Guzarish, Behka

Song : Guzarish, Behka
Movie Name : Ghajini
Singer : Sonu Nigam, Javed Ali & Karthik
Music Director : AR Rehman

   A R Rehman spins his magic again, for a medicore film (sorry Amir Khan fans, but yeah, its a medicore film).  Guzarish is the instantly likeable number in this movie. Javed Ali, the new golden-voiced boy from Rehman's gang gets another hit song in his belt. What I love about this song is the initial humming by Sonu Nigam. It is short lived, but impactful. Its amazing how Rehman can summon someone of Sonu Nigam's calibre and give them only a small bit in a song! I love Behka, for the singing of Karthik. The opening interlude is awesome, and the charanams of the song are quite well done. 

Listen to this song at
Behka, Guzarish from Musicmazaa.com

Sangama

Song : Sangama
Movie Name : Sangama
Singer : Sagar, Divya
Music Director : Devisri Prasad

Devisri's foray into Kannada film industry brings us this awesome number which is doing really well! This song has been recently reused in the movie - King. I liked both versions (which are virtually identical). I like the female voice in this song a lot. In Telugu, the singer seems to have hit the low notes excellently, while in Kannada the two singers seem to be enjoying themselves really well! I hope Devisri doesnt use Sagar's voice execessively as his nasal accent can get on your nerves after a while. The fact that its the title song, gives the kannada version an edge.

Listen to this song at
Sangama from Musicmazaa.com

Yamuna Teeram

Song : Yamuna Teeram
Movie Name : Anand
Singer : Hariharan, Shreya Ghoshal
Music Director : K M Radhakrishna

Some songs remain with you for a long time. This is going to be one such song. Anand is my favourite album of this decade. This is the first CD that I was really proud of buying and I couldnt wait till I heard the songs over and over and over again. The composition is simply brilliant and I thought it brought a jolt in my dull perception of the music industry. I could immediately relate to the music. When I saw the movie in the theatre, I was immersed in the soundtrack and could not wait till the songs started. It was the first time that I was not ashamed of humming along with the song when it finally came towards the end! Kudos to K M Radhakrishna and I keep hoping that he has more where this came from!

Listen to this song at
Yamuna Teeram from Musicmazaa.com

Chitti Chilakavo

Song : Chitti Chilakavo
Movie Name : Keka
Singer : Hariharan, Kousalya
Music Director : Chakri

Good directors have the knack of extracting good music from the otherwise ordinary people. Case in point is Puri Jagan - Chakri (for IDIOT), Krishna Vamsi - Chakri (for Chakram) and Vamsy- Chakri (for Avunu Valliddaru Ishtapaddaru). This movie is going to go down in the same genre. This particular song has a Vamsy format which I think is the biggest redeeming feature  for Chakri. I can forgive his excessive use of his own voice and Kousalya's voice just for this gift of his. This song makes me have even higher hopes for his forthcoming combination with Vamsy (for Gopi, Gopika Godavari Teeram). 

Listen to this song at
Chitti Chilakavo from Musicmazaa.com

Yenno Yenno

Song : Yenno Yenno
Movie Name : Nenu Meeku Telusa ?
Singer : Premji Amaran, Harini
Music Director : Achu

This entry is for Premji Amaran and his hoarse voice that adds the extra coolness to this song! Once in a while there comes along a song like this where the singers bring out the flavour in the song in a new way. The freshness is addictive and it suits the slick factor associated with this film. Achu scores on this one!

Listen to this song at
Yenno Yenno from Musicmazaa.com

OK Anesa

Song : OK Anesa
Movie Name : Kotha Bangaru Lokam
Singer : Kalyani, Naresh Iyer
Music Director : Mickey J Meyer

The MD delivers again. So the gang of Happy Days split up and got sucked into individual projects. This one belongs to Varun and has very good music. The song starts with a zing thats maintained well till the end. Naresh Iyer scores again with soothing vocals. The other songs in the album are also worth a listen!

Listen to this song at
OK Anesa from Musicmazaa.com

Aadinchi Ashta Chamma

Song : Aadinchi Ashta Chamma
Movie Name : Ashta Chamma
Singer : SriKrishna
Music Director : Kalyani Malik

I dont know if its the rising popularity of Swathi or the simplicity of the tune that attracted me to this song. Its among my often heard songs. Good job by the new singer - SriKrishna. The rest of the album is pretty interesting too. Should the picturization hold up, the album is going to be pretty popular.

