Life, quite frequently presents some exemplary and inspirational creations that never fail to instil a sense of euphoria even in the soberest of souls. While a variety of incidents could have this effect on people, one common source of exhilaration is listening to stimulating and invigorating music.
This singular sense of musical ecstasy was often associated with Carnatic musicians of yester years and classical composers of yonder.... Today ARR provides some of the most pleasing music to the ears of connoisseurs and dabblers alike.
A.R. Rehman, in his maiden attempt in Tamil, after etching his footprints in the annals of international film industry through the Oscars have yet again come up with an album that is both great to hear and has sound musical values!
As soon as one listens to the songs of Vinnaithandi Varuvaya movie, the unmistakable ARR signatures are there to feel. Love at first sight never happens to be the forte of ARR for some strange reason; if you are not too impressed with the songs when you listen to them for the first time you need not be surprised. All you have to do is, give it sometime for the alluring yet unheard of tunes to sink in!
‘Mannipaaya ‘turns out to be seven minutes of absolute bliss. A romantic melody in the voices of Shreya Goshal and ARR himself is a perfect song, which coupled with the artistic lyrics of Thamarai brings out the context of the song vividly. To imagine how the scenes would be portrayed by Gowtham Menon is an entirely different proposition! Thirukural recited in the background provides a perfect menagerie of Carnatic poetry.
Talking about ARR and knowing that these days he is intent on bringing out western music as an appurtenance for Tamil music, he makes it a habit to render at least one of his songs to stake that claim. O Mana Penna is a perfect composition for Benny who comes out all guns blazing with a stylish number. A song which has an abundant application of western percussion is cloistered with traditional Carnatic tunes to rivet the pure minded musical detractors.
Western country side music has always been one of my favourite varieties of music and not long ago was I wondering with yearn when people would start composing songs in that genre in Kollywood or Hollywood albums. Aaromale, a seemingly out of context song in a Tamil movie for almost the song in its entirety is written in Malayalam, has been a godsend, answering my mute prayers! Guitar chords that very closely resemble the country music which goes along with beautiful Malayalam and Tamil lyrics is an out of the world experience for people who have the soul and taste enough to open their hearts and ears to it. It could very well be the pinnacle that marks the summit of Indian and western music. Never ever had they both been blended so intuitively since the English note by the one great Mani Iyer!
Kannukkul Kannai leaves one in no less a wonder than the other songs of the album. Violin interludes in the song show Yaani is not the only one capable of composing breathtakingly quick notes.
If you are too worried about an album being entirely made of soft music you have a peppy score in Anbil Avan which is sung by one of the sharpest female voices of India in the recent years, Chinmayi. Her ability to capture Carnatic Sangathis are nothing new and this song is a neat and different approach to projecting her voice.
Finally a mention is absolutely required of the one song which has a high probability of making it to the top and staying there for a long time, Hosanna! A unique effort to amalgamate Indian melody with western melody adorned by the rap of ‘Blaze’ makes it in an instantly likeable score!
The lyrics of all the songs stand as a resounding testimony to the efficiency of Thamarai!
Proponents of Isai GNyani Illayaraja and others might find themselves holding on to minor faults in the album. In some places one might have to say that the music submerges the voice of the singers. But this style of music has its own place in the world arena and one cannot be too critical to undermine it as an aberration. ARR remains to be the only one to have the depth and dare to explore the various manifestations of music and yet come up with compositions that have great cultural and universal appeal.
To have heard that MJ wanted to do an album with ARR makes one sad. What has the world been deprived of???
