Joker isn’t a perfect soundtrack: it comes along with baggage of its own (the early leaking of item number track Kafirana under its controversial working title “I Want Fakht You” garnered mostly negative attention); director Shirish Kunder’s perfectionist/control-freak tendency to have his fingers in every pie including the music – in this case, as lyricist – isn’t always to everyone’s taste. With Joker reportedly Akshay Kumar’s 100^th film, is it possible that the soundtrack, at least, could be a hit?

First up is the notorious item number from guest composer Gaurav Dagaonkar. Kafirana, has been widely disseminated all over the web already in its early, leaked form, with slightly different lyrics. Namely, the current chorus “I want just you” was formerly “I want fakht you” (which means the same thing…but sounds…well, you know how it sounds). Opening with a drum sequence that is reminiscent of the drums at the start of the Dhoom 2 opening song, Kafirana is sadly, a little bit lacklustre for a hyped item song. Heavily rhythmic and strongly Marathi influenced, and Sunidhi Chauhan delivers the vocals with spirit, but overall it’s lacking a unique spark – it sounds like every other generic item song. It feels like the one thing that would have made the song memorable for more than 2 minutes was the “I want fakht you” chorus – which was changed, apparently, for being too controversial.

Jugnu, however, is worlds apart from the humdrum Kafirana. Firstly, it’s sung by the incomparable Udit Narayan! Oh, I’ve missed him! The song begins with a lilting lullabye/nursery rhyme feel, with gorgeous instrumentation – strings, subtle percussion, flutes, a chorus of voices, even whistling – joining gradually in the background and building to a soaring, epic climax. Emotional and inspiring, this is a beautiful, satisfying track.

Sing Raja is a funky folk/electric fusion track based around a distinctive, repeated flute loop.  The electronic and folk elements are integrated pretty well into kind of industrial rhythms, and again, build to a pleasingly epic climax, while Daler Mehndi and Sonu Kakkar infuse the lyrics with high energy. In fact, the only downside to this energetic track is that it possibly suffers from its overly simplistic lyrics.

Shweta Pandit and Sonu Nigam join forces on Yeh Joker, a strings and percussion heavy track that seems to go on forever. It’s certainly loud and epic and upbeat – lots of drums and Sonu Nigam giving it his all – with a repeated soaring echoing chorus. A probably situational track, that may be incredible in context, but outside the film it’s just quite loud and long.

The two real gems of the Joker soundtrack are the instrumental tracks composed by G.V. Prakash Kumar. Tears of The Joker – as the name suggests – is a downbeat, mournful melody, seemingly classically influenced and based around a central flute melody, with strings, sitar, and alaps. It’s quite lovely and intricate, and a definite highlight of the album. The other instrumental track, Alien Arrival starts out with an Old Western feel, and is start to finish, a thoroughly filmi theme – suitably grand and moving through various “moods” to suggest the progression of the story. These two tracks together are definitely accomplished and hint at great things to come from G.V. Prakash Kumar, despite the uneven nature of the rest of the album.

Joker Music Review is a post from: BollySpice

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The incredibly upbeat music man was kind enough to take the time to tell us about what’s in a name, his hip-hop philosophy, where to find new tunes and what it’s like making music for films.

You’ve been making music your whole life, right? Was there a specific point you decided to channel your abilities into hip-hop/fusion or was that always your thing?
I’ve been chanting mantras since the age of three, so I guess that’s considered to be my whole life right?!! I was introduced to freestyling at the age of eight, after five solid years of flipping some ill and complicated sanskrit lines. Coming up with stuff in English was child’s play. Literally. Music has just been in my soul.

