I marvel at musics ability to stir the soul. Hearing has to be among the most beautiful of senses. You could argue for sight, but what is sight without sound? To be able to enjoy the harmony of instruments coming together , sending a message, a mood, an emotion, is magic. And when you grow fond of a musician, it is like finding a true friend.
Through ARR's 26 year old journey I have had the pleasure of being emotionally moved by his work. In this blog post, I reflect upon some of his tracks that shook me up . I have created a playlist called " ARR - Ore the Feels" :-) which you can follow here, if you are interested.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFg6NUoTSAX39pxJbVd_QSKv-tcB9DKHG
Here we go, one emotion after the other.
1. Love
Love and the word "Romance" are often sadly relegated to the one between man and woman. To be romantic , is to have an idealized view of reality. Love sustains life and gives it purpose. Love and time are the only two things that heal pain. Music aids finding love in the most mundane of things.
Dil Gira Dafatan - Delhi 6
If I could sprout wings one day and fly among the clouds, Dil Gira Dafatan is what it would feel like. How does he make a track sound so airy and refreshing? Ash King's vocals are seductive.
I can loop Dil Gira Dafatan all day and still not tire of it. Clearly one of ARR's most underrated pieces of work. I watched Delhi 6 and liked it. Sad that the movie tanked and this song did not get the attention it deserves. The movie does justice by picturizing this so well - blending NYC with the charm of our Indian streets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zU4zZpycTo
Kulirudhu Kulirudhu - Taj Mahal
When UnniKrishnan and the amazing Swarnalatha come together, you know it is special. The romance in Kulirudhu is off the charts. Please stay away from watching the visuals as it will kill all the feels. I personally find some of the lyrics tacky (not a fan of Vairamuthu) , but the composition does not let me delve on them.
Yeh jo des hai Tera - Swades
Whenever I am on the road, watching people and places, I think " What a big, beautiful country we are! This is where I am from and these are my people. This is where I belong. ". Yeh jo des hai Tera, is full of love for the motherland - a call to come back , stay here and do something.
Watch this video where ARR sings out to a bunch of NRIs in Toronto - I watched this and cried profusely. I still do each time I watch it.
2. Peace
Vellai Pookal - Kannathil Muthamittal
When you wake up one fine day and find that all is well with the world. I am at peace whenever I listen to Vellai Pookal - a call for love, a wish for a better tomorrow.
3. Joy:
No Problem - Love Birds
If No Problem and Apache Indian here can't make you move and dance, you have a serious problem. This one oozes energy and the beats are to die for. Remember this came out in 1996! How futuristic is the sound? Finally a song worthy of Prabhu Deva's dance talent.
Masakali - Delhi 6
Masakali is my happy vibe song. I play this whenever I need a mood lift and find that it always does the trick. I really cannot place this in any genre but pure joy. Mohit Chauhan's silky smooth vocals and the lyrics add to the vibes.
Oorvasi - Kadhalan
At each ARR concert, the gap between each song, is an exciting time when we try to guess what's coming next. The moment ARR starts "Marhabaaaaaaaaa", I completely lose it and so does the crowd. Shahul Hameed, Suresh Peters and company raise the tempo to a new level. Also, pay attention 2:17 to 2:38.
4. Patriotic fervour:
Lalkaar - Rang de Basanti
We may have heard multiple versions of "Sarfaroshi ke Tamanna" , but few as impactful as Aamir Khans rendition, set to some adrenaline pumping sounds by ARR.
Vande Mataram
Vande Mataram gave my entire generation, the patriotic fervour that no amount of school textbooks could deliver. Bharat Bala's visuals added to it.
5. Melancholy
Luka Chuppi - Rang De Basanti
I well up each time I listen to Luka Chuppi. A song between a mother and her dead son - in the voices of Lata Mangeshkar and ARR. The mother thinks her son is hiding from her and wants to him to come back . He says I cannot tell you where I am - I have everything but you. Soulful lyrics, intensely poignant . Those who argue ARR uses too many instruments which drown the lyrics - see how he keeps it simple, just a tabla, some flute and strings, letting the voices and words shine.
Naan Varuven - Raavanan
Something about ARR's voice that lends itself powerfully to any emotion. May be it is the pitch he hits. May be his voice reflects the mood his own composition wants to deliver. Naan varuven is hauntingly melancholic. Even someone who does not know the language, can tell this is unrequited love. Watch for the high pitched notes from 2:18 and the flute interludes that tease occasionally.
6. Revelling in nature
Putham Pudhu Bhoomi - Thiruda Thiruda
If you went to your happy place in the hills on a rainy day, this is what the clouds would sing to you. Such a fresh track, lighter than air. Anyone notice a sine wave pattern in this entire arrangement?
Marghazi Poove - May Maadham
Everything about "Marghazhi Poove" makes you want to leave everything behind, run away to some moorish grasslands and walk about aimlessly in the wind. Btw, what a voice - who is this Shobha? I cannot find any info on her. Has she sung more songs? If you know, please enlighten me.
7. Spiritual
You can be forgiven to think that Spiritual ARR includes a bunch of Sufi numbers. The Isai Puyals work transcends the confines of language and religion.
Arziyan - Delhi 6
The third song from Delhi 6 in this list says a lot about the Delhi 6 album. Among ARR's all time best movie albums. honestly don't understand the lyrics much , but I feel deeply spiritual when I listen to Arziyan.
My association with Sufi music starts and ends with ARR. I love all his Sufi type songs - Kun Faya Kun, Piya Haji Ali , Khwaja Mere Khwaja et al..
Ek Onkar - Rang de Basanti
Harshdeep Kaur's rendition of Ek Onkar made me look up what it means and go to the Golden Temple.
Pal Pal hai Bhari - Swades
The first part of this song is like any other Dusshera drama. Sita is giving us the usual "I love Ram" BS, when ShahRukh intervenes and starts singing about who Ram is and where he is. This section resonated with my definition of God. Related so much with this. Swades is a classic .
While emotional Rahman cannot be confined to a playlist, this is a sampler. Again, if you want a link to this playlist, it is at
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFg6NUoTSAX39pxJbVd_QSKv-tcB9DKHG
or search for Sangeetha Deiveegarajan on youtube.
More on the next ARR special playlist!
Comments
Post a Comment