Tuesday, August 15, 2006

New York Nagram ...and SOK


How many times can you hear a song over and over again till you are not tired if it ?
5 times, 10 times, 20 times, 30 times, never ....

The song 'New York Nagram' from the album Sillunu Oru Kaadhal probably for me falls into the last category. Everything about the song ....its music, its lyrics, the vocals by Rahman is absolutely perfect. The humming at the start, the strumming of the guitar, the beats and then the vocals, Rahmans voice breaks through and the magic starts .....I probably have no words to describe this song ..hear it to experience it .....blessed am I ....really really blessed am I :-)



The album itself ....is an awesome one :
1) Title track - Jillunu Oru Kaadhal by Tanvi - with its amazing Jazz and Blues feel is one of the best I have ever heard.

2) Kummi Adi - An amazing dance number with beats the probably will force u to get up an dance. Again, the choice of vocals in this song are amazing - how does Rahman know who will sound good for a song ...how does the man know when to stop a particular singer and get the next one started ....a perfect demonstration of playing with voices, in this song ...this one was the one which initially got me hooked onto this album ...

3) Munbae Vaa - What can you say about a romantic song, that has Shreya Ghosal and Naresh Iyer in them and music by Rahman ....it has to be fabulous and sure it is .....again ....beautiful interludes with vocalists doing the 'Rangoli Bit' ....stunning ..piece .....

The remaining songs ...they are situational ones, wonderful orchestrations in each of them ..


The wait now for the movie .....

Today - 15th August is India's independence day .....wishes to everyone

-A

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Lows, Highs and another Memphis Trip


Some lows, some highs and a Memphis trip .....that sums up my time over the past few days ...

Lows being some lapses in plans laid out for this month ....some more months of pain to endure now thanks to some great people.

The High being the "over with the waiting period" for the release of a Rahman album ...yes JOK or SOK as now its called (Sillunu Oru Kaadhal)

Memphis yet again
Am in Memphis as I write this post ....a official trip ....its scorching hot here as is the rest of the country ....

Went to Beale street this time ....they say its the street which breathes Jazz n Blues and it sure did ... Heard the Memhis Jazz Orchestra for an hour or so ....awesome experience ..I must say ....
There were so many artistes playing out on that street on that Sunday evening that, for a person like me and my colleague, both of us so much into music, it was more than we could handle. There was this little boy (probably 12-13 years old) who was playing the trumpet on the street ..and probably he was the biggest crowd-puller. Such an amazing control he had on the instrument that none of us could stop raving about it ...even my colleague who himself is a part-time professional Trombone player ....
Guess we will head out to beale street again on Thursday night ...

The trip ends on Friday .....

SOK or JOK by AR Rahman
or shall I say ...food for the music starved ...
7 songs ....3 of them which have already captivated me downright....the rest of them still making their way up my musical veins :-)

I won't comment like some others on the net saying that this is going to be a hit or not. Though what I say is that some will like it and some won't. Though, for any die-hard rahmaniac like me, this is yet another awesome album ....

As for Rahman the singer, I should say, that with each passing song he croons, he surpasses himself all over again ....

today is a day to drown ....drown in a Rahman magic called 'Jillunu Oru Kaadhal'.
today might also be a day to drown in a pool (the temp. here is a scorching 105).
today is also a day of sadness as have been the past few days...

life goes on ....

more on JOK/SOK later ...

-A