MADRAS Bee

I am retiring Madras Bee

2009-03-29T12:00:00.000+05:30

This will probably be my last post on Madras Bee. After more than three years of blogging on Madras Bee I will not be posting any more reviews. However the site will exist with the old posts.

Managing multiple blogs and social networking accounts has become difficult. My music reviews will continue but they will appear on my personal blog Subash's World. They may not be as frequent as I did here on Madras Bee but they will appear as I was and will always be passionate about music.

I am also stopping my movie reviews on Amazon.com for the same reason and the fact that Amazon edits and bans reviews but movie reviews will appear on my personal blog as well.

I may start another blog for these reviews but for now I am pretty busy.

I thank you all for reading my posts and offering your comments all these years.

Dharan and Laadam

2009-03-01T09:00:00.003+05:30

"Laadam" could be the turning point for music director Dharan. The song "Siru Thoduthalile" is lovely and so is its flute instrumental version. Most of the other songs are either Rap or Techno based. An unusual album but you cannot afford to miss the the best song.

Check it out at Hummaa.com

Why you should be listening to this album from Mithoon

2009-02-12T12:01:00.004+05:30

Oh yes, the guy behind songs such as "Woh Lamhe", "Maula Mere Maula" and "Tere Bin" is back with an album "Tuhi Mere Rab Ki Tarha Hai" full of slow songs. Though it can get monotonous here are some songs you must be listening to.

1. Har Jagah Mein - beautiful number whose rythim reminded me of "Yeh Dili Naadan" from Razia Sultan.

2. Tuhi Mera tarah - a duet and its good.

3. Tuu hai - starts well but is ok because it's a long song.

4. Kuch dard - slow and sweet but the monotony is broken with instrument solo's.

Good four songs but you may like the rest too. Worth listening to.

Yuvan has a rocker to offer

2009-02-07T11:32:00.004+05:30

The way music directors in the south like A R Rahman, Illayaraja and Yuvan Shankar use singers from the North (most of them who hardly can pronounce South Indian languages clearly) has to be truly lauded.

Who else would imagine Adnan Sami to be singing a Tamil hit. Check out "Oru Kal" Yuvan's offering for the Tamil movie "Siva Manasula Sakthi". Yuvan's version of the same song is not bad either. I wonder if Adnan Sami could have composed a hit as this. In fact it's been quite a while since we heard a hit from him.

"Oru Adangapidari" sung by Shankar Mahadevan is also bound to become popular. So is the reggae influenced "Eppadio Mattikiten" though it could have sounded better had it been a faster number.

"Oru Paarvayil" by Ranjith is a good tiny number.

Meanwhile Harris has a good one in "Nenje Nenje" in the up-coming Suriya-Thamanna movie Ayan.

Mahaleela by Sivamani, A surprisingly good album

2009-01-29T09:09:00.001+05:30

I took time to review this album but it is surprisingly so good that I thought it was worthy of a review. You can actually listen to a lot of other instruments besides percussion from Sivamani whose work seems to be more in the background. "Mahaleela" easily qualifies for a good World Music album.

The good songs:

1. Aadhar - Lovely sitar on this one, actually an incredible solo.
2. Vasi Vasi with Shankar mahadevan, Sivamani's background percussion in the beginning of the song is good, Shankar's good singing. Sivamani does his bit well for this one.
3. Basin Bridge - Is it Prasanna on guitars here? Prasanna and Sivamani have been friends for a long time and have been on various stages together. Lovely guitar solo whoever the guitarist was. Vocals heard too but not for a long time. Some drum solo towards the end.
4. Infinity - Marimba/xylophone used by Sivamani, female group vocal sounds very Illayarajaish and a lovely Saarangi solo
5. Mother's land - Lovely flute solo's that is worth the listen, veena heard too.
6. S M Anandan - A song dedicated to his father? Good and a nice portion of Sivamani's drumming heard.

..and the Ok songs:

1. Abbhaji
2. Dancing on the moon
3. Jam packed

... and the lousy ones:

1. Kriya
2. Thank you (could have avoided this one and simply mentioned details on the CD sleeve)

It's raining A R Rahman hits

2009-01-24T23:39:00.002+05:30

One thing I forgot while watching Ghajini at Aynikkal Movies in Chalakudy was the song I heard before the show began. I was tempted to ask people from which album the song was playing.

As I was browsing A R Rahman's official site it hit me like a shot from the blue when I heard "Meherbaan" from the movie "Ada" play on his site. A must listen if you haven't heard it.

A R R sings it in an unforgettable romantic style. It felt romantic in the cinema. We went to see it alone, unlike the usual crowd we take to the movies.

And why we love A R Rahman

2009-01-22T22:57:00.016+05:30

Just when I am being upset with the music of "Slumdog Millionnaire" comes the songs from A R Rahman for the movie "Delhi 6" that is nothing short of mind-blowing. Start with this gem "Dil Gira Dafatan". Well sung by Ash King and beautifully composed it has an international appeal to it. Nicer will it be, to watch the ravishingly beautiful Sonam Kapoor pictured in this number on screen.

"Masakali" and its retro feel also sounds lovely and interesting. Beautifully composed with nice accordion (or was it harmonium) solos. Sung well too by Mohit Chauhan.

"Genda Phool" is a slow ballad set to Techno beats and sounds so off-beat for a song as this.

"Rehna Tu" is a number that reminds me of English pop hits (particularly Sting and Bono). Sung very well by the master A R Rahman himself and company I will add this to the list of good numbers from Delhi 6. Comes with a nice (electronic flute like instrument) solo too that concludes the song.

Check the lovely numbers here.

We love you Harris Jayaraj

2009-01-19T22:34:00.002+05:30

It's been a long time since I posted anything on madrasbee and Harris's numbers from the up-coming Surya, Thamanna starrer "Ayan" tempted me to make this post. "Nenje Nenje" with soothing saxophone is the one bound to be more popular. Other songs are catchy but Nenje made a good first impression. Check out the songs here.

Meanwhile though A R Rahman has brought glory to India winning a Golden Globe there is no comparision to the songs and music of the Hindi Ghajini to that what Harris Jayaraj contributed in the Tamil original. The music of "Slumdog Millionnaire" also sucks.

