Sound of Slumdog - one in a million!

Rahman’s unmatched talent of bringing together diverse elements of music transcending borders has been put to good use by Boyle in ‘Slumdog`.

Shashank Chouhan

Not many of us have seen the fêted Hyderabadi Biryani being cooked at the hands of a gourmand. But when one tastes it, one knows that it is the coming together of layer after layer of delicious food that culminates into one mouthful of the almost sinfully aromatic flavour, which is not very typical of Deccan cuisine.That’s Rahman’s music, if it were to be described to someone so naïve that he hasn’t heard Rahman before. AR Rahman’s unmatched talent of bringing together diverse elements of music transcending borders has been put to good use by director Danny Boyle in his internationally acclaimed potboiler of a film, ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’ Not only has the background score that he has composed for the film taken him to new international shores- he has been applauded earlier in a stage adaptation of ‘The Lord of The Rings’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber, composed for Shekhar Kapur’s ‘Elizabeth- The Golden Age’ and also worked for a Chinese project- it has taken him where no Indian has gone before- to the Oscars. What makes the music of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ such a phenomenon? Well, the answer is complex, just like some of the music itself. The background score is typically Indian in its essence, but is topped with the best of international genres. So strong is its presence that it often delivers the message of the film more effectively than the Oscar winning screenplay, direction or cinematography does. What goes into its making? Here is the answer- and all along, keep the Hyderabadi biryani in mind: O…saya Rahaman’s Afro-Arabic crooning invites one to the roller-coaster of a ride that is set to begin as slum kids are chased away from an air strip by lathi wielding police wallahs. Drum beats pump up the tempo from the word ‘go’ and as a plane zooms up, the audiences’ spirits rise in a tide of expectations. The track is like a train starting its journey and is cluttered with the sounds of a Mumbai slum- its uncertainties, its claustrophobia, its muck. Rahman helps in the wanton display of what is known as the spirit of Mumbai. M.I.A (the Sri Lankan international artist) enters unceremoniously, but establishes her voice with quite firmness, singing ‘They can’t touch me…’ which is so true, considering the pace of this number. It proves that the city is anything, but still and stable. Riots This theme, that supports the most ghastly happening of Mumbai, communal riots, begins with horrific screeching and illusionary sounds of heavy movement. It’s the sound of a bloodthirsty mob that drowns human voices in its surge of passion – quite literally. The thumping is slow and heavy, just like the heart beat of the small children running away from mad violence. The track moves from one high to the other with a sense of space being created for something bigger that is pushing its way through the chaos. But it doesn’t. Mausam & Escape Rahman, it seems, is deliberately working on fusion throughout the ‘Slumdog…’ album. This track is its testimony as East meets West seamlessly, matching every sitar pluck with rhythmic violin strains. It’s a masterful blend of Indian instruments with western percussion. Mausam begins subtle and reaches a crescendo- seems like you are sitting in a huge stadium listening to wave after wave of the boldest pieces of Indian and western acoustics. The heavy percussion and a single hum of a female voice give it that required haunting and dramatic tinge. After it suddenly comes to a halt, the cycle of layer after layer of music begins again, only in a mute fashion. Paper Planes Rahman has used the internationally acclaimed Paper Planes by M.I.A as the background to protagonist’s struggle with growing up. The track was controversial in that it has lyrics that seem to support drugs, piracy, violence etc. Nevertheless, it was number one on the UK charts and fits with the situation that Jamaal and Salim find themselves in. The sound is upbeat, casually chic and accompanied by pistol shots, cling of registers and a kids’ chorus that is chanting about killing someone for the money! Ringa Ringa This number- the first proper song with vocals that have clear meaning!- is Rahman’s tribute to the Laxmikant-Payarelal hit Choli ke peechey from ‘Khalnayak’. It is also a typical Bollywood piece for the international audience. Even before the Jamaal-Salim duo emerge in a smoky lane of a red light area in Mumbai, the cheeky female voice, the typical tabla beat and the unmistakable chhun-chhun of a trinket transports the audience to a courtesan’s kotha. Ila Arun’s raunchy gutturals along with Alka Yagnik’s almost virgin vocals (fitting with the scene of a young girl being initiated into the trade) make Raqib Alam’s lyrics shimmer with an appeal that the film is unable to create- until this song. Rahman’s use of Yagnik and Illa to create a mellifluous rhapsody results in an alluring piece that is underlined with the spirit of a red light district. Sadly, though, it was not nominated for the Oscars. Latika’s Theme This track is the most melodious, sweet and soulful one that Rahman has composed and it gives the listener an understanding about the range that the maestro can scale. A pure vocal piece hummed by a divine sounding Suzanne D’Mello, the theme is basically a sultry alaap that also forms the core of Dreams on Fire. Its simple in composition, becomes poignant in between and ends hauntingly with the strum of a tanpura that touches the melted heart. Dreams on Fire What Suzanne begins in Latika’s Theme, becomes a full bodied western orchestra like song in Dreams on Fire. Rahman literally fires up the listener’s imagination with his thumping sounds, and the soulful stirring by Suzanne is of international class. Blaaze and Wendy Parr have done some inspirational work with words to complete the trinity of music, vocals and lyrics. Rahman proves with this track that he is the same golden guy who composed for ‘Elizabeth…’, and yet sticks to his roots what with the occasional string of a tanpura. Hear this one on a loop. Gangsta Blues Rahman goes Black and Blue with this track- a typical sound of the ghettos. This is a hip-hop number done with a reggae touch, in true American style. Going with the narrative, it brings the audience on gangsta street with lean and mean boys doing what they do best- create ruckus. Good one for your hi-fi audio systems. Jai Ho Rahman & Sukhwinder join hands in this Oscar winning chart topper of an international hit, supported by Mahalaxmi Iyer and Tanvi Shah’s delicate voices which give life to Gulzar’s poetic lyrics. Its ol’ Bollywood at its over done best- hundreds of dancers popping out of nowhere (& going back into trains- its filmed on a platform), the protagonist couple breaking into a jig right in the middle of a kiss that was paused before it could satisfy anyone, a riot of color plates used to show the end title roll coupled with Sukhwinder’s meteoric pitch and Rahman’s soulful chanting of Jai ho all through. Oddly, but interestingly, some Spanish lyrics have also been thrown in that give the song an international touch to this otherwise fully Hindi item. It begins with a note similar to Mozart’s symphony no. 41, albeit its much faster. Jai ho sounds like a conventional Bollywood number, but grows on you to become quite a phenomenon- juxtaposing sensible lyrics with defined melodies, hip-hop and a cliché dance that takes you back and forth between present and past. Quite futuristic! Now that you have an idea of what went behind this scintillating album, don’t waste another minute- go grab a CD and plunge into this biryani of a musical offering. And don’t forget the cook - Rahman continues to get better at creating magic. Jai ho to him!