How would you describe your music? You seem to move in so many different directions that labelling it “world” or “hip hop” or “fusion” seems too simplistic!
I call it Shanti music. It comes from a place of genuine love energy and when you make art, which blossoms from that space, you aren’t bound by any rule sets…you just create freely. That’s why Bollywood’s leanings suit me – because all of the classic music directors from R.D. and S.D. Burman to Bappi Lahiri and even Satyajit Ray, couldn’t afford to not express themselves using all of the possible colors of music’s spectrum. They didn’t discriminate based upon genres, they just needed things to be excellent and relevant – and added that special “masala”. I always attempt to achieve a certain quality with my work. It’s never meant to appease the moment. It is meant to complement the human experience and can be played throughout the course of a lifetime. That’s my definition of creating a classic. I think in India that is what is called an evergreen hit, right?

You’ve recorded under various different names in your long career in the industry. Who is “Brooklyn Shanti”? How does the name reflect the music or vice versa?
I’ve taken a page out of my guru, Afrika Bambaataa’s book. He is the Amen Ra and Godfather of hip-hop culture, but he is also the creator of Electro Funk, is credited with beginning electronica, and much more. He too creates to create. Bambaataa is defined as “affectionate leader” in Zulu. He has dubbed me the Indian Bambaataa. Shanti is my vibration. It is the vibration of tranquility. It is the vibration of love. Brooklyn is not only the borough of New York I am from, but in Dutch it is defined as “broken land” or “land broken by a body of water”. The earth was once Pangea, and now we are one land, one people, broken by bodies of water. My vibration is meant to bring shanti to the broken land.

I had the great pleasure of discovering your music through ‘Pyaari Pyaari’, your contribution to the From Sydney With Love soundtrack. Since ‘Pyaari Pyaari’ is a slightly Bollywood-ised version of the sublime ‘Rani Rani’, what I want to know is how is making music for Bollywood different to making it for yourself? What can you tell us about that particular project?
‘Rani Rani’ is a dancehall reggae song in Bangla .which was inspired by North African chants. It is very specific in its aesthetic leanings, and I never thought it to be poppy – it exists in its very own original space. What we were going for was more a Bangla/Hindi duet with ‘Pyaari Pyaari’ and what you can derive as a listener is that there was something very special going on with ‘Rani Rani’. The song came to me as a vision at a time in my life when I had summoned all of the love energy of the universe to come visit me. It was and is my personal mantra – it is a spiritual chant of empowerment. It is raw, visceral, and sweet at the same time. It is imperfect, it’s not autotuned in the computer. This song was chased by many directors immediately. It has a life of its own. Thornato (my collaborator on this song) and I chose to work with Prateek Chakravorty and Pramod Films because of the tradition of the banner, its relationship to the music and music directors historically, and Prateek’s vision. He understands the spiritual component of ‘Rani Rani’and it touched him so deeply that all he wanted to do, as a fellow artist, was to enable the energy which created it to spread further via a larger medium. From Sydney With Love is a “fam-com”, or family comedy. It is an innocent story about love which people of all ages and walks of life can enjoy. I felt the innocence of ‘Rani Rani’ and the vision of Prateek’s story matched. So essentially, making ‘Pyaari Pyaari’ was for ourselves as well, we simply added Prateek and Sohail Sen to our brotherhood and moved forward.

Are you excited by the possibilities offered by film as a platform to launch your music to a wider audience, or does that not come into it for you?
I’m tremendously excited. That being said, I’ve never looked to make music as work-for-hire which is what a lot of film work results in being. Music is far too deep an expression of my soul to begin placing it in the space of complete commerce and therefore compromise. People love me because I adventure far and wide and pay attention to no rules and ignore the fact that I belong to any ethnic group in particular in terms of how deep I dive into other cultures and their music. I have formed a very strong and solid relationship with Pramod Films, and there are a number of my friends such as Karsh Kale, the Midival Pundits, and more who have introduced me to other opportunities as we have been finishing my next album.

How do you feel about the state of the Bollywood music industry in general at the moment?
I’m supremely optimistic about it…now that I’m here

Any further plans to collaborate on filmi projects? People you’d like to work with? You’ve worked with so many “big” names, is there anyone you ache to work with?
I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve as far as filmi stuff is concerned. As far as people I’m aching to work with, here’s the top of my wish list: Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Kishore Kumar, R.D. Burman, Satyajit Ray, Fela Kuti…it goes on.