Listen to these two hits right now

2008-12-10T09:47:00.005+05:30

Songs from the Akshay Kumar - Deepika Padukone starrer "Chandni Chowk to China" are from a mix of musicians. Two of them are sure to become hits. First the racy number from Kailesh Kher and company titled "Chak Lein De" and the other the smooth ballad from Shankar Ehsan Loy titled "Tere Naina" sung beautifully by Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Goshal.

No excuses for not listening.

Vidyasagar makes a comeback, S Thaman has a moderate hit

2008-12-04T16:40:00.002+05:30

With "Mahesh Saranya Matrum Palar" Vidyasagar makes a nice comback. With this hit for SPB he keeps the ageless wonder alive in our hearts. Listen to "Thangathila Seyda Nila".

After "La La" from "Poi" this is the hit from SPB and Vidyasagar.

Other songs from "Mahesh Saranya Matrum Palar" aren't bad though. If I find them interesting I'll add them to the list.

Meanwhile S.Thaman (and not Yuvan Shankar Raja as posted earlier) has a modest hit in "Sindhanai Sei" the title song of the movie it is taken from.

My new blog

2008-12-03T19:49:00.001+05:30

And it is on music. This time though it is on my favorite musical instrument, the guitar. I tried learning it several times only to give up sadly. But at least I have a blog to show my love and appreciation. Check it out. http://guitar-appreciation.com

Music embed screwing up

2008-11-22T22:40:00.004+05:30

Just when I thought I could scream in joy comes the nightmare. The embedded player completely screws up in IE whereas it seemed fine in Firefox.

Then in Firefox the embedded players all start playing even when I have not selected the Auto play option. I check this morning and it is all gone wrong on Firefox too.

Got to find a way out or go back to the old method.

MusicMazaa.com offers embed

2008-11-22T10:42:00.002+05:30

This is great news because now you don't have to leave my site to the site that is offering the music. Instead you could listen to the songs right here from madrasbee.blogspot.com.

Right now MusicMazaa.com is offering the embed. I only pray the other follow suit too.

Watch out for the posts or maybe I could start embedding reviewed songs and music?

Vijay Antony IS on a Roll

2008-10-23T10:34:00.004+05:30

I cannot believe the hits that this guy is churning out. Check out "Kanni Vedi" from the upcoming A Aa E Ee and you'll know why. The entire album is rocking but Kanni Vedi stands out. Lyrics may be slightly adult-inclinded but who cares. The song rocks with lovely bass lines. Don't miss it.

Good new songs from A R Rahman and Vijay Antony who is on a roll

2008-10-19T16:32:00.011+05:30

Yuvraaj is the movie and more songs in Indian albums are being named in the western style and not the usuag first three or four words of the song. These days A R seems to be giving only a hit or two per movie instead of making all the songs hits. Don't know if the director demands these days are so. Three songs are lovely in Yuvaraj.

Start with "Manamohini More" my favourite from the movie where Khawali is mixed with western music. There is one point in the song (when the raagas are being sung) where a little studio editing is apparent. It is almost difficult for the vocalist to sing that portion. Try and see if you can locate it.

The other good ones are "Tu Muskura" sung by Alka Yagnik. It is nice to hear another good song from the "Ek do Theen" singer. The opening lines are better in the song than those that come in the middle. The other good one is from Srinivas called "Zindagi".

Check them on MusicIndiaonline.com.

Meanwhile Vijay Antony seems to have another hit in "Poove Poove Sollidu ithu Kaadhal Thaana" from the movie Rasikkum Seemane.

The good song from Vaaranam Aayiram axed and other stuff

2008-10-02T19:31:00.005+05:30

I am still recovering from my illness but that doesn't stop rejuvinating music from my ears.

I am not sure what is going on with songs of Vaaranam Aayiram but "Ragasiyam" is missing from the Musicmaaza.com listing. But one new one sung by Sudha Raghunathan, "Annul Maele" is lovely and has been included in the list of songs. MusicIndiaonline.com still lists the "Ragasiyam" song but it is not complete.

Meanwhile Vijay Antony who has a knack of delivering at least one catchy dance number is back with "Ammane" for the movie "Pandhayam". A bit on the parental-advisory side the song is nevertheless catchy, a sure to become hit.

Vishal-Shekar's new song is good

2008-08-13T10:52:00.003+05:30

Though I did like a couple of their earlier songs this one titled "Khuda Jaane" from the new Ranbir-Deepika starrer "Bachna He Hasseno" is good. The song could have been packaged better but singers Kay Kay and Shilpa Rao have sung the duet well.

One other song that I missed of Vishal-Shekar is their big "Sajnaji Vaari Vaari" from the delightful movie "Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.".

And who can forget "Ajab Si" from "Om Shanti Om".

One, that I missed from my previous list/post

2008-07-27T08:33:00.003+05:30

For several weeks it ruled the Tamil charts. It is the song that is frequently played on T.V from "Subramanyapuram" called "Kangal Irandal". This song reminds you of many songs notably "Chinna Kannan Azhaikiran", Illayaraja's hit from the movie "KaviKuyil". Even the flute sounds very similar to that song. Other songs "Kandal Irandal" reminds you of are "Kadhal Nerupen" from the movie Veyil and "Collegikku Povom" from the movie Kovil.

A ton of good music from various artistes

2008-07-01T12:11:00.011+05:30

I'll start with what I have been listening to probably infinite times today. It is the song "En Anbe" sung by Sadhana Sargam incredibly sweetly from the upcoming Tamil film "Sathyam" starring Vishal and Nayantara with music composed by the A R Rahman protege Harris Jayaraj. I am really looking forward to see Nayantara in these songs. Two other songs are noteworthy of mention, "Chellame Chellame" sung by Harris Jayaraj's favorite female vocalist Bombay Jayashree and Naveen. "Ada Gada Gada" sung by Gangai Amaran's son Prem G is also bound to be popular.

A R Rahman delivers some rocking stuff for the movie "Sakkarakatti" starring debutant Shantanu Bagyaraj, son of veteran director/actor Bagyaraj. Check out the rocker "Taxi Taxi" and the softer "Marudaani".

Meanwhile Illayaraja the maestro who still has the spark in him offers a delightful song "Kallai Irunthen" for the movie "Uyilin Osai".

Rabbi Shergill is back with his latest offering Avengi Ja Nahin. The album actually isn't as impressive as his debut. A couple of songs sparkle and these are "Challa" and the English number "Eternity". His voice has certainly matured but he needs to provide more variety to avoid staleness.

