Okay, Tunes Weekly missed making it online last week too. Can we promise you once again that this will not happen? Yeah? Profuse apologies, err, once again.
Moving on, this is the Valentine week. But no, we are not listing out five romantic tunes in sync with the Valentine's Day flavour. We're doing the honours, once again, for those numbers that we thought were a pretty neat job done.
Here goes this week's five:
» Mounangal (Maheshinte Prathikaaram)
The 'Idukki song' is the best song of Maheshinte Prathikaaram, no doubt. We also want to take your attention to 'Mounangal', another melodious number in the album. Composer Bijibal perfects this one with the finer layers—of clarinet, of saxophone, of violins, of guitars, of sitar, to name it all—added in. These elements blend in the right proportions to produce a rather affecting song. Vijay Yesudas and Aparna Balamurali make no mistake behind the microphone. The loop before the charanam is musically rich with the enchanting association of the instruments mentioned above. Class act by the composer, once again.
FYI: The versatile Aparna is also doing an important role in the movie.
» Oonjaliladi Vanna (Action Hero Biju)
Chinmayi, the gifted singer that she is, opens the song with a lovely humming, instantly grabbing our attention. What follows is a soothing ghazal-like melody, a throwback to the 1980s and early 90s. Music director Jerry Amaldev keeps the ambience intact throughout the song, a number we can unsurprisingly associate with the composer. Tabla by Prasadh is tantalising. Mind you, this track can put you to a slumber you'll relish, and not without a smile on your face :)
» Raavumaayave (Vettah)
A soft duet sung by Rinu Razak and Shaan Rahman—the composer himself— 'Raavumaayave' sets forth on a smooth sail and has to it the quality elements that Shaan is known for. Hesham Abdul Wahab does the backing vocals. Both the tune, with shades of sufi and ghazal, and the singing is lovely. The touch of harmonium and mild clapping in the backdrop enhance the charm of the song. 'Raavumaayave' is a mellifluous number that is best accompanied by a much-awaited, milder cloudburst.
So, you are going to this one first and play 'Oonjaliladi Vanna' next to go to sleep. Yes, we dare take a call on that one!
Aisa Kyun Maa (Neerja)
This song, composed by Vishal Khurana that goes out as a tribute to mothers, is a serene one at that and rightfully so. The chorus of 'Aa Aa Ee Eee', a musical pronunciation of the alphabets, is a fine touch by the musicians. The affectionate tune, simple instrumentation, perfect singing by Sunidhi Chauhan make 'Aisa Kyun Maa' touch the heartstrings instantly.
Shoot the Kuruvi (Jil Jung Juk)
This might be going on a loop on your playlist already. The song came out as a single last November itself. With the movie hitting the theatres this week, we thought it would be apt to include 'Shoot the Kuruvi' in this week's Tunes Weekly.
Composer Anirudh Ravichander is in much demand, as a singer too, these days. Vishal Chandrashekhar, the composer of Jil Jung Juk, applies a soulful tune to 'Shoot the Kuruvi', of which the lyrics are plain wacky. The interesting combination works brilliantly. Actor Radha Ravi's melancholic rap portion elevates the craziness of the tune. 'Shoot the Kuruvi' can be highly addictive; testimony is the rather curious case of a colleague who keeps singing the song, prodding others to listen to the same at work.
Bonus track
We assure you goosebumps for a good 5 minutes after listening to this grand orchestra-filled track from acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's movie Muhammad: The Messenger of God. Magical music of A.R. Rahman for you!