What do you like to listen to? What would you recommend to relative newbies?
I rabidly listen to anything and everything. I spend my days and nights curating talent and creating platforms for new and established artists, in addition to running my own career. Later this year, I will release albums from a number of different artists from around the world. Just keep logging onto www.brooklynshanti.com, there’s a wealth of music and videos posted.

A lot of contemporary Western hip hop is often criticised for being violent, misogynistic, negative. Your music seems abundantly positive and feel good. Is it you, your outlook, the industry?
I am Indian, and positive by nature. Hip-hop, by nature, is positive. My music carries the vibration that attracted Bambaataa to me in the first place. Thought leaders must remain optimistic and help enable a shift of consciousness via art when required. What we need to do right now is raise the Earth’s love vibration. It’s easy to say that the job of changing the world to make it better is someone else’s job. We won’t have a world left if we keep thinking that way. Art is an expression and result of being human. Corporations have the bottom line agenda to make revenue, at any cost. Humans are not corporations. Too many young artists have been led astray. It’s time we focus on making uplifting, spiritually centered art once more…we are in the hip-hop generation, so that is our medium.

What’s next for Brooklyn Shanti?
I’m touring the world this year in order to spread the love vibration wide and far. I’ve got a one-man show where I live remix/DJ and emcee along with other surprises, which I’ve put together over the last year. I will touch South America, Thailand, Africa, the whole of Europe, all of the States…then return to India. I’m on a few TV specials here in India coming up and am playing the big festivals as well. I’m launching a few new artists such as songstress Sierra Carrère (Tape Deck Prophets), a hip-hop artist named A-Live, and a few other surprises from folks you know quite well here in India via my label, Someplace Called Brooklyn. Some acting offers have come in as well, so I guess we’ll see! I’m excited about what is to come.

In Conversation with Music Artist Brooklyn Shanti: “Music has just been in my soul” is a post from: BollySpice

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The trailer has been out for less than a week, and already there’s talk that Life of Pi could be THE film to sweep next year’s Oscars.

The story centres on a young boy from Pondicherry named Piscine Molitor Patel, or “Pi” for short, who finds himself thrust into an epic journey of self discovery when a disaster leaves him stranded on a lifeboat with an assortment of animals as company, most notably a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Though initially their relationship is fraught with danger, a strange and deep friendship grows between Pi and Richard Parker as their journey spans oceans and continents.

Pi is played by a newcomer to the screen, 17 year old Suraj Sharma, a student hailing from Delhi, India. Sharma was one of 3000 young men who responded to a casting call for the role. Director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) had to arrange swimming lessons for Sharma, who prior to being cast as Pi had never acted, and could not swim at all.

Joining Sharma in the cast are Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Adil Hussain and Gerard Depardieu. The film is set to release in December this year in 3D.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Hjrs6WQ8M

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From Sydney With Love

The soundtrack has been handed to up and coming It Kid, Sohail Sen, to oversee, fresh off his successful foray into mainstream Bollywood with the hit soundtrack for Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.

Sohail Sen is seemingly going from strength to strength – and it makes me super excited for the Ek Tha Tiger soundtrack! His work on the FSWL album errs on the the side of just edgy enough to keep it interesting, but not so experiemental to alienate a mainstream audience. In short: dude knows what he’s doing.

Feeling Love In Sydney opens with the uniquely Aussie sound of didgeridoos, soon overlaid with futuristic electronic bleeping, before guitars kick in, strumming in a distinctively r’n'b rhythm. It sounds like a mixture of elements that probably shouldn’t work together – but they gel all too easily into a hypnotically mellow desi r’n'b / hip hop track, with a repetitive, smooth chorus,  none other than the man behind the album, Sohail Sen, crooning “come feel the love in Sydney, come fall in love in Sydney!” Roshni Baptist’s backing vocals deserve acknowledgement too.

