Ada…A Way of Life
Music Review
By Aakash Gandhi
Source: avstv.com
Reviewer’s Rating: 8.5/10
It’s always a rare treat to reap the pleasures of a complete Rahman
soundtrack. And after 2004, in which he released a whopping four
[Hindi] soundtracks, we’ve merely been getting quick glimpses of the
musical phenomenon either once or twice a year. That’s all about to
change, as we have TWO back-to-back Rahman albums releasing
simultaneously – JAANE TU YA JAANE NA and ADA. If you add in January’s
release of Jodhaa-Akbar, then we already have THREE Rahman soundtracks
in a short span of just five months. Let’s take it one step further,
shall we? IF (and that’s a big if) release dates are expected to
remain constant, then by the end of the year we may very well witness
the release of two additional Rahmantic scores in GHAJINI and YUVRAAJ.
Now, if you told me a few years ago that in 2008 the Industry would
listen to the music of Rahman in five separate and complete
soundtracks, I would have said you’re crazy!
Nevertheless, today we’re zoning in on just one – ADA…A Way of
Life. The music of ADA is intriguing to me for a couple of reasons.
When you look at Rahman’s resume (1998 and onwards), barring just a few
cases, all his projects have been highly anticipated scores. ADA is
definitely not one of them. If you clicked on this review thinking
it’s just another low-budget disaster with forgettable music only to
soon realize, in a dazed and confused state, that the music credits
read A.R. Rahman, I guarantee you’re not the only one. In fact, the
music of ADA was conceived and recorded some six years ago, while the film was
still in its prime. ADA, a film that had seemingly joined the
countless other projects sitting on the backburner has now been given
new life with the release of its music on May 20, 2008, six years later!
“The music of the film actually took six years to make because
the film started six years back in 2002. The music has a very old
school melody feel. But it also has other tunes so it does have a color
of different genres in it.” – A.R. Rahman [CNN-IBN]
It will be interesting to experience what Rahman terms as “old
school melody.” Since he’s always maintained a very distinct class of
melody, ADA will give listeners the perfect opportunity to witness a
live progression in melodic genres first hand. It’s also refreshing to
see Rahman stop on a dime to compose for a more modest film (which he
hasn’t done in years) after just delivering music for one of India’s
grandest films, Jodhaa-Akbar. Lyrics are provided by Raqueeb Alam (Water) and
Nusrat Badr (Devdas).
Rahman packs a peppy punch in the very distinctive Ishq Ada IMale Version).
>From first-hand experience I can tell you that the number one struggle
for composers and arrangers who are trying to get ahead now a days is
the ethereal fusion of universal appeal with avant-garde sound. Rahman
isn’t the Madras Mozart by fluke, he has mastered this union to provide
us with both soul-stirring melodies and foot-tapping beats, while
maintaining that never-before-heard sound. Ishq Ada is a pure synergy of both
elements.
Let’s first look at Element 2: Rhythmic Background. Rahman
differentiates the rhythm from the very get-go by commencing the number
with an instrumental rhythm, as opposed to the more conventional
percussion rhythm. The catchy rhythmic riffs of the guitar immediately
bring the playful atmosphere to the forefront of the composition. As
the melodic lines progress, so does the rhythmic build-up, as Rahman
casually throws in some arabic percussions to give more spice to the
musical aura, while the instrumental rhythm remains beautifully
camouflaged beneath the percussions and melody.
Element 1: Melodic Foreground. Although I don’t quite see the
“old-school melody” in this composition, I definitely can say that
Rahman has dabbled quite a bit with experimentation while conceiving
this franticly cool tune. Despite having numerous variations of the
same melodic structure, Rahman surreptitiously strips the piece of
differentiated stanzas. Normally this would be devastating, but it’s
Rahman’s versatile melody that keeps masking itself to keep you
hooked! Rashid Ali is perfect in his rendition of the relentless
tune. His vocals are just as playful as the melody itself, as he
balances his performance with emotion and poise. Lastly, the only
other instrumental performance, apart from the guitar rhythm, is the
harmonium, which makes short timid appearances between melodic riffs.