Listen to this song at
Aadinchi Ashta Chamma from Musicmazaa.com

Nazrein Milana

Song : Nazrein Milana
Movie Name : Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
Singer : Swetha Bharagave, Naresh Iyer, Satish Chandra
Music Director : A R Rehman

I am getting too old to remember the names of new singers. Its impossible for me to close my eyes and guess the names of the singers in Rehman's albums any longer, even if its someone as popular as Naresh Iyer! Add to it the voice modulations and what not! Its incredible that Rehman can still keep it all straight in his head and pick and choose the exact effect he wants for each song. This is a soulful rendition that will make you want to snap fingers and groove along with it!

Listen to this song at
Nazrein Milana from Musicmazaa.com

Happy New Year

Song : Happy New Year
Movie Name : Kuruvi
Singer : Yogi B, Sunidhi Chauhan, Dr Burn
Music Director : Vidyasagar

This song slipped by me when I heard it the firs time. Then I saw this mediocre movie and this song made me take notice. The song belongs to Yogi B and his heavy voice. I think this genre of mixing rap with local beats is an interesting experiment and it pays off in Kuruvi. Sunidhi Chauhan chips in very well and brings out the right essence in this song. My fav part of the song is

"Avan kangalai parthen, koralai keaten,
Asadu vetchen, oh manasu tetchevan,
Avan Singa kutty, sutha thanga katti, sollu ponna
Ilayathalapathy…!"

Listen to this song at
Happy New Year from Musicmazaa.com

Kangal Irundhal

Song : Kangal Irundhal

Movie Name : Subramaniyapuram
Singer : Belly Raj, Deepa Mariam
Music Director : James Vasanthan

I thought of writing this song as soon as I heard it because I knew I would like it all the way through and that it would stay with me for a while. The song strongly reminded me of "Chinna kannan azhaikkiran" composed by Illayaraja and sung by Balamurali Krishna. This entry is a tribute to that song. I heard Chinna Kannan when I saw an Illayaraja concert on youtube. The way he chided Yuvan for singing mechanically was awesome! :) Coming back to this song, I like it for the new singers who gave it a good feel. The other songs in the movie - not so much to talk about.

Listen to this song at
Kangal Irudhal from Musicmazaa.com

Jennifer Lopez

Song : Jennifer Lopez
Movie Name : Jalsa
Singer : Benny, Priya
Music Director :Devisri Prasad

I have heard this song only a few times and then one day while at the gym, this song just stuck with me. I think it was the stanza and the accent of the singers that appealed to me. And then later, when I remembered the interlude, I fell for it. Since then, I have been wanting to listen to this song a lot of times and today when I got to it, I wanted to write about it! My favourite part is the interlude

"...wanna wanna wo saana waana waana wo..."

and the line

"..naa zodiaccu signu ve nuvva ?!.."

Listen to this song at
Jennifer Lopez from Musicmazaa.com

Kabhi Kabhi Aditi

Song : Kabhi Kabhi Aditi
Movie Name : Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
Singer : Rashid Ali
Music Director : A R Rehman

I think I have heard this song about 10 times now, and thats just in one day. Interestingly, this is one of the recent albums of Rehman where I have liked a song that is not sung by Rehman himself. Unlike Jodha Akbar, Rehman seems to have gone for a minimal orchestrization to fit with the breezy feel to the theme of this movie. The song paints a picture of a guy trying to get a girl (Aditi) to smile and forget her sorrows and that goes for the tune as much as for the lyrics. The singer is however not impressive with his Adnan Sami-like singing.

Listen to this song at
Kabhi Kabhi Aditi from Musicmazaa.com

O Rey Chori

Song : O Rey Chori
Movie Name : Lagaan
Singer : Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik
Music Director : A R Rehman

I was browsing through some videos of Rehman on youtube when I saw this video that showed the recording of this song from Lagaan. Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik sitting in the studio sang the lyrics of the stanza while a feeble chord ran in the background. It was amazing! Alka Yagnik has a very sweet voice and this video highlighted that. Ever since that, I haven't been able to get this song off my mind. So, my favourite portion of this song is

"More mann mein thi jo baat chhupi Aayi hai jabaan par
More dil mein kahin ek teer jo tha Aaya hai kamaan par
Sun sun le sajan rahe janam janam Hum prem nagar ke baasi
Thaame thaame haath, rahe saath saath Kabhi doore ho na jara si
Chaloon main sang sang teri raah mein Bas teri chaah mein, ho oh oh oh"

A customary hat-tip to Rehman. There's no stopping this guy!