The Remix by DJ Rayaan avoids the all-too-common trap of just adding a few more beats to make it danceable and is an ACTUAL remix, mixing in samples of dialogue and transforming the hip-hop/r’n'b original into a pumping trance-dance track.

Mohit Chauhan’s reliably gorgeous voice anchors the soaring ballad Ho Jaayegaa. There’s nothing overly flashy or in your face about this pretty track – but there’s a bit of texture and depth to the layers of rhythm and instrumentation – from the soft strumming guitar, to the barely perceptible handclaps in the percussion, the twining vocals in duet with Monali Thakur’s lovely contrasting voice, that combine into a sweet, breezy melody.

There’s a Remix on the album, which actually in this case seems a bit superfluous. It just feels a bit weird to hear such an initially pretty song turned into a thumping dancefloor anthem with all the electronic bells and whistles. It’s not terrible, just a weird juxtaposition with the original (which I obviously prefer).

Khatkaa Khatkaa brings some bhangra into the proceedings, with Mika on the mic, plenty of dhol and those familiar shoulder shaking beats! We’re not going fully old school  though – the arrangement makes room for a low key thread of electronica to run through the song – it starts off with techno sirens, and every now and then you can pick up the synths that run very subtly underneath the bhangra beats. Upbeat, but if you’ve heard a bhangra song, you know what to expect.

The steady, thumping backbeat that forms the backbone of the incredibly gorgeous Naino Ne is a wonderful contrast to the fragile beauty of the rest of the song. Ethereal vocals from Palak are contrasted with verses from Mohammed Salamat, as an absolutely beautiful melody builds and shimmers around them. This song comes as close to recreating what its like to fall in love as I’ve ever felt. Absolutely stunning. 

A dance track with a definite kind of retro rock vibe, Item Ye Hi Fi has a kinda sexy, grungy beat that straddles pop and rock and a definitely catchy chorus. Neeraj Shridhar is at the mic for this one: and it’s a quick, grungy dancefloor trip! 

The final track, Pyaari Pyaari, is the result of teamwork – written and composed by Sohail Sen, Thor Patridge and Nabin Laskar. It has a refreshing reggae feel to it, and I have to tell you – it’s genius.  Kicking off in Bengali, courtesy of vocalist Brooklyn Shanti and with added vocals from Sohail Sen, this track is the epitome of mellow and summery, and totally addictive – the rhythms and harmonies just sound amazing, and the sum of the parts is: you don’t want it to end. Ever.

All in all, the From Sydney With Love soundtrack album is a sweet and solid listen, with at least two standout tracks: the warm, sunshiney Pyaari Pyaari and the gorgeous Naino Ne. Definitely worth a spin.

From Sydney With Love Music Review is a post from: BollySpice

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Dil Garden Garden Ho Gaya has already proven popular with its colourful, goofy, Austin Powers inspired video; and to be honest, I can see why: this song is one of those cheerfully in your face techno-pop tunes that it’s pretty impossible not to like. With a relentlessly thumping bass line, a catchy chorus and sparing use of autotune, with Vishal Dadlani’s voice adding just the right amount of rock “edge” to the proceedings, just try to get this one out of endless loop in your head. The included Remix isn’t too radically different from the original, just amping up a few of the existing electronic elements for the dance-floor.

A love song with a slightly unconventional twist in the lyrics : “Teri shirt da main ta button soniye”, “O die hard fan tere hain”,  Shirt Da Button is a nice mix of  beautifully, romantically melodic and a tiny bit goofy. Sonu Nigam’s voice is an ideal fit for this track, which manages to avoid sounding like just another boring Bollywood love ballad with its offbeat lyrics and some interesting instrumentation – I especially liked the introduction of prominent dhol rhythms and handclaps in contrast with the lush guitar and woodwind section. Also included on the album is an alternate version of the song, Shirt Da Button, Version 2 with vocals handled by Kailash Kher. This alternate version is slowed in tempo, much more downbeat, and seems less of a typical love ballad, seeming to possess more of a spiritual, qawaali influence. Hard to say which version is better as its like listening to two completely different tracks, and both are good.