But my recommendation in the Indipop category will be the stylish "Laut Ao Na" from the album of the same by Ahmed Jehanzeb. Stylish music, particularly the usage of bass, from Sachin Gupta and the singing might give you a feel its out of pitch but it is very enjoyable.

Another new artiste (correct me if I am wrong) Lalitya Munshaw with her album "Maika Piya" offers good songs in "Bhaiya na daro" and "Saiya". Noteworthy of mention is the music on the album arranged by none other than Ranjit Barot. A duet with Hariharan is also good. It's called "More Ghar". Lalitya's voice also reminded me of old Hindi songs of the 80's.

New delightful numbers from A R Rahman and Harris Jayaraj

2008-06-22T20:09:00.006+05:30

While A R Rahman does it in Hindi for the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na Harris does it for the next Goutham Menon's Tamil movie "Vaaranam Aayiram"

It is difficult to believe A R Rahman's perfect and befitting sound and music for the campus story. Three songs are extremely pleasant and catchy. They are "Kabhi kabhi Aditi Zindagi" sung by Rashid Ali, "Kahin to Hogi ho" by Rashid Ali and Vasundhara Das and "Tu Bole main Booloon" by the little master A R Rahman himself.

As for Harris's songs Music India online has only a part of the song "Ragasiyame" from Vaaranam Aayiram but you can listen to this beautiful song in its full version on the MusicMazaa, one of the many other sites besides Raaga.com and musicindiaonline.com where you can listen to a ton of new and old music.

Harris Jayaraj back with a Bang

2008-04-24T09:31:00.003+05:30

Check out the lovely numbers of late director Jeeva's "Dhaam Dhoom" and you will realise what I mean. Three melodious numbers are sure to become hits.

Harris's staple Bombay Jayashree who sang many of his hits does it again with "Saghiyee". The others are "Anbe Anbe" sung beautifully by Harish Raghavendra and the smaller "Aazhiyile" sung by upcoming and rising singer Haricharan.

The peppy numbers aren't bad but it is the melodious numbers that are going to strike a chord.

Check them out on MusicIndiaonline.com

Some Nice smoothies from across the border

2008-03-29T20:27:00.002+05:30

My blog is about music from India but I can't help saying that Pakistani band Fuzon must be one of the bands that is being listened to a lot these days here. Just goes on to confirm that music knows no barriers. Fuzon's latest album Journey features songs that are catchy and easy on the ear, notably the song "Neend Na Aaye". Check them out on MusicIndiaonline.com.

They also have a video out on YouTube.

Other good songs are the small and catchy "Dholna" and the slower ballad "Suna Suna".

P.S - MusicIndiaOnline.com these days seem to have links that work erratically. Just yesterday the links seemed o.k but today some on the songs don't play. Maybe tomorrow they will be just fine.

The next big singing sensation on the Indian Music scene.....

2008-02-26T19:22:00.003+05:30

In my earlier post on MadrasBee, and I had mentioned Manjari and Shwetha and to some extent Kalyani Menon and Gayathri too as the successors of Chithra. However I erase them all because we do have a winner. She is here, she's come and just waiting to conquer. Instead of explaining the who and what I would request you to follow the link to my personal blog where I have explained it all.

Roopa

A delightful malayalam song and another good one from 2005 I missed

2008-02-08T20:53:00.000+05:30

The song "Vethyasthanaaya Barbaram Baalan" from the movie "Kadhaparayumbol" has become stale with overplay yet it is a delightful song you must listen you if you have missed it.

There are a couple of others I missed down the line. The first one is from the movie "Taj Mahal", the new version that came out in 2005. It has one delightful song in "Apne Zulfen" sung by veteran HariHaran and composed by the late legend Naushad. Note that there is a music intro to the song that lasts several minutes before the actual song begins.

One reason why I was able to check this song was when Ritvik Rajan sang it so well at the Asianet Idea Star Singer 2007 show. Ritvik is out of the competition but I must mention him because he is also a "special" child. He is visually impaired and he also cannot communicate properly. However his singing is perfect. Check his performances at the Idea Star Singer competition here. Unfortunately the site has removed his "Apne Zulfen" performance and I was not able to locate it on Youtube. Maybe you could try. The performance is one that will bring a tear to your eye. Sung so well, the guest on the show, Jyothirmayi even confessed she was in love with Ritvik after his performance.

Tare Zameen Par has two good songs

2008-02-02T08:57:00.000+05:30

The movie wasn't bad though it seemed to have as many songs as any commercial Hindi movie. Two of them however stand out, the tile song and my favorite "Kholo Kholo" with lovely guitar from Ehsaan and good vocals from Shankar who I guess is the singer. The song neatly fits in with the video of the movie. Check it out. Tare Zameen Par

kailash Kher again

2008-01-25T10:16:00.000+05:30

Kailash Kher and his band Kailasa are currently redefining the rules of IndiPop and why not with an album as this!

I have been wanting to write about this one song and the album ever since I heard Hesham Abdul Wahab sing it so well on Asianet's Idea Star Singer 2007 competition.

In fact Kailash Kher himself would have appreciated the performance.

Unfortunately the links for the songs weren't working on musicindiaonline.com for a long time. Currently No.2 on the Indipop countdown on musicindiaonline.com, this is a must listen, "Saiyyan" from the album "Khailasa Jhoomo Re" .

Other songs:

"Babam bam" - starts of in a folkish manner but quickly moves into modern beat and bass. The song has a very "Laia O LaiLa", the evergreen classic from R.D.Burman from the film "Sholay". Nice devotional and mystic feel.

"Jhoomo Re" - The title song, more Khawali'ish. Nice racy number with little of western instrumentation. Good singing from Kailash.

"Chhap Tilak" - What an absolute stunner! Terrific singing from Kailash well complimented by the instrumentalists, notably guitar, bass, flute and the drums. Bass by the way is taken care of by ace bassist Naresh Kamath who also plays for the Malayali Alternative Rock band, Avial.

"Joban Chalke" - Starts well but soon mellows into a poppish number but does good to hold our attention with a catchy beat and singing. A slighly long song but not bad.

"Tere Naina" - Lovely ballad, sung well with lovely music from the musicians.

