Music: A.R.Rahman

 

First the Golden Globe, now in line for the Oscar. Will A.R.Rahman never cease to amaze us with his dizzying ascent in the world of music- or should I say World Music? Well, if you look at his 15 year-old career, Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack ranks nowhere near his brilliant Indian soundtracks and pop-albums but then it never intends to be an Indian soundtrack!

 

The beauty and brilliance of Rahman’s music in Slumdog Millionaire lies in its astounding range of fusion that transcends the cultural and geopolitical boundaries. It is music that confounds senses with its diversity- it is music that seamlessly switches through genres, instruments, rhythms and emotions. Here synthesizer sizzles with sitar, Carnatic Classical strains coolly caress Caribbean sounds, Hindi melts within English and Bollywood gets a perfect Hollywood makeover! It is truly a melting pot soundtrack that brings onto you all the urgency, passion and complexity of this powerful film evoking conflicting emotions.

 

The highlight is of course, the Oscar-nominated chartbuster Jai Ho. Appearing right at the end of the movie, this zingy dance-number in Sukhvinder Singh’s robust vocals perfectly captures the Indian-ness, the celebratory mood and the sense of triumph in Gulzar’s quirky lyrics. Staccato strings, Spanish backup and Suzanne’s vocals add that extra something to the song. The other Oscar-nominated song- O Saaya is a twin-flavoured treat, where Rahman’s edgy vocals bring in the sense of mystery and foreboding whereas bright voice of M.I.A. (British-born female musician of Sri Lankan descent) provides the hope and energy. The background train-sound through the percussion gives this song a nice momentum.

 

The other songs are effective rather than excellent. Suzanne’s westernized dreamy love-song Dreams On Fire is soothing on ears. Blaaze and Tanvi Shah efficiently render the Gangsta Rap-styled Gangsta Blues. Alka Yagink and Ila Arun come together to revisit their kitschy Bollywood number Chunri Ke Peechhe Kya Hai. But instead of using Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s original tune, Rahman decides to give it an interesting new twist and presents it as a similar raunchy, folksy themed Ringa Ringa.

 

It is in the different thematic background pieces where Rahman’s mastery on mixing and fusing once again astonishes you with its sweeping vision. Latika’s Theme, Riot, Escape & Mausam, Liquid Dance and Millionaire are superb multi-genre tracks blending vocals with instrumental. They are ‘Atmospheric’ in every sense of word!

 

Whether he wins Oscar or not for this score is immaterial, but one thing is sure. A.R.Rahman has created a major impact on the World Music scene that no other Indian artiste had hitherto managed. Slumdog Millionaire- music here may not be Indian in true sense of the word but the man behind that music is. That’s what shows, that’s what counts and that’s what makes it so special!