Hum Toh Hain Cappuccino (U.P.) is devoid of almost any melody except the vocals, supplied by Daler Mehndi, Sukhwinder Singh, Swaroop and Riteish Deshmukh. All else is pure rhythm: whistles and dhol supplying a steady, continuous backdrop to the acapella chanting of the vocalists. It’s a long track, nearly 5 and a half minutes long, but it’s compelling – constant changes in rhythm and verse and structure compelling the listener to keep listening; plus I can’t wait to see how this is picturised. This song makes me think of dust and drums, a rustic, down to earth, unvarnished and compelling listen.

From rustic to the complete opposite: Volume High Karle is a bass and synth heavy dancefloor track. There’s not a lot to say about it, really: it’s a dancefloor techno track that doesn’t – to my ear – add a heck of a lot to the genre. If anywhere, this is where the album falls down a little. There’s nothing particularly WRONG with the track – it’s upbeat, Neeraj Sridhar does fine with the vocals, it just doesn’t particularly appeal or encourage multiple listens. The Remix ups the tempo and boosts the bassy beats, but still doesn’t impress me. Neither track is BAD, but neither track is GREAT.

Overall – the music of Kya Super Kool Hain Hum lives up to the title: it’s super kool indeed!

Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum Music Review is a post from: BollySpice

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The title track Bol Bachchan opens with some nonsensical dialogue, very reminiscent of the pseudo-scientific babble that memorably opens the Amitabh Bachchan classic My Name is Anthony Gonsalves, before launching into an upbeat, rhythmic, nearly hypnotic tune (it’s an epic 6 minutes long!).  I’m not generally a fan of songs that have dialogue interspersed all the way through, but this track has a mellow groove and a catchy chorus, and the USP of the Bachchans (Amitabh and Abhishek) taking on the main burden of the vocals (with support from Ajay Devgn, Himesh Reshammiya, Mamta Sharma and Vineet Singh). If anyone stands out in this track, it’s Big B, without a doubt, but to be honest, it’s a lot more subdued than I was expecting, and seems like it will work a lot better (given all the dialogue) on the screen/after seeing the film.

Next up is Himesh in fine form dueting with Shreya Ghoshal on  Chalao Na Naino Se. A heavily rhythmic dhol based track, this is the most likely track on the album to get people up and moving and have mass appeal, with a kind of retro rustic vibe that has a slow burning appeal. Shreya’s voice adds a lovely sweet contrast to Himesh’s sometimes…divisive voice, with her verses lifting the song into another level. Himesh, for what it’s worth, is pretty restrained on this track.

I had presumed Nach Le Nach Le was going to be an upbeat kind of poppy track but I was…totally wrong. This one is from guest composers Ajay-Atul and is apparently a  Hindi variation of their earlier Marathi hit Baygo Baygo. Opening with a kind of cheesy jazz sax intro, it rapidly turns into a kind of intense, emotional tango, with rapid-fire lyrics issued over the stormy backing (guitar, violin, dhol, piano) by Sukhwinder Singh, with interludes from Shreya Ghoshal. I’ll be honest – I HATE the sax in this track, because I associate it with cheesy 90s easy listening jazz, but everything else works for me. It’s intense and emotive and Shreya Ghoshal, again provides great contrast and relief on this track.

Final track Jab Se Dekhi Hai Mohit Chauhan handles with his usual vocal prowess – it’s an intense emotional Sufi number– but I feel like I have heard this type of song before many times (on every Emraan Hashmi soundtrack I have reviewed)  – and there’s nothing particularly special about this one. With such a short soundtrack, I was hoping for something more…innovative.

Dance remixes are included of each of the four songs on the album – in each case, the remix does exactly what a dance remix is designed to do: up the tempo, add some beats, in an effort to make the track ‘dancefloor friendly’.  The most successful of these, to my ear, are the Nach Le Nach Le remix, which strips out the tango/latin stormy intensity and leaves the bare bones of the track – a “Ringa Ringa” feel with a slight electronic touch, and the title track, which benefits from a boost in tempo and bass to become a bit more lively and less meandering and mellow.

