Sunday, July 12, 2009

chaandan mein

Wonder what that title means or well it really means what it seems to mean. Kailash kher is back with his new album chhandan mein after kailasa. To say its beautiful would be understatement. He's severely toned down on his high-pitched vocals or maybe smoothened them with harmonies. His shrill cries in the past have always been a pain to listen to (more so, listen to others sing those songs) and in my opinion have severely undermined his music's potential/acceptance. The guy (and the group I guess) has done his homework with electronic accompaniment. It  feels as good as Hariharan's Kaash, although Kaash was more ghazalish and this one is more folksy+bhajanish - their respective fortes. I really get kicks when they manage to create well-placed fusion.

There is this na bataati tu peecha, dha dhin nin na song, which I really want to figure out but can't make head/tail out of it. tere naina is almost like a lori.  All the songs are consistenly nice with their lyrics.

And of course, there a couple of songs in feminine form, which are fantastic. Few can take over the feminine form so effortlessly as kailash kher and render those songs with utmost comfort.  chaandan mein, teri yaad mein, piya ghar aavenge, ishq ho gaya, albela saajan - more than half of the songs fall in that category with lovely lyrics by the doode himself. 

and yes, there's an unreleased madan mohan tracks album tere bagair released by the madan mohan family. digitially remastered - they even display the lost line from a track on the covers. such a wonderful family (: i'm glad some of songs retain the madan mohan touch unlike most in veer-zaara.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

kaminey

the soundtrack for kaminey is out. VB-gulzar never disappoint, so this one's another one of its kind. the most beautiful number to me is definitely the title song where VB romances with the word kaminey. Gulzar gets more imaginative as he ages (or maybe i was born too late :). sometimes I felt the out-of-the-world poetry was let down by the music, esp. the song pehli baar mohabbat (mohit chauhan). besides, I really hope mohit chauhan doesn't get stereotyped with these kind of songs.

anyhow, the album is a masterpiece, with multiple soon-to-be desi anthems. and of course, the movie shud be mind blowing desi cult never seen before :)

gulzarisms:

dil nichode, raat ki matki tode, 
koi 'good luck' nikaale -> aaj 'gullak' to fode

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and fatak is probably the first time sukhwinder and kailash kher get on mic together. very impressive abstract poetry/song colorfully decorated with the voices of two great singers (and mandolin? base).

jitna bhi jhooth bole 'thoda' hai,
keedon ki basti ka 'makauda' hai.
ye raaton ka bicchu hai kaatega
ye zehreela hai, zeher chaatega.
darwaazon mein kunde do,
dafa karo ye gunde, ye shaitaan ka saaya re.

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I would need to write a separate post to fully praise and dissect the title song kaminey. i can hardly express the emotion that this song thrives on. the lyrics convey the stoic pain and pathos tastefully - i don't know if i've heard this particular metaphor (cf. sthayi) before. the composition however, goes far far beyond the lyrics. VB caresses the song with his own genius, very out-of-the-box (though we saw the style in the title of U, me aur hum).

kya karen, zindagi, 
isko hum jo mile.
iski jaan, khaa gaye,
raat din ke gile.

meri aarzoo, kameeni.
mere khaab bhi, kameeney.
ik dil se dosti thi,
ye huzur bhi kameeney.

kabhi zindagi se maanga,
pinjare mein chand la do.
kabhi laalten leke,
kaha aasmaan pe taango.

jiska bhi chehra cheela,
andar se aur niklaa.
maasoom sa kabootar,
naacha to mor nikla.

kabhi hum kameene nikle,
kabhi doosre kameene.

meri dosti, kameeni.
mere yaar bhi, kameeney.
ek dil se dosti thi, 
ye huzur bhi kameenay.

the song climaxes into a violin ensemble, marinated by VB's crooning :) Its just remarkable how he so aptly embedded the last four lines into the western classical ambience - such a made for each other feeling.

well, i really can't recall if i've heard the metaphor before. somehow it leaves me craving for more - they should have hit us harder, no?