction.

The title song starts on a pretty promising note, sinister-sounding Middle Eastern bits that open the track and the rock template that then kicks in. Ronit Sarkar‘s singing is also quite in place. But somewhere as it progresses the song loses its edge and there the interest span also pretty much comes to an end. The song does have its high points though, courtesy Anandh‘s clever arrangement. Nevertheless, won’t rate among the best title songs I have heard to date, even counting just the rock-based ones. Things improve considerably come Mann Lafanga, a well-arranged melody with a leading country feel to it lent by the acoustic guitar, and sung well indeed by the current melody king Mohit Chauhan. Not so attractive is the club mix, spoiling the arrangement to a fair extent. A rock-based dance track follows next, Dhatad Tatad sung by Shail Hada and Anushka Manchanda. But I frankly didn’t find it very impressive despite the lively vocals. The arrangement is just about average, made up of cliche-ridden beats.
It is in Nain Parindey that Anandh really rises to his elements though, crafting a sedate melody with some subtle arrangement. Shilpa Rao‘s vocals have been utilized brilliantly in the song. Equally entertaining is the groovy rock-ish Rang Daalein, sung by Suraj Jagan. Anandh adds enough spunk in the arrangement to have you hooked. Especially loved the Celt elements that are introduced in the latter part of the song. The instumental track called Born To Fly closes the soundtrack, and is made up of three parts. Starting with a sad orchestral piece dominated by the piano and the strings, the song then moves into a guitar-led sequence before taking up a violent orchestral turn, the strings section literally going wild. The last part also features a brief orchestral version of the base tune of Dhatad Tatad and the tune sounds pretty interesting here unlike its original.
Three stand-out songs among six original tunes. Anandh returns after his rather long exile from Bollywood with a decent soundtrack, though given his past exploits (Agosh, Zor, the latest Limca jingles etc for the uninitiated) he could have done much better. You can listen to the songs here.
Music Aloud Rating: 7.5/10
Recommended Tracks: Nain Parindey, Mann Lafanga, Rang Daalein

Ajay Parasuraman

Indian Classical Music is broadly divided into two forms — Carnatic and Hindustani, both respectively popular in South and North India. Both forms share their origins to the Sama Veda — if you get a chance to attend a ritual done in the Sama Veda tradition, do listen to the pattern of flow of its hymns. Very musical!

However, the credit for the ‘invention’ of Carnatic Music, as we hear it now, goes to Purandara Dasa — hence, it is Purandara Dasa who has been referred to, widely, as being the ‘Father of Carnatic Music’. The history of the Hindustani form of rendering dates back to the period of The Elamites in Persia — around 800 BC. Purandara Dasa has influenced Hindustani music as well — the foremost and arguably the most famous proponent of Hindustani music and court musician of Akbar the Great, Tansen‘s guru Haridas Swami was a student of Purandara Dasa! On a slightly different although relevant note, Alexander the Great apparently raided his victims’ palace not only of jewels and the like,but also of Ancient Persian musical instruments, which played key roles in religious affairs of the time.

The most important text on music is Bharata Muni’s Natya Shaastra. Written circa 3rd century CE, the work deals extensively with music, dance, drama and also each of the emotional responses that the mind produces viz. a viz., the Nava Rasa’s ( lit. the Nine expressions)

All the technicalities — definitions of ‘raaga/raag‘, ‘taala/taal‘ etc — shall be taken care of in the forthcoming posts. This write-up was just to give you a very basic idea of the respective origins of the two branches. Little by little, we shall try and cover the entire spectrum of music (though, as they say, music is endless!).

Next post shall be about what a Raag/Raga is, different forms of compositions in each form — Varnam, Geetham etc in Carnatic. Dhrupad, Khayal etc in Hindustani. So, keep watching this space for more!