To be honest, I’m underwhelmed by this soundtrack. With only four tracks, and one contributed by guest composers, I hoped for something a little more exciting or innovative. But to be blunt – overall, this is just kind of a boring listen. The standout track is definitely Chalao Na Naino Se, but even that feels like something from a 90s film. It’s not BAD, it’s just not…WOW.

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The Ferrari ki Sawaari soundtrack literally opens with a bang – several of them in fact: the thunderous banging of dozens of drums opening Maara Re, the clamourous, joyous ode to the game loved by millions: cricket. It’s not the most subtle of songs, but Sonu and Aishwarya Nigam along with Ashish do a fantastic job of conveying the heartpumping excitement and sheer thrill of being in crowd of rabid sports fans getting psyched about a game. Maara Re is practically tailor made for the IPL and I’d be surprised if this doesn’t become a regular fixture during cricket season.

A gorgeous instrumental number – Rusy’s Theme - swiftly follows. If you heard this in isolation, you’d have no idea you were listening to a Hindi film soundtrack – this is the kind of lushly orchestrated track you’d expect to hear in a smoky European cafe, all guitars, accordians, and violins, deftly arranged by Pritam and just epically gorgeous. A track to get lost in.

There’s been a lot of talk already about lavani number Mala Jau De mainly due to the fact that woman of the moment Vidya Balan is appearing in the song in the film (producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra categorically states it is NOT an item number). The song is a raucous, sexy, rustic and rhythmic number, with powerful, distinctive vocals from Urmila Dhangar. (It may not be an ”item number” but what’s the bet Vidya is SIZZLING in it?)

A children’s choir forms the centrepiece of the lilting, piano-and strings based Ae Mere Mann, a soothing, track that feels pleasantly vintage – old fashioned and nostalgic in just the right way (complete with glittering flourishes and bell twinkles). This is the longest track on the album and will presumably play an important part in the film.

The low key mood is continued with Good Night, a sweet and soft lullaby from Priyani Vani Pandit. The instrumentation is gorgeous- swelling strings and glimmering pianos and tinkling bells, as well as vague European-inspired motifs echoing the lovely Rusy’s Theme earlier in the album. The vocals are steady and measured  – almost whispering – throughout, making this a lovely song to play as you are drifting slowly to sleep.

The final track on the album is a lil bit country hoe-down, a lil bit party sing-along. With rapid fire vocals from Shaan (plus contributions from Boman Irani and Aayush Phukan) lots of people have already pointed out the definite Kishore Kumar vibe that runs through Chal Ghoome (Ferrari ki Sawaari). It’s just a fun, upbeat, likeable track, that ends the album on a definite up note.

All in all, the Ferrari Ki Sawaari soundtrack is a definite mixed bag – an eclectic mix of strong situational tracks that will possibly take on more vivid significance after viewing the picture. It’s a short but sweet album with a lovely old-fashioned vibe to it (NO REMIXES! HOW REFRESHING!) but there’s not a bad track on here.

Ferrari ki Sawaari Music Review is a post from: BollySpice

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And the pressure is at an all-time peak this time round, because Pritam’s soundtrack for Jannat is still regarded as one of the best of his career to date. Jannat 2 has a lot to live up to. A Pritam soundtrack for the Bhatt camp – it’s going to be good, that’s a given. But can it be great?

The album opens on a relatively low key, romantic note with the breezy, Sufi-inspired Tu Hi Mera. A hummable and melodious track, featuring the vocals of Shafqat Amanat Ali, it’s a pleasant start to the album.

The Sufi vibe continues with Tera Deedar Hua from the incomparable Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. This track is much more upbeat, making use of a percussive chorus and of course, bringing a sharp focus onto Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s distinctive voice – which, honestly, almost gets a little bit harsh and overpowering in the qawaali arrangement. An alternate version of the song is also presented on the album: Tera Deedar Hua (From The Heart) – featuring a similar arrangement, but with softer, mellower vocals from Javed Ali. The second version is my preferred version, but both will have their fans!