"Daulat Shohrat" - Was in his previous Khailasa album too that I had reviewed. This version is a better one and sounds more like the original with real drums being played instead of synthesized ones.

"Tu Meri Jaan Hai" - Another love song sung to the accompaniment of Indian instruments. Kailash's singing grabs out attention although it is less catchy as the rest.

"Yaar Sajan" - Lovely reggae number. Lovely singing and lovely music.

I can't wait to sample his latest offering "Ya Rabba".

Joshua Sridhar makes some long strides

2008-01-05T10:01:00.001+05:30

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, 2008! And let us begin with some lovely music.

Check out Joshua Sridhar's new offering for the Tamil movie "Kalloori" and you will be convinced. "Un Arugayil Varugayil" is a melody that is going to be sung for a long time. The most talked about line in the song will be "....Ithu Yenna Ithu Yenna Iravodu Pakalodum Athikarrikum..." is a well sung and studio edited well. And then there is the Theme song that even rivals A R Rahman's theme for the movie "Bombay". Lovely numbers you cannot afford to miss.

Vijay Antony (these days seen without his moustache) of "Dialamo Dialo" fame has a new offering for the movie "Kadhalil Vizhunden". Check out the song "Thozhiya". Worth a listen.

Shwetha has come to stay!

2007-11-03T09:05:00.000+05:30

I may have to go back on my earlier statement about Manjari replacing Chitra in Malayalam but she has one hot contendor in veteran singer Sujatha's daughter Shwetha

who is ruling the charts in Malayalam and very soon maybe in Tamil too. Check out the lovely number "Naan Tharai Nila" from "Rameswaram". She sounds very much like her mother.

After watching contestant, Teenu Telence on Asia Net Idea Star Singer 2007 sing K S Chithra's "Neeraja Dala Nayana" from the album I was tempted to check out some of her devotional stuff, songs I used to listen a lot during my SabariMala yesteryears. I came across some gems here they are. First the album "Hare Mukunda" from which the song is taken. There are two others "Amabalapuzha" and "Oru Nooku Kaanuvan" that are also pleasing though they tend to sound like movie songs. And who can forget the "Jaya Vijayan" duo. Check out their Tamil offering "Alialai Kanna" where Chitra sings two memorable songs, "Natha" and "Ezhumalai Vaazhum". The songs are so good and I wasn't surprised to find two other Malayalam songs "Devi Kumaranaloor Ammae" and "Nilpoo Njan" from the album "Devi Gaanam" tuned to the tunes of the Tamil songs or maybe it was the other way around. One other song you may like is "Oru neeramengilum" from the album "Kannanaam Unni Vol 2".
Check them out. Very pleasing.

Smash hits from A R Rahman

2007-10-23T23:13:00.000+05:30

Today being the audio release of Vijay's new movie "Azhigiya Thamizhmagan" I chanced to check out the songs and I am already playing the three smash hits from the movie for the n'th time. These hits starting with "Kelamal Kaiyile" sung by Sriram Parthasarathy and Saindhavi which must be your first song make this one very sought after album. The other big hits are "Ponmagal Vandhal" and "Nee Marylin Munroe". "PonMagal Vandhal" is an old number tuned to todays rap and modern beats. It is going to be another classic like what A R Rahman created a few years ago with "Thottal Poo Malarum" for the film "New". MusicIndiaonline this time hasn't loaded the songs but find them on Raaga. Enjoy Azhigaya Thamizhmagan!

Two new lovely songs

2007-10-06T11:14:00.000+05:30

After watching countless times the delightful video of the "Arab Nade" song and listening to it like a daily ritual for several days now I cannot but stress the beauty of this song from Yuvan Shankar Raja from the movie "Thottal Poo Malarum". Another lovely song is from the Malayalam movie "Neivedhyam", probably the most watched and requested song on the Malayalam channels these days. It is called "Kolakuzhal" and it is sung by the children of veterans Yeshudas and Sujatha, Vijay Yeshudas and Shwetha. Shwetha's voice is so similar to that of her mother. I cannot believe she said to me she wasn't going to pursue singing a year ago when I met her and her mother at a relative's marriage reception.

"Bheema" has two very good songs

2007-09-20T19:10:00.000+05:30

Harris Jayaraj scores again with new songs for Vikram's next film "Bheema". Maybe the other songs will or may eventually become hits after multiple listens but for now two of them stand out. "Siru Parvayale" sung by Karthik and Harini (whose voice only seems to get better with age) and "Enadhuyire" by Chinmayee, Sadhana Sargam and others. Check them both at this link for Bheema on MusicIndiaonline.com.

Once again, some lovely songs from the recent past

2007-06-08T10:01:00.000+05:30

As it always happens there are songs that bowl you over with the gradual passing of time. Here's one, from the Tamil movie Vattaram called "Idhu Naana". What a lovely song and I cannot help admiring Kalyani Menon's voice and delivery. This is the same lady that had sung "Adi Thozhi" from the Parthiban Movie Thendral. Credit should also be given to the sensous number taken around the Athirampally waterfalls with Adisaya and Arya that also lured me to this number.

The other song that kind of missed my ears is "Nee Oru Puzhayai" from the Malayalam movie "Thilakkam". I defy even veterans to sing this song because it has to only be sung with a cool and a calm as Jayachandran does in this lovely number. Jayachandran is literally on a comeback trail in Malayalam not to forget he is still singing great songs in Tamil. Now that Yesudas is almost out of the music scene in Kerala it is wonderful to see Jayachandran still entertaining his Malayalee fans with hit after hit.

Of the other songs that I thought I missed one is "Thaaliye Thevaille" from the Vishal movie Thambirabarani. After a while it is nice to hear a good song from Bhavatharini. The other is also from another Vishaal starrer called "Maana Madurai" sung by Shankar Mahadevan but I haven't found the link yet. Let me know if you do.

Illayaraja strikes again in Malayalam

2007-06-08T09:53:00.000+05:30

Too much of other pre-occupations has led me to post so late but not that there has been a dearth of good new songs. In Malayalam, Illayaraja had done it again with two lovely songs in the movie Vinodayathra, songs that are the most requested and played now in rainy Kerala. I am not sure who the singers are but "Kaiyetha" my favorite could be a Manjari number. The other, the duet "Mandhara Poo" may be sung by Madhu Balakrishnan and Majari again but not sure about the female singer. Check them out, they are lovely.