Listen to this song at
O Rey Chori from Musicmazaa.com

Dil Haara Re

Song : Dil Haara Re
Movie Name : Tashan
Singer : Sukhwinder Singh
Music Director : Vishal-Shekhar

This song is one that grew on me, more so after seeing the movie. Dil Haara Re and Tashan Mein seem to celebrate the singer more than anything else. Its a delight to listen to these two songs as the singers repay that trust with awesome performances! I think this is my first song since Chaiyya Chaiyya that I like of Sukhwinder Singh, for his vocals. The best part of this song is the prelude and the pallavi. So, just like that this album has crept to one of my recent favourites!

Listen to this song at
Dil Haara Re from Musicmazaa.com

Love Me

Song : Love Me
Movie Name : Bujjigadu
Singer : Sandeep Chowta, Nikita Nigam
Music Director : Sandeep Chowta

Got a chance to catch up with some latest songs over the weekend. As with any first listenings, I was looking for instantly catchy songs, and this one topped the list. I went from hating the voices to developing a liking for them by the end. As with most recent Sandeep Chowta compositions, this one devours the lyrics too, but all is fair for a good tune! :)

Listen to this song at
Love Me from Musicmazaa.com

O Vendi Vennela

Song : O Vendi Vennela
Movie Name : Little Soldiers
Singer : Sri, Srilekha
Music Director : Sri

Uma and I watched Little Soldiers over the weekend and I was reminded of how much I loved the songs of this movie back then. Firstly, the album was by Sri, my favourite music director back then. Secondly, the movie itself rocked because of the sensible direction and acting. The camera was handled by Rasool who was another favourite back then. All put together, I was on a high listening to the songs. And now, after many years and influences, this album still rocks. Srilekha's voice is a bit amateurish nevertheless sweet for this song. Sri is awesome as always!

Listen to this song at
O Vendi Vennela from Musicmazaa.com

Falak Tak

Song : Falak Tak
Movie Name : Tashan
Singer : Udit Narayan, Mahalakshmi
Music Director : Vishal-Shekhar

Tashan is the latest star-studded movie to hit Bollywood. The promos seem to promise an action packed fest, and the music lives up to it. This song will remind you of "Bol Na Halke Halke" and part of the reason is the choice of Mahalakshmi. She has a South-Indian sounding voice which is very melodious and soothing. This is an instantly likeable number, but the background strings catch on with repeated listenings.

Listen to this song at
Falak Tak from Musicmazaa.com

You & I, Chalore Chal

Song : You and I, Chalore Chal
Movie Name : Jalsa
Singer : Devisri Prasad
Music Director : Devisri Prasad

This kid is doing great for himself ever since the bad phase he went through, capping with Andaraivadu. With one exciting project lined after the other, he is delivering with a consistent success rate. You & I begins slowly but when it hits "You & I, lets go high and do bhalle bhalle!", the songs hits a high! The energy in "Chalore Chal" is almost infectious. Even though it reminds you of "Jana Gana Mana" of Yuva, this song scores due to some innovative lyrics, esp in the Telugu version.

Listen to this song at
You & I from Musicmazaa.com

Mann Mohana

Song : Mann Mohana
Movie Name : Jodhaa Akbar
Singer : Bela Shende
Music Director : A R Rehman

I have to re-iterate what I said for my other entry from this film. It is awesome to witness Rehman creating magic. If a spectator like me feels so, how must the singer who is singing this feel ? how would the flautist for this song feel ? Joy beyond words! Rehman's genius comes to the fore once again in this intricate composition. My favourite part of this song is the brilliant first interlude. Rehman takes you to places you never imagined you would go. Words really fail me as I try to express how much I like this first interlude.

Listen to this song at
Mann Mohana from Musicmazaa.com

Enadhuyire

Song : Enadhuyire
Movie Name : Bheema
Singer : Chinmayee, Sadhana Sargam, Sowmya Rao, Nikhil Mathew
Music Director : Harris Jayaraj

I woke up to this song from Bheema this morning. I have heard this song a lot of times before and I was almost sure that it was sung by Naresh Iyer. The fact that this song reminded me so strongly of "Munbe Vaa" bothered me and I didn't get hooked onto it then. Today the song latched on, and strongly reminded me of other haunting melodies from the Harris Jayaraj-Vikram-Trisha combination (Pudichiruku and Ithuthana from Saamy). After today I feel this song holds its ground and will go down as one of Harris' best songs.