The mood darkens somewhat with Tujhe Sochta Hoon, a moody and soulful piano-based rock ballad sung with deep emotion by the one and only K.K. The track itself is reminiscent of many Bhatt-camp tracks – the “emo rock ballad” definitely has its place in their films, and one can definitely imagine Emraan Hashmi emoting onscreen to this. K.K.’s voice is the USP on this track for sure. There’s a reprise later on in the album  entitled Sang Hoon Tere  - a slow, loungey electronic version, with the vocal duties handed over to Nikhil Dsouza. It’s interesting to see how much a track can change with a bit of tweaking, and also to see (yet again on this album) how much difference the singer of a track can make. Fans of electronica/lounge will like this version, but traditionalists – stick with K.K.

The best track on the album belongs to Mohit Chauhan, who sings the compelling and soul stirring Rab Ka Shukrana with sensitivity. Beautiful pacing and a barebones arrangement allow Mohit’s voice to really shine and make this track a true standout.

The Rab Ka Shukrana (Reprise) sung by Anupam Amod – like all the reprise tracks on the album, offers a gentler, softer, version of the song, all edges pared away. A lovely track in itself, it lacks some of the emotional power that Mohit Chauhan’s voice brings but has its own merits – some lovely instrumentation and Anupam Amod’s yearning soft vocal.

Finally there’s a shoutout to the original Jannat soundtrack in the edgily anthemic Jannatein Kahan, which is essentially a remix of Jannat super hit Zara Sa. A curious mix of electro and dubstep samples alongside the original song, mixing in some new rap samples – it sounds like an experiment that really shouldn’t work. BUT IT DOES. K.K.’s voice is suitably anthemic, and the song – even years later, still sounds fresh. You can see why it was such a hit. The second version of the song included on the album Jannatein Kahan (Power Ballad) is exactly what it sounds like – the power (rock) ballad version of the epic song, this time with vocals by Nikhil Dsouza, who does a fantastic job with a BIG song. Soaringly emotive, building upon glorious anthemic choruses to a climactic finish – this is a hit.

Though it can probably never quite live up to the original, it’s hard to deny that Pritam, and the Bhatts, have done it yet again – delivering a solid and reliable album sure to please. Though it doesn’t reinvent any wheels, there’s variety in the voices, and experimentation in the remixes, and when it comes down to it, this is Pritam doing what he knows, and doing it well.

Jannat 2 Music Review is a post from: BollySpice

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kR2CF4wpSA

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The honour of performing the theme song – especially written for the Hindi release goes to popular Indian band Agnee, who beat out close competition from Euphoria. Filmmaker and lyricist Abbas Tyrewala has provided the lyrics for the track, entitled ‘Hello Andheron’ (Hello Darkness) while Agnee have composed the track’s music.

Aditi Singh Sharma, the rock chick of the moment, joins Agnee on the killer track and spoke to us briefly about being part of The Avengers film soundtrack!

How did Agnee get the gig to sing the official desi version of the Avengers theme song? Were you involved much in the selection process?
I wasn’t much a part of the selection process as Agnee had called me to sing the song once it was ready, but had a BLAST at the studio singing it.

What did you love about this song?
I’m so happy to have been a part of this song. I absolutely love Agnee, and have had insane gigs with them whenever I’ve gotten up on stage!! The energy is incredible.

Abbas Tyrewala is fabulous. All in all, it feels great to be a part of such a cool song with amazing people involved in it.

Are you a fan of the comics the Avengers film is based on? Do you have a favourite character/actor you are looking forward to seeing?
My favourite is IRON MAN (Robert Downey Jr)! I have a photo with Iron Man from the music launch as well haha!

The film – from Marvel Studios – is releasing in India on April 27, a full week ahead of the US release date. UTV Motion Pictures are handling the Indian distribution.

Watch the music video here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sobFsj0at0I

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