Sivaji has one sure hit

2007-04-14T11:16:00.000+05:30

The much awaited Rajnikanth starrer has one big A R Rahman hit in "Sahara Pookal" sung by Udit Narayanan and Chinmayi. Inspite of the poor tamil sung by Udit (which has been widely accepted these days from non-tamil speaking singers) it is a lovely song. But the song also brings to mind familiar tunes and music of other songs but cannot recall which ones. Click here to check out the song from musicindiaonline.com. Unfortunately some of the other links of the remaining songs do not work. Maybe in the coming days they will. But for now enjoy this lovely song.

Yuvan's new offering...

2007-03-05T08:46:00.000+05:30

I must begin by saying what a surprise it was to see Chitra and Manjari on the cover of the popular malayalam fortnightly "Vanitha". I had written about Manjari saying she could replace Chitra on an earlier post on MadrasBee.

Now for the lovely songs from Yuvan for the movie "Chennai 600028". First up is "Un Paarvai" by Vijay Yesudas. Vijay sounds very different but it is the best song to come out after his marriage. The magic combo of Yuvan and Vijay is evident in this lovely song. Using real drums (certainly doesn't sound synthesized) and violin background score, Yaaro (Love) sung by S.P.Balasubramaniam, Chitra and chorus. Barring some clumsy moans/tunes/music somewhere in the middle it is a good number. A variation of the same song titled Yaaro (Friendship) is Ok except for some goofing in the amateurish singing (or that's how it sounds). Finally there is the song sung by Yuvan which is likely to become a hit with the young cricket audience is "Ulla Vaa". Check them out.

Two good songs, one a must see/watch

2007-02-28T21:47:00.000+05:30

Ever since I saw these guys on the Vijay Awards Show some three or more weeks ago I had no one to talk to about them. But now since the word's around and more people searching for their music I must say "check them out". The video of their song "Madai Thiranthu" their cover of Illayaraja's hit from the movie "Nizhalgal" is a must hear. Check them out at the link below on YouTube . The other song I have been listening to quite a bit is "Unn Siripinil" the latest from Harris Jeyaraj for Goutham Menon's new offering "Patchai Kili Muthu Charam". This number is going to be on the lips of many for quite some time. The other songs of the movie don't make a mark though they are bound to become popular. Like "Karka Karka" from Vettaiyadu Vilayadu there may be another number from Patchai Kili that might win my ear later.

Take a listen to this man - Prem Joshua

2007-02-27T16:49:00.000+05:30

I had the privilege of listening to him on the iTunes Store and though I won't rate him a successor to Ananda Shankar, he is good to listen to. Prem Joshua is an adept flautist and sitarist. I read that Anoushka Shanker, Pandit Ravi Shankar's daughter and an accomplished sitarist herself is a big fan of Prem Joshua and I am not surprised. The music is great for a long ride, exotic choreography or as Ananda Shankar and Tanushree did, good for dances too. According to the article in Wikipedia there is a dancer from Singapore who is already creating such dance performances tuned to Prem Joshua's music. Some of the songs I would highly recommend are "Saroja Part 1" from the album Yatri, "Dakini" from the album Sky Kisses the Earth and "Bolo Hari" from the album Dance of Shakti. Check them out. They may be next best and new thing you were searching for in music.

Mithoon scores again and other Lovely new songs

2007-01-13T20:01:00.000+05:30

Mithoon, the man behind Atif Afsal's "Tere Bin" from "Bas Ek Pal" scores big with songs for the movie "Anwar". The song that is frequently played is "Maula Mere" sung well by Roop Kumar Rathod. The music compostion is good. The other one, "Tose Naina Lage" by Kshitij and Shilpa Rao is another one very good on the ears. Pleasant and lovely.

And from the others, "Ey Hairathe" by Alka Yagnik (a hit for the 'Ek do theen" girl after a quite a while) and Hariharan is a melodious number from A R Rahman for the film "Guru".

In Tamil songs from "Unnale Unnale" the next and anticipated offering from Harris Jayaraj has a good one in the title song sung by Karthik and Harini. "Vaigasi Nilave" sung by Madhusri (her tamil is bad though) and Haricharan is listenable too.

Where was I all these days?

2006-12-20T21:45:00.000+05:30

Thanks to the cybercafe in Frazer Town, Bangalore where I had the good opportunity to listen to Atif Aslam crooning "Adat" and when I enquired with the cybercafe's owner he replied the song's from "Ek Pal" but on a search on MusicIndiaOnline I stumbled across "Tere Bin" which I understand has become some kind of a "National Anthem" here in India. The song sung by Atif and composed by Mithoon is a must listen and has been used for the movie "Bas Ek pal". Mithoon the 21 year old composer of the song is from India whereas Atif hails from Pakistan. The combination has been deadly. I believe they are working on new material as well. "Bas Ek Pal", the title track sung by Kay Kay and Sunidhi is also a good number with some lovely guitar riffs and licks. Nice work by Mithoon, Vivek and Pritam.

The other song that I couldn't resist asking the cybercafe owner details about was "Aa Paas Aa" by Shreya Goshal from the movie "Ankahee" though the bass guitar reminded me of Harris Jayraj's "Zara.." or his Tamil original "Vaseegara".

I haven't listened to some good Indian music for long and what a relief to hear songs as these. You cannot afford to miss these lovely songs.

Lovely Hindi Songs

2006-08-21T20:02:00.000+05:30

Though I liked "Mere Haath Mein" and "Chaand Sifarish" when the songs of Fanaa were released on MusicIndia online I thought I'd wait a little longer, but not any longer. After having watched the beautiful movie and replayed the songs countless times I highly recommend them. It's been a while since I liked the music in a film but the Jatin-Lalit duo really impress. It is also the first time I liked a Shaan number. Sunidhi Chauhan also does a great job on the duet "Mere Haath Mein" with Sonu Nigam. Check the songs and the film. They are worth it.

A smash hit from A R Rahman

2006-08-05T08:30:00.000+05:30

It was out on Raaga.com and oosai.com but it took a day later to appear on musicindiaonline.com. Songs of Sillunu (Jillnu) Oru Kaadhal have been released. The song that is going to be on everyone's lips is "Munbe Va" sung by Shreya Goshal, Naresh Iyer and chorus. The piano is great on the song. You musn't be doing anything else but listening to this song right now. A R also sings another good number titled "New York", a slow number like the one he did in "Kannathil Muthamittal". This beautiful song and the good ones from the film "Godfather" can very easily bring A R Rahman back to where he always belongs - on the very top. Check out "Munbe Va". Lost count of how many times I've listened to it in the past three days.

