In the year 2003, we were first introduced to this team when they gave us the splendid soundtrack of a splendid movie by the name of Kal Ho Na Ho. 3 years later, Nikhil Advani, Shanker, Ehsaan and Loy reunites to enthral us with yet another chartbusting score with Sameer penning the lyrics. In his latest venture, Nikhil brings together a massive starcast comprising of Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Govinda, Sohail Khan, Isha Koppikar, Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla and Anjana Sukhani. Massive indeed! By having such an impressive team, one can already see a clear winner in the form of Salaam-E-Ishq.
‘Dil Kya Kare’ marks the return of Adnan Sami and in excellent form no less. The song blends together some unique yet beautiful Caribbean beats and country music with the occasional guitar strings. The lyrics are very serene and props to Sameer for skilfully incorporating the chorus line of the title song. It is refreshing to hear Adnan after a quite sometime and he excels effortlessly.
‘Saiyyan Re’ is a jugalbandi number that brings together Shankar Madhavan, Shilpa Rao and Loy Mendosa. The song starts off in a classical note with a rendition by Shankar and Shilpa follows as the song proceeds to more upbeat fusion beats. It is a fun and catchy number however it lacks the power to have a long-lasting effect on listeners.
‘Mera Dil’ is a typical romantic ballad sung by Shaan and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa finalist, Nihira Joshi. Consisting of sweet, mushy lyrics and great vocals by Shaan and Nihira, it is highly pleasing.
‘Salaam E Ishq’ is a winner in every sense of the word. It innovatively starts of with the sounds of a Bagpiper and later blends it together with peppy westernized beats and traditional folk music. It is sung by a range of singers from Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal to Kunal Ganjawala, Sadhana Sargam and Shankar Madhavan. The ensemble does a terrific rendition as they efficiently balance their voices with each other and makes the song flow beautifully. Creativity at its best!
‘Tenu Leke’ is an unconventional wedding song narrating a guy’s promise of bringing the barat and taking his lady love away. A fast paced, band baaja shaadi song sung with utmost vocal power by Sonu Nigam and Mahalaxmi Iyer. A complete dance number with lots of fun techno elements that will get your foot tapping.
‘Babuji Dheere Chalna’ is the re-mastered version of the classic originally from the movie Aar Paar. Nihira Joshi gets into the skin of the song as she exudes a seductive rendition. The background orchestration and musical arrangements are very minimal as the song solely relies on Nihira and she does not disappoint.
‘Ya Rabba’ brings with it a rainbow of emotions as Kailash Kher’s vocals prove to be the strongest asset to the song. Having Kailash Kher rendering this piece, one would expect a high pitch, full throated number but the man takes you for a surprise as he lowers the pitch and delivers a sad, sentimental ballad. Musical arrangements of the guitar, strings and keyboards produce an effective combination to convey the depressing mood of the song. Kailash Kher is nothing less of exceptional as he succeeds in bringing out the confused and lonesome state of a dejected lover. A true delight for Kailash fans!
The album of Salaam-e-ishq is a product of unique musical arrangements. The SEL trio shows versatality in blending together some new beats and rhythms and producing some refreshing pieces. At a time when remixes are made of every other song, one can truly appreciate this album for its originality and that is a good enough reason to give this one a listen.
