Dec 31, 2003 11:59 PM
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(Updated Jan 01, 2004 12:02 AM)
Even before I set upon listing the ditties that kept me enthralled all the previous year, here’s wishing you all a splendid 2004! Since the embarked upon task requires me to list 10 ditties in limited space, I’ll jet off without further delay.
01: Awaarapan Banjarapan(Jism): The distant hum of solitude, the gloom of pathos, the brood and the pain in desolation conveyed by the timeless poetry of Sayeed Quadri when mated to a deep-throated K.K. can only conglomerate to the year’s most soulful composition. The lilting bridges of guitar, resonating percussions and fluid violin courtesy M.M. Kreem uplift this melody easily to a classic stature.
02: Yeh Sard Aahein Meri(Bhoot): The eerie build-up of symphony, the chilling low-pitched chorus interludes, a spunky Gayatri Iyer handshaked to the low-octave violins, layers of percussions and strings arranged by Anand Raaj Anand construct the shivering milieu with perfection. Praveen Bharadwaj’s meaty lyrics amazingly add to the shuddering environs, the yearn to breakaway from loneliness, tension and confusion. Simply mindblowing!
03: Har Taraf Har Jagah(Saaya): As if Silsila Yeh Chaahat Ka(Devdas) and Jaadoo Hai(Jism) weren’t enough to confirm her credential as the singer with the most haunting voice, Shreya Ghosal continues the legacy of her enchanting vocals with this high-spirited, vibrant track that’s made timeless by the soothing spiritual lyrics by Sayeed Quadri and Anu Malik’s intelligent arrangements that range from earthy conch shells, flutes to bass-laden percussions. One gem of a melody!
04: Sabaq Aisa(Tehzeeb): I might sound repetitive but Sabaq Aisa’s power lies in the immaculate fusion that dissolves the beigest of Urdu poetry and vocals with the sapphirest of electronic and thermionic arrangements conserving the individuality of both the musical threads. The tune’s completeness is in its diversity. And the lyrics(penned by the famous poet Dagh Delhvi), transports you to this unescapable vacuum of loneliness(remember Tanhaayee from DCH?) which is so efficaciously drilled with Sujata Bhattacharya’s awesome vocals, that every subsequent listening sinks you deeper and deeper into the melody! Fusion was never so much music to the ears, believe me!
05: Thodi Masti(Jhankaar Beats): Music maestro’s R.D. Burman relives in this bursting-with-pizzazz and unadulterated fun-n-frolic album. Of the musically-rich ensemble, the theme song is a “blast” with ample jhankaar beats to boogie to and the airy mood thanks to Sudesh Bhonsle’s cracked-up vocals together with the illuminated ambience laced by Vishal-Shekhar’s intelligently arranged instruments make this melody hugely endearing!
06: Idhar Chala(Koi Mil Gaya): Just look what vocals do to a song. Mint-fresh vocals from Alka Yagnik and Udit narayan coupled with a rocking tempo that never fizzles out and only gets better together exuberate an exotic mix of sensuousness and innocence which is to be heard to be felt. Ibrahim Ashq’s unconventional mix of words is just an icing on the luscious cake.
07: Ishq Hota Nahin(Jogger’s Park): Chocolatey Adnan Sami whose baritone’s depth and fluidity is still unsurpassed meets the sophisticated instrumentation of debutante Tabun Sutradhar and the result is a captivating yet dispiriting melody complete with melancholic lyrics by Zameer Kazmi. Clapworthy is the way the fast electronic arrangements complement the slowly rendered poetry—that’s where the ditty’s soul is!
08: Meri Zindagi Mein Aaye Ho(Armaan): A sweeping melody that bounces and breezes on the ear-drums all thanks to silken vocals of Sunidhi and Sonu Nigam each of whose wonderfully synchronized intonations seal the chastity. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s uncomplicated yet perfectly balanced harmony and Javed Akhtar’s prolific poetry add just that extra zing!
09: Aankhon Ne(Ishq Vishk): A melody reminiscent of early ‘90s, its yet again the exhilarating vocals of Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu that transports the whole mushy-n-cute song to the excellent bracket easily and for once you ignore the pedestrian lyrics(courtesy Sameer) and continue drooling over the perfectly assembled romantic mood.
10: Shaba Ni Shaba(Pinjar): A gidda number where festivity breeds in its purest forms what with shehnaais, tablas, claps, dholaks used with unrestrained continuity by Uttam Singh while the enthused tempo is maintained by the infectious vocals of Kavita Krishnamurthy, Udit Narayan and Sadhna Sargam. The awesome Punjabi lyrics by Gulzar only helps in punctuating the bucolic flavour and that Singh adheres completely to folk music in today’s retro-scenario and still manages to shine through is a compliment.
Staying true to the topic, this time around I refrained from extending my list to 20, but the fact that 10 is actually an insignificant number considering the flood of mellifluous numbers that invaded our ears in 2003 goes without saying.
Of the foot-tappers, there was no escaping from the salsa-feel of Its Magic(Koi Mil Gaya), the fascinating garage-bhangra fusion of Mundeya To Bachke Rahe(Boom), the spice of Mohabbat Hai Mirchi(Churaa Liya Hai Tumne) and the discotheque flavour of It’s the Time to Disco(Kal Ho Naa Ho). Equally impressive were the female-solos Daiya Daiya Re(Dil Ka Rishta) and Bani Bani(Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon), which with some raunchy vocals, and ear-blasting instruments became the nation’s mantra. Speaking of vocals, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhijeet and Sukhwider Singh took Chali Chali(Baghban), Gumshuda(Chalte Chalte) and Lagan lagi(Tere Naam) to tremendously high levels respectively.
Think “experimental” and you are thinking Darna Mana Hai and Bhoot. Be it the rocky techno “Jo Dar Gaya Woh Mar Gaya” or the shuddering “Bhoot Hoon Main” or the spine-chilling “Bhoot Hai Yahaan Koi” or the macabre-ish “Homework”, so what if they didn’t make it to the big-screen, all of them left an equally solid impact which is definitely saying something about the staggeringly talented combo of Salim-Suleiman.
Anu Malik’s LOC-Kargil was déjà vu galore, yet Main Kahin Bhi Rahoon passed muster and so did Kal Ho Naa Ho’s title track which though sported awesome lyrics had a been-there-heard-that feel to it. Malik’s other album Inteha also had a wonderful track “Dhalne Lagi Hai Raat” and so did Uttam Singh’s The Hero which boasted of soulful songs like “Maari Koyal Ne Aisi Kook” and “Hai Pyaar Tumhe”. Probably if I had extended my list, all these would have found some room.
But probably the most unfortunate were the tunes which missed out to their siblings because of limited space here. And hence, the intoxicating Jadoo hai Nasha Hai(Jism), the saddening Tu Hi Bata Zindagi(Armaan), the racy Tera Muskuraana(Jhankaar Beats), the nauseatingly emotional Charkhaa Chalaati Maa(Pinjar) and the thoughtful Watna We(Pinjar) lost out to their slightly more musically equipped cousins; but this shouldn’t suggest that they weren’t fantastic. Each song encompasses a different flavour, a separate brilliance!
Completed with this mammoth task of stuffing 2003’s best songs in a single review, let me pray that the coming year is just as enchanting, just as enthralling, just as mind-blowing and just as riveting musically as the year gone by!