For a change, a lovely Telugu number

2006-06-17T14:45:00.000+05:30

Ever since I saw the lovely video of this song I have been trying to track the number and finally with a little help from my Telugu-speaking friends, I finally nailed it. Check out this gem from the Telugu movie "Okariki Okaru". The song is sung by Shreya Goshal, probably the best female playback voice there is in India today. The song is called "Nuvve Na Swasa". Never miss it.

Rock on Himesh

2006-06-04T10:45:00.000+05:30

Before he can run out of ideas Himesh had better look for inspiration and new styles before his music turns out stale. Meanwhile he seems to be delivering hit after hit in the the Hindi film Industry. Check out the numbers below.

"Aashiqui Meri" from 36 China Town
(will post other movie hits soon)

By the way songs from the movie Gangster based on a Himesh formula seems to be making waves too. "Ya Ali" is a good one but it would hav been more acceptable had it been shorter.

One more lovely song for Yesudas from Jeychandran

2006-05-14T15:51:00.000+05:30

Though the music of the song may sound familiar to music from Tamil songs I couldn't help enjoying this lovely number from music director M Jeychandran made for Yesudas for the Malayalam movie "Madhuchandralekha". Check it out. Lovely one.

Run and get this album, now!

2006-04-28T20:34:00.000+05:30

I didn't know that in such a short period another great album would be released just after Himesh Reshammiya's "Apka Suroor" to give the latter a run for its money. What a classic from Kailash Kher. The album is titled "Kailasa" and what we have is more of Sufi/Punjabi rocking numbers sung to Khawali and funkeyed Khawali tunes. The singing is more refined and talented, relying more on raw vocal power than on studio modulation and tweaks. The techno music is not stale either. The nice ones and bound to be favs are "Tauba Tauba" (the remix is OK too), "Teri Deewani" (currently No.1 at the Indipop countdown at MusicIndiaonline.com and one that has a nice video too), "Dilruba", "Albela Saajan" and "Naiharwa" with the latter ones less techno and funkier than the earlier ones in the list. "Alla ke Bande" is a number listeners and viewers may have listened to earlier. One of the classics "Daulat Shohrat" was removed from the list and I wonder why. Search the web and I am sure you'll find it somewhere.

Some songs I missed and certainly worth listening

2006-04-22T22:06:00.000+05:30

Not any likeable hit in sight (in my opinion). So I decided to write about some not so old songs that I missed mentioning. First the songs "Pani Thuli" by Kay Kay and Shreya Goshal and "Merke Merke" by Shankar Mahadevan and Sadhana Sargam from the movie Kanda Naal Mudhal. The tile song "Kanda Naal Muthal" is a nice fusion of classical singing and violin accompaniment tuned to funky beats. "Koo Koo" is not a bad song either, depends on how soon you can get bored with it. "Dialamo Dialamo" from the movie Dishyum is enjoyable after hearing it played repeatedly on radio and T.V.

A hit for Manjari and Illayaraja

2006-04-22T07:24:00.000+05:30

Although he has composed music for only a few films in Malayalam, Illayaraja is popular In Kerala where normally singers are more popular than music directors. And he has given them yet another big hit with the song "Attankaraiyorathu" for the movie Rasathanthram starring Mohanlal and Meera Jasmine. This song is going to be another feather in the cap for Manjari who has rendered the song. Illayaraja gave some time immemorial Malayalam hits that are requested even to this day on T.V and radio shows. Some of them are the very famous "Poongatrinodum" and "Konchi Karyalle" from the movie Poomugapadiyil Ninneyum Kaathu, "Thumbe Vaa" and "Kili Paadunnu maanathu" from the movie Olangal.

A R Rahman's magic sparkles now and then

2006-04-01T14:58:00.000+05:30

Check out both versions of "Innisai". One by Mahathi and Naresh and the version by Mahathi and Saindhavi from the movie "Godfather". The song reminds of visuals made by Mani Ratnam in his movies. Wonder if the movie has such good visuals to match the grandeur of the songs.

A beautiful song from Yesudas and other new good Mallu songs

2006-03-29T22:39:00.000+05:30

"PachapanamThathe" from the Malayalam movie "Nottam" is a lovely song with a simple beat but one that brings cheer to Yesudas's fans. It's always a good feeling to see veterans make a great song now and then. There is a melancholy about this song that is going to be enjoyed for quite some time. The songs "Mayangi Poi" by Chithra and "Melle" by the music director Jayachandran are also worth a listen.

New and young music directors, singers and lyricists are making Malayalam songs more appealing particularly for malayalee listener's in other states. One such contribution are the songs of the new Malayalam film "Out of Syllabus". Check out "Mayajalathil" sung by Vineeth Sreenivasan son of veteran actor Srieenivasan. If only Bennet and Veetrag had added a different tune in between the second charanam and Pallavi (instead of repeating the same tune again from the previous charanam-pallavi tune) and matched the charanam to the pallavi with a modified tune with beats the song would have been all the more better. Other songs in the movie that are worth mentioning are "Poyivaruvan", both Manjari and Veetrag sung versions and "Ee Kalpadavil" again both the Asha and Venugopal versions. The song "Poovinu Ithal Cheppil" sung by Manjari and Vidhu Pratap is listenable too.

More great stuff from Vidyasagar

2006-02-26T09:22:00.000+05:30

After "Poi" I couldn't help listening to Vidyasagar's next offering for the movie "Thambi" and I wasn't surpried to find some very pleasant numbers. Jump first to "Sudum Nilavu" sung by UnniKrishnan and Harini. What a lovely number. The song actually reminds you of several other tamil songs but can't think of them now. I don't know what's with the smaller songs in movies these days (there are too many of them) but you always wonder why they weren't extended into full versions. Two of those good ones are in this movie too. Check out "Enn Kaadhal" by Saindhavi and "Kanavaa" by Madhushree.
Thambi.

