Songs you just have to listen to, this week
‘Jendapai Kapiraju’
Kick 2 (Telugu)
Music: Thaman. S
Thaman’s soundtrack for the first Kick was very popular and he does a good job in the sequel too. He usually has a standard sound that he rarely moves out of, but in Kick 2 he seems to be trying something different. The song ‘Jendapai Kapiraju’ (meaning Monkey in the flag, indicating Hanuman in the flag of Pandavas) is perhaps the best example of this effort. The tune is natively Andhra, almost like something you'd expect from M.M. Keeravani, but Thaman beautifully modernises it with an expansive sound and layers it with the voices of Jonita Gandhi, Rahul Nambiar, Deepak Nivas, Hanumantha Rao, led by Divya Kumar.
‘Therikkudhu Masss’
Masss (Tamil)
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
The title song of Venkat Prabhu's next is a breathless showcase of instruments and music. There's a repetitive hook with the title that is quite catchy and sing-along ishly addictive, while Shankar Mahadevan actually goes ‘Maasu’ (meaning blemish), to rhyme it with ‘thoosu’ and ‘laesu’! The music moves from techno to thavil to Punjabi to church music, sometimes all at the same time. Interesting and bewildering concoction.
‘Njanoru Malayali’
Jilebi (Malayalam)
Music: Bijibal
As the song’s title suggests, it has a universally identifiable ‘Kerala sound’ and Jayachandran breezes through the tune in his dependable voice. That Bijibal chooses to use Saama (or Arabi) raga to create his tune is what works to the song's advantage, giving it an instantly likeable, pleasant edge.
‘Lalla lalla lori’
Welcome to Karachi (Hindi)
Music: Rochak Kohli
‘Lalla lalla lori’ is proof of Honey Singhi sation of Bollywood, which simply means adding alcohol and its effects thereof to an otherwise teetotaller song. ‘Lalla lalla lori’ is an iconic lullaby in Hindi, till this song arrived to drag the sleeping baby into the bar. It's good fun, actually, with Vishal Dadlani hamming it up with the right accent (Bouranvitta!) and Rochak making it a foot-tapping number with the frenzied techno sound.
‘Edhai Ninaithom’
Kaaka Muttai (Tamil)
Music: G.V. Prakash Kumar
‘Edhai Ninaithom’ is wonderfully sung and orchestrated by G.V. Prakash Kumar. The serene tune finds itself aptly wrapped in the minimal guitar-driven sound. That, in itself, is enough to like the song, but it also sounds alarmingly like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara ’ s ‘Khaabon Ke Parindey’ that it seems like Alyssa Mendonsa may butt in with ‘Oho kya pata’ any time. Oh well, that familiarity with another much-loved song helps too, I suppose.