It’s Rahman’s way of adding a simple touch to a relatively simple
song. Raqueeb Alam’s short and snappy reflections on love fit the mood
of the piece with perfect lyrical harmony. Verdict: Let the
soul-tapping beats and stylish tunes of Ishq Ada flow through you…grow on you…
We are in true Rahmantic heaven with the absolutely gorgeous duet Hawa Sun
Hawa.
I know I may catch a lot of flack for this, but this has to go down as
one of Sonu Nigam’s and Alka Yagnik’s greatest duets – and that’s
saying something! It all begins and ends with Rahman’s golden melody.
I can perhaps see shimmers of old-school layers here, but it is an
extremely pretty piece nonetheless. The rhythm is another spectacle of
sound courtesy Rahman, who gives us his unique version of an Indee-pop
ballad. Also look out for the invincible integration of the tabla
during the interlude as well as towards the end of the song…it’s
musical divinity. Adding to the touch of grandeur and simplicity all
at the very same time are the Bansuri and piano add-ons, not to mention
the strong atmospheric presence, all filling the gaps beautifully.
Nusrat Badr is at his romantic best with his eclectic poetry on
undiscovered love. But the highlight here is undoubtedly Rahman’s
melody and the vocal chemistry between Sonu and Alka. Verdict: My
vote for best duet of 2008 so far. Excuse me while I rendezvous with
this beauty a few times more…
Rahman throws out an earthy upbeat track in the form of Gum Sum. Another
Sonu-Alka duet that clearly pales in comparison to the magic we heard in Hawa
Sun Hawa.
Perhaps this is the old-school melody that Rahman was referring to?
Nevertheless, the melody doesn’t quite fit within Rahman’s boundaries,
resulting in a tune that won’t easily dance on your lips. However,
it’s the foot-tapping rhythm that saves this number. Special mention
to the Santoor-inspired instrument (if not the Santoor itself) which
puts forth a wicked performance throughout the composition. It’s also
worth pointing out the organ riffs that are added towards the end since
Rahman hardly uses the instrument! Nusrat Badr’s lyrics are a bit more
conventional than one would like to hear from a Rahman track.
Verdict: Check this song out for the rustic beats and wicked Santoor
riffs!
Gulfisha is special because for the first
time Rahman is featuring one of India’s hottest singers – Sunidhi
Chauhan – along with Sonu Nigam. There’s another first for Rahman
hidden here as well…the Italian flavors. Melodically the song is much
more chilled-out than the previous three compositions, aspiring towards
the younger crowds, indicative of the decision to bring on Sunidhi.
Hinging on a synthesized atmosphere and some catchy clap beats, the
melody really flourishes as the song progresses, with both Sunidhi and
Sonu shining bright. Nusrat Badr’s lyrics take a back-seat to the
heavy vocal presence but do complete justice to the animated number.
It’s interesting to note: If in fact this song was recorded four,
five, or even six years ago, why hasn’t Rahman hooked up with Sunidhi
again? There have been plenty of opportunities to feature her vocals.
Makes you wonder… Verdict: Plug this frisky tune into your car and
cruise to the stylish sounds of Gulfisha.
The tuned out chordal play of the piano nudges the soulful light-pop number
Meherbaan into
play. It’s almost a safe bet to say that if a track is rendered by
Rahman himself, it’s probably because it is amongst the best, if not
the best song on the lot. Meherbaan features Rahman’s moving
vocals amidst a light-pop ballad with caressing acoustic highlights.
The peacefully pure melody will give you complete rest, as Rahman’s
soothing voice takes this number to cosmic heights. With Meherbaan, Raqueeb
Alam clearly proves himself the better of the two lyricists. His poetic
phrases depicting the relationship between two joint-souls through metaphor
completes the simplistic
musical trinity with grace and integrity. It’s quite astonishing, and
I’ve rarely experienced this myself, but the passion of the melody and
the emotion of the vocals enhance the lyrical meaning of the song
without actually changing any words. Verdict: If there were ever any
doubts that music is in fact potentially a metaphysical incarnation of
peace and purity, one exposure to A.R. Rahman’s Meherbaan will put all that to
rest.
Ahh, and the addictive catch factor returns in grand form with the electric Tu
Mera Hai.