S P B back with a great number - Songs from the movie Poi

2006-02-18T08:41:00.000+05:30

Besides the eye-catching new girl Vimala, the K Balachander movie features a great number by THE greatest singer in the country, S P Balasubramianiam. The vocals are sweet and the song stylish for a cool evening setting. It is called "La La La". What a long run SPB has had and he still has great potential to impress after singing over 35,000 songs. Two other small songs also impress. "Enna Tholaithai" by Chithra and "Inge Inge Oru Paatu" by Shankar Mahadevan. But it will be SPB's song that is going to be real "killer". "Kutty Kutty Kavithai" by Shalini is an OK number. Full points to Vidyasagar for all the lovely compositions. Check it out at the following link on musicindiaonline. Poi.

Himesh Reshammiya delivers a stunner

2006-02-12T11:29:00.000+05:30

After composing music for T.V serials and movies Himesh's debut solo double CD album Apka Suroor (Vol.1 & 2) is one rocking album that is certainly going to be talked about for a long time. Instantly gratifying, the very vocal and catchy songs are going to appeal to anyone. No wonder most of the songs from the album are in the top 20 list of www.musicindiaonline.com's Indipop countdown. Vol.1 contains the originals and before anyone else can make remixes out of them Himesh offers all the remixed versions of the originals on Vol.2. This review is of the originals on Vol.1.

Start with "Naam Hai Thera", the song that is featured in the advertisement on T.V that got me instantly hooked. I am sure you'll be hooked too. Next stop, check out "Tu Yaad Na Aaye Aisa Koi Din Nahin". Reminiscent of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan it's a lovely qawwali based number. Time to rock again. Jump to "Mere Lamhon Ki Aarzu", an awesome number with great vocals, lyrics and a terrific beat. Take a break now with "Samjo Na", a lovely acoustic number. Time to groove again, this time with a slower rocker. Check out "Ched De Pyar Ki Baat". With female vocals, rap and Saarangi thrown in good measure it's a groovy number. Follow this one with "I love you O Sayyoni" which has all the potentail of becoming a crowd fav. with live audiences. And here's more. Follow up with "Aashiqana Hai Dil" a song sung well to complete a groovy three song set. Before you can wind down here's one more daandiya number. Check out "Nachle it's folkish". Not a great number as there have been many similar ones but this one is daandiya perfect.

Ok, time to wind up now. Listen to "Chahe Gila Karo" a beautiful song with some fantastic singing and wrap up the collection with "Vaada Tainu"

Although "Tera Suroor" is currently No.1 listen to it at the end to remind you that all good things need not always come to an end. Listen to the song and then start all over! The album is certainly worth a couple of first listens.

Almost all of the songs on this album are great for playing live. Himesh delivers in one "kick-ass" album what Indian and Pakistani rock bands haven't done in decades.

Paramasivam scores with three songs, Paarijatham with one

2006-01-08T21:00:00.000+05:30

Three songs tuned by Vidhyasagar in Thala's new movie "Paramasivam" are going to be hits for sure. The first is the delightful "Asa Dosa" sung well by Priya Subramani. "Kannan" is another short lovely number sung by Kalyani Menon, Lakshmi Rangarajan and Saindhavi. By the way it looks as though there are two Kalyani Menons or are they the same. Remember the 80's hit "Nee Varuvai ena Naan ninaithen". It was sung by a Kalyani Menon too. And finally "Natchithira Paravaikku" sung by Tippu and company. The chorus of the children in this song will remind you of Illayaraja's songs in the movies "Anjali" and "Virumandi".

The real treat however is "Unnai Kanden" from the movie "Paarijatham" that debuts Saranya, daughter of actor/director Bagyaraj and Poornima Jayaram. Sung stylishly by Shruthi and company to the tune of Dharan's music it may sound a bit like "Vaseegara" but it is a beautiful number. Treat yourself.

New songs in Tamil

2005-12-31T07:41:00.000+05:30

First is the sensuous number "Chellame Idu Irava Pakala" sung by Karthik and Sunitha Sarathy from the movie "Kalaba Kadhala" composed by newcomer Niru. It's sure to become popular and is certainly worth a listen. "Eruvar Vazhum", another small duet from the film "Aathi" is an OK one. But the song that is likely to become a dance hit from the same movie (though it sounds stale) is "Olli Olli Udambe", a Karthik and a different sounding Anuradha Sriram duet. "Paakathe" from the film "Aaru" with nice tunes in the charanam will please you. It's a break for Tippu who I believe is married to the popular singer Harini. "Soda bottle" is the another "dapankoothu" number from "Aaru" which is bound to become popular. Check them out.

Who is likely to replace Chithra

2005-12-27T19:35:00.000+05:30

Before I even try to answer that let me not give the impression that Chitra is going to be dethroned overnight by the multitude of great new singing talent that the Malayalam music industry is never short of.

I won't consider Sujatha who with a voice that is getting better every year as someone who is going to take over the crown although she is good competition. A couple of years ago I thought the crown may go to newcomer Gayatri. With a huskier voice, training in Hindustani besides Carnatic, influences ranging from Rafi to Dire Straits and some great songs I was under the impression she could replace Chitra. But ever since I saw Manjari sing live on T.V, Chithra's "Karmugil" from the movie "Nandanam" I knew the south Indian film audience could look forward to some great vocals from this promising new singer. I was surprised to see her duet with Illayaraja for his mega concert but maybe for good reason. Trained in both Carnatic and Hindustani and with influences such as Latha Mangeshkar and Mohd.Rafi besides a host of other Indian singers she is quite a contender for the next big female voice from Kerala.

I checked her songs on MusicIndiaOnline and I couldn't believe her range of singing. Simply put her songs are difficult for others to sing. Her Reena Roy(remember her?)/Sunitha looks are another plus. Check out the following links to her songs. First Stop, the album "Mazhayilaroo". "Maaleya Sandhyee" must be the first song you need to listen to and I am sure you will be hooked. Follow that with "Pinneyum" and then to "Paadu Pranayamee". Next stop, the album "Pranayamai" and check out the song "Thaane En Thamburumooli".
Final stop the song of movie "Ponmudipuzhayorathu" and check out "Oru Chiri Kandaal", a duet with Vijay Yesudas. Music for this movie is by Illayaraja and Tamil listeners will even find similarities between this number and the number "Poonkathave" from the movie "Nizhalgal" whose songs were also composed by the maestro.