And speaking of the singers, here's a blog of Chinmayee


My fav part of this song is towards the end of the first stanza

"
..Siru Paarvayil, Oru Vaarthaiyil, Thondruthey Nooru Kodi Vaanavil
"

Listen to this song at
Enadhuyire from Musicmazaa.com

Khwaja Mere Khwaja

Song : Khwaja Mere Khwaja
Movie Name : Jodhaa Akbar
Singer : A R Rehman
Music Director : A R Rehman

I feel thankful to live in the same era as Rehman. This is truly history in the making. As Rehman scales one peak after another, you cant help but wonder how he finds inspiration to keep going. Its one thing to have talent and its another thing to have an unsurpassable thirst for perfection. In his own words, he sums up this art (of composing songs) as the process of adding layers to a song, trying to increase its beauty till its no longer possible to do so. There are many great people but blessed are those who can sum up their skill in simple words! Coming back to this song, the marriage of hindu and islamic sounds is prominent in this song as it is in almost every other track in this album. Once again, Rehman shines in his own rendition of this wonderful song. My favourite part of this song:

"...Beqasson ki taqdeer tune hai sawaari..."


Listen to this song at
Khwaja Mere Khwaja from Musicmazaa.com

Alai Osai

Song : Alai Osai
Movie Name : Rameswaram
Singer : Haricharan, Kalyani
Music Director : Niru

Another new composer. Another good debut. I cant help but look back at Rehman. No no, this is not the obligatory comparision to Rehman. Ever since, Rehman came out with his revolutionary outlook at music, avoiding stereotypes, introducing new sounds and singers everyone wants a piece of it. The readiness to introduce new talent is a welcome trend and Composers like Niru have repaid the trust with good tunes. This song is a winner right from the start and the singers have done good justice to the tune. Haricharan is making his presence felt in TFM with his breezy voice.

Listen to this song at
Alai Osai from Musicmazaa.com

Nenjathilae

Song : Nenjathile
Movie Name : Pirivom Santhippom
Singer : Jeyachandran, Shreya Ghoshal
Music Director : Vidyasagar

I had to catch up some of the latest Tamil releases so I had a bunch of songs repeating in random mode as I was doing my morning chores when I heard this song. My initial impression was that this song was very Illayaraja-esque! The sucker for melodies that I am, I developed an instant liking for it and kept thinking about who would have composed it (like I said, I was listening to many songs in a shuffle mode). My first guess was Yuvan as I didnt have any Illayaraja songs in the mix. When I walked over and checked it, I was happy and sad - happy for Vidyasagar and sad for Yuvan. Vidyasagar proves his mettle again with a beautifully crafted song that just melts in your mouth. I am glad people still work at having soulful charanams. In retrospect, I am glad Yuvan didnt do this track as he would have drawn comparisons with his father and then no one's happy!

Listen to this song at

Nenjathile from Musicmazaa.com

Edalo Neeve

Song : Edalo Neeve
Movie Name : Nandanavanam 120km
Singer :
Music Director : Vijay Kurakula

Vijay Kurakula is an amazing find for some of the best offbeat telugu movies I have seen in the recent times. Grahanam, A Film By Aravind and Nandanavanam 120 km are 3 movies that he should be proud of being associated with. The song in this movie that I like is once again a background piece, repeated often throughout the movie for the right effect. The background music in this well-made movie aptly suits the theme of this movie. I have tried searching for the CD of this movie's songs, willing to buy it even if it contains just the one song. Having failed, I settled for sampling it from the DVD finally.

Listen to the 4 pieces I liked

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Aakasha Ganga

Song : Aakasha Ganga
Movie Name : Vaana
Singer : Karthik
Music Director : Kamalakar

I hate how MS Raju has tried to make yet another movie with the "Rain" theme. However I love the fact that Kamalakar has got a great chance to grab the spotlight. While the album is certainly not his best work, this song has caught everyone's attention. I also love the fact that Karthik has become a natural choice for the best songs (I am sure Naresh Iyer will soon become one too). His pronunciation and emotion are wonderful and I hope he reaches greater heights!

Listen to this song at

Aakasha Ganga from Musicmazaa.com