There’s so much going on at each and every moment of the song, yet
never do you feel that the composition is crowded or cacophonic. The
rustic rhythm is the first element of this rich and sultry song, paving
way for the addicting catch line of ‘Tu Mera Hai Mera Mera Hai,’ rendered
exquisitely by veteran Chitra, a Rahman favorite. Naresh Iyer’s smooth vocal
undertones of ‘Ya Rab’ add
to the immense catch factor. Sukhwinder Singh, another Rahman
favorite, provides perfect support for Chitra’s power-house
performance. While the tabla adds to the culturally rich heritage of
the striking rhythm, the unrelenting play of the strings next to the
vocal melody animate the composition with tremendous musical energy.
Again, Nusrat Badr’s lyrics are quite competent, but the make-up of
the song pushes the lyrics to the background and the melody/rhythm to
the foreground. Verdict: Vintage Rahman, who once again weaves his magic over
a song that liquefies the perfect blend of mass appeal and avant-garde sound.
Hai Dard tends to shy away from having
mass appeal. The melody, although extremely poignant, seems to be
slightly lacking the creative department. Nevertheless, there is
melodic ethos. Rahman’s arrangements are quite non-engaging when
compared to the rest of the soundtrack, and that contributes the most
to my being disappointed overall. Udit Narayan delivers a fine
rendition. Badr this times writes on…you guessed it…despair, but does
so with little gusto. Verdict: Due to its situational
characteristics, it will be better appreciated on the big screen rather
than on audio.
Ishq Ada (Female Version) more than makes
up for any shortcomings the previous track may have had. This is the
exact same song as the opening piece, but has been completely rewrapped
in brand new arrangements. It’s no coincidence that Rahman lightens up
the background with a higher octave play of the rhythmic guitar and
adds lighter bass lines…all these adjustments are characteristic of the
female version not only with respect to vocals, courtesy debutant Parul
Mishra, but also with respect to sound. Verdict: Just as stylish and
breezy as its counterpart, I still tend to lean in favor of the Male
Version. And that’s no coincidence either!
Milo Waha Waha, rendered by Alka Yagnik and Jayachandran, is a soft-spoken
semi-orchestral love duet. Belonging roughly to the same genre as Hai Dard,
the piece has a very steady rhythm throughout with slight variations in
terms of the decrease and increase in percussions used. The hauntingly
romantic melody blossoms towards the stanzas (pay special attention to
Jayachandran’s chorus at the 5:10 mark, it’s eerily beautiful!). The
song will appeal mainly to the lovers of ghazals, but if you give the
song a chance it will surely grow on you. Alka Yagnik is a true
revelation. Nusrat Badr’s poetic lyrics are finally given a chance to
shine in glory, as he escapes the wraths of clichés to write a
remarkable song. Verdict: More attractive than the aurally similar Dard Hai,
Rahman conspires to give this song complete poetic justice.
Another reason why Rahman is so great is because he takes pleasure
in even the smallest of things. Where 99% of composers would merely
replace a male singer with a female singer, keeping everything else
constant, Rahman saw the opportunity to give the entire composition a
more feminine touch in Ishq Ada (Female Version). And yet again we witness the
man’s humble approach to composition with Meherbaan (Instrumental)featuring
guitarist Sanjeev Thomas. Although the song maintains the same sound
as the vocalized version, the acoustic riffs and improvisations fit the
composition beautifully. In addition to the acoustic guitar, we also
hear the electric guitar throughout the stanzas, which adds to the
sound value immensely. Verdict: Obviously not a substitute to
Rahman’s tremendous vocals, but this instrumental version has its own
flare of innocence and beauty. Enjoy!
The soundtrack of ADA may not be amongst Rahman’s best, but it
surely is an admirable welcome to any music collection. Along with
Jodhaa-Akbar, it’s one of the best scores the year 2008 has seen. With
only Dard Hai slightly slacking, the music of ADA surely
backs up Rahman’s statement of it having a color of different genres,
with quite a bit of experimentation thrown in. And if you’re picky
enough to pass on this Rahmantic score, than you don’t have to wait
long to sample the next one – Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na is already on stands
everywhere. Long live Rahmania!
http://www.naachgaana.com/2008/05/22/music-review-of-adaa-way-of-life-by-aakash-gandhi/