Not forgetting Gayathri here are links to two of her great numbers. Check out "Enthinee Kanna" from the movie "Sasneham Sumithra" and "Thamaranoolinal" a duet with Venugopal from the movie "Mullavalliyum Thenmavum".

Rabbi Shergill just exited the top 10

2005-12-24T19:57:00.000+05:30

What an impressively long run in the top 10 on MusicIndiaOnline charts for an album in such a rare category - SufiRock and that too after more than a year of its release. Ever since the attention grabbing video for "Bulla Ki Jana" aired on T.V I have always been inquisitive about Rabbi and his album. After another video "Jugni" I just couldn't wait to sample the well produced album and what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be.

"Bulla Ki Jana" must be the first song you should be listening. My punjabi friend also says this is a spiritual song. Follow that with "Ek Geet Hijar Da" for some lovely singing. Your next stop must be "Gill Te Guitar" which is a faster paced song and a happier one with some good guitar riffs. "Heer" - faster than the previous number, sung well and with good guitar playing this song is a treat too. "Ishtihar" is a slow number but melodious and does not get boring. "Ajj Nachna" is the one that sounds typical Punjabi and again not-boring. "Jugni" sounds as stylish as it looks on the video. "Tere Bin" with more indian perscussion is another lovely number. "Totia Manmotia" is the only unattractive number but then you can always forgive the only exception on the album. Never boring with lovely tunes on the intruments and on the vocals this album is a very good buy. Check it out at musicindiaonline. Rabbi

Pankaj Avasti's 9

2005-12-22T22:12:00.000+05:30

Gone are the days when pop albums made in the sub-continent sounded amateurish. These days the quality is of a very good standard. One such album is "9" from Pankaj Avasti. The album boasts of well produced and well made music with plenty of lovely guitar licks. It would have become a hit had there only been more variety in the songs as most of the songs have a similar feel to it. The song that is a must listen on the album is "Barson se Barse". Deep and a bit haunting it's a great number. The other songs that I found quite impressive were "Teri meri batein" and "The Last Beat". The rest can get boring. Take a listen on MusicIndiaOnline. Pankaj Avasthi 9

Two little known great songs

2005-12-18T22:36:00.000+05:30

Some very good songs hardly see the light of day and here are two of them. One is a Yuvan Shankar Raja composition, a small song sung by Unni Menon and chorus called "Unakku Endru Oruthi" from the recent movie "Oru Kallooriyin kathai" starring Arya and Sonia Agarwal. I wonder why this song wasn't extended to a regular length song.

The other one is Harris Jayaraj's "Yaridamum" by Harini and Ramesh Vinayagam from the movie "Thotti Jaya" starring Silambarasan and Gopika. I am told that the song is not played in the movie. You will fall for Harini for her vocals on this melodious number.

Yuvan's latest offering, a must listen

2005-12-18T09:21:00.000+05:30

A couple of big hits this Christmas season are from Yuvan Shankar Raja. One of them is already on top of the www.Raaga.com tamil charts called "Eno Kangal" from the movie "Kalvanin Kadhali". Sung by Sadhana Sargam and Yuvan it is a song you cannot and should not miss. Sadhana sounds great as she did on "Snehidhane" from the movie "Alaipayuthae". S J Surya who has a knack of making great videos (remember "Thottal Poo malarum.." from "New") I am sure may have a great video for this song too. I am looking forward to watching it. Two other songs that are listenable are the raunchy "Kudakooli Koduthachu" and the small "Uyir Piriyum velai". The other movie that Yuvan has composed music and songs is for "Pudupettai" starring Dhanush. The audio release for this movie is interesting in that that it has an English movie soundtrack feel with many instrumentals and songs named in English. The songs that grabbed my attention are the two "Dapan Koothu" numbers "Yenga area ulla varathe" and "Varriya" with the latter less in lyrics. The former has potential of doing to Yuvan what "Oram Po" did to Illayaraja decades ago. Check them out at the following link. "Yenga area ulla varathe", "Varriya"

Colours of India by Ganesh-Kumaresh

2005-12-17T07:26:00.000+05:30

I can't wait any longer to post a review on this lovely album. If you don't have this album I suggest you make a bee line to your nearest music store and get it without fail. If you thought Illayaraja's "How to Name it" or "Conversations", the fusion album from L.Subramanian/Stefan Grapelli were some of the finest fusion albums that came out from South India here's an album that is going to be talked about for some time. The tunes on this album will please, elevate and soothe your mind.

"Taj Mahal" must be the first song you should be listening to. A beautiful instrumental befitting the monument and follow that with "Utsav". Wait till you hear the vocals on "Utsav". You won't believe that even vocals can get you on a natural high. These two songs alone are worth the price of the CD. Ganesh-Kumaresh and company are going to be remembered for a long time for these two songs. "Gambhira" is a lovely intro to what's in store on the CD. The musicianship here is top notch. Arun is tight and fantastic on his drum set here. Chanchal is a lovely jam in typical carnatic style showcasing the talents of the musicians without sacrificing composition. Starting as an ensemble and finishing off with solos from the precussionists this is a superb compostion. Ahimsa is a delightful soft Hindi devotional song on non-violence that also calls and refers other religions.

Colours of India is the only spoilt song on this album. A long and out-of-place composition reflecting various music styles from around the country it fails to match the creativity and of the stellar compositions "Taj Mahal" and "Utsav".

The musician who grabbed most of my attention was of course Arun Kumar. He made the drums sing and talk. There was so much meaning to the fast and furious playing, even Sivamani could learn a lesson. Check out my review of Sivamani on my personal blog.

Beg, borrow, steal, or buy this album.

Until then, listen to it on musicindia online.
Colours of India

Ragaa or MusicIndiaOnline?

2005-12-17T07:04:00.000+05:30

I am sure many of you who have been listening to music online are aware of www.raaga.com. They have been facing stiff competition for sometime now from another site www.musicindiaonline.com. The latter has a much bigger collection, spanning several languages and genres unlike ragaa whose collection is limited to songs in just 4 languages. There are also top 10, 20, 50 and 100 countdowns of the best current songs in each of the categories. Plus plenty of news of the latest happenings in the music and the film industry. The best part however is this. No 'adverts' or annoying pop-ups before each song or songlist just like it was with Raaga when Raaga began online. However I would advise you to be in touch with Raaga as I found latest releases appearing faster there than on Musicindiaonline.

One tip. Register for a free login and maintain your own collection.