Oct 01, 2005 08:26 PM
15906 Views
(Updated Feb 11, 2006 09:00 PM)
The man A.R. Rehman, needs no introduction…. he is just an institution in himself! He seems to create music of a different class in every film/album he takes up! Just having his name on the cover, almost ensures the album will be a bestseller…. Such is his grip over the nation! Of course, he has his own ways of working, and prefers to work only at night with lighted candles all around him, back in his studio in Chennai! But which director wouldn’t agree to the conditions…. afterall, he is assured a bestselling album with some mindblowing music! But apart from the music creation part… the man is so humble, so down to earth, he seems to surprise you! I mean with a talent like his, who would not get carried away?! And that, for me, more than his music, is the reason I his fan!
So, with this background, I will proceed to name my favourite 10 of this man’s compositions! You bet its tough! But I’ve tried my best to come up with a good mix of songs…… take a look:
KEHNA HI KYA…….(Bombay): This song takes the top spot as it has been one of my favourites since I was like really small and only developing an ear for music! It has a beautiful feel about it that makes you calm down…. and just listen to the song! It is a lovely number……
DIL SE RE…….(Dil Se): This is one song I relate purely to A.R. Rehman! That is… when I close my eyes and think of his name…. only this song comes to mind! The energy he seems to generate out of nowhere, makes the song a rocking track! Rendered in his own voice, its one of those numbers that stay on forever….
DIL HAI CHHOTA SA…….(Roza): The whole album of Roza was just too good…. but if I had to select one son it would be this one simply for the reason that this was probably one of the simplest songs composed by him, but it touches the heart in a way very few can! It is also so full of innocence…. Has to be one of his best!
VANDE MATRAM……(Album): Another mindblowing creation! It’s the same song we’ve been singing for decades…. And yet he infuses his wild passion into the song and makes it a masterpiece! It becomes one of the best patriotic songs we have in our country…. and that’s saying quite a lot!
SUNTA HAI MERA KHUDA…. & KAY SERA SERA…….(Pukar): I kept both the songs because I just couldn’t make a choice between them! Both are, again, mindblowing compositions! While one is a romantic number with a twist…. the other is a proper dance number that can also be called a ‘disco song’. And he does a perfect job at both!
JO HAI ALBELA…….(Kisna): It was the music of the film that actually pulled the audiences to the theatres…. even after the news had spread that the performances and the script had no dum! But especially this song stood out in the entire album……. And it almost became a rage in this part of the country! And when Indian Idol finalist Amit Sana sang it, his performance took him to the last two… such was the value of the song!
SAATHIYA….(Saathiya): Well what do I say about the song? It was different…… and how! When you sing the song, the body just automatically seems to rock in the rhythm of the beat! The feel is fresh……. And it leaves you with a sort of ‘happy’ feeling after you’ve heard the song! Really nice….
TAAL SE TAAL….(Taal): This song also seems to make you wanna dance…. but in a different way! It is such a beautiful composition, with so much of feel and tenderness that it makes a place for itself in your heart the moment you hear it!
TANHA TANHA……(Rangeela): Another rocking composition! Can’t put the brilliance of it down in words! If you’ve heard the song, its self-explinatary!
YEH JO DES HAI TERA…… & YUN HI CHALA…….(Swades): Another two compositions I could not choose between……. And another two compositions that I feel have never got their due! While one is beautifully composed using the shehnai very effectively………. The other one is a beautiful fusion of classical and western music… thus appealing people across generations! In the second song the voices of three great singers has been used brilliantly! I would say this is my favourite album of A.R. Rehaman……. And that’s saying a lot!
So those were my fave songs by the great man! One song worth mentioning is'Awara Bhanware jo haule haule gaye'!
These are purely my choices and I’ve not necessarily chosen the best of the lot in terms of technicality… I’ve only chosen ones that have appealed to me the most! All the same, I have missed out on a number of mindblowing compositions, but as I had to restrict myself to only 10, they have not made the list!
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