MUSIC REVIEW: Slumdog...

Almost 14 years ago Rahman gave us some unforgettable songs and tunes for Mani Ratnam's Bombay. It was a film by an Indian, for Indian audiences, and with an entirely Indian cast and crew. It depicted reality the way we thought we could handle it. It had plenty of song and dance, emotion, action and drama. Interestingly, Slumdog Millionaire is all of that, but with an internationally acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker at the helm, catering to a more international audience and with Rahman as the music composer, whose global experiences now reflect in his music.

However, to begin with, we'd suggest you skip the very first track of the album Ringa Ringa. Unless you fancy Ila Arun and Alka Yagnik doing their take on the Choli Ke Peechhe kind of numbers. This is Rahman doing his best to recreate the cheesy Bollywood music of the 90's, which was replete with sexual overtones. This is not what you'd like to listen from the maestro, but guess he had a brief to stick to.

CLICK HERE to listen to the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack

The familiar Rahman surfaces with Jai Ho. This soaring, rousing number has Hindi lyrics by Gulzar and there are some verses in Spanish too by Tanvi Shah. Sung by Sukhwinder Singh, Tanvi Shah and Vijay Prakash, Jai Ho is an elaborate song with a complex melody and some great orchestral parts. Tanvi Shah's singing is a good match for Sukhwinder's earthy Indian style. The timbre and range of Sukhwinder's voice is brought out perfectly in the way the song is laid out. Composed on a lavish scale, Jai Ho has anthemic qualities, something that Rahman has always been good at producing.

O Saya is by M.I.A.(an internationally acclaimed visual artist, singer, songwriter and producer, known for her strong political ideologies) and Rahman. Juxtaposed with drums that create the effect of a chugging locomotive, is Rahman's chanting. While the drums pick up tempo, sounds and effects merge and M.I.A. raps in English and Hindi. O Saya successfully conveys the sense of time flying past, of the rough and tumble of life.

Riots is again an instrumental track, short, sharp and disturbing. True to its piturisation. On the other hand, Mausam and Escape is a pot pourrie of electronic and Indian Classical. Looped, pacey sitar parts are set against electronic beats, and if you like music that sounds BIG, this is it, as stupendous as you can get. Excellent job by Asad (sitar) and Sanjay Joseph (guitars).

Kaboom!

Liquid Dance explodes with bol scat combined with an orchestra with a touch of electronica. The instrumental parts have an Arabic touch, but the chanting and scatting is Indian as it gets. Liquid Dance is technically brilliant and kicks some serious butt.