Musically infected...

It's insanely torturous, is it not? The same song playing in your cranial jukebox in repeat mode without a break, for more than two weeks...

It's unstoppable, though I haven't caught most of the words yet. It's unstoppable, though I don't understand half of the meaning of those words I've made out. It's unstoppable, though I'm unable to relate to the exact feelings conveyed by the meaning...

This one caught me unawares. May be it's the accordion, may be it's the absence of any fusion-like stuff, may be it's just the magic of A.R.Rahman. Whatever it is, Rahman will remain unforgiven for this.

I already know the notes by-heart and may be I'd record it sometime soon.
After all, I love to here myself singing 'When You Say Nothing At All' with Ronan Keating. Aaargh...that scale-change sucks, I agree. But this song... I might get it right all the way.

Nenjukulle...

Rahmanesque? Naah....Nooo...

Finally, I heard Rahman's latest. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya. Why would Rahman pick up a few choicest notes n beats from a typical reggae and get them sprinkled with tamizh lyrics? And then make some more potpourri of all western genres. Oscar influence? Even the lyrics sound disjointed. But the album's a big hit and that is all the makers would want.

The music definitely sounds good. Groovy. Aaromale sounds exactly like how Bryan Adams would render a malayalam number. And yes, Omana penne & Hosanna refuse to stop playing in my cranial jukebox.But, that's about it. If I manage to stop it playing, am sure it wouldn't start again. Unlike the original Rahman scores which tingle the senses, years after you've actually heard them play. To name a very few albums - Roja, Iruvar, Tiruda tiruda, Kadalar Dinam, Kadalan, Mudalvan, Bombay, Uyire/Dil Se, Rhythm, Kandu Kondein, Jodha Akbar...

Hoping that Rahman will recover from the Oscar-induced-western-stupor and give us more of his original compositions, which will satiate the cerebral-jukeboxes and linger on for decades...

Indian Lady...

My big boss does not like loud music. Which mother does, anyway?

The past weekend had in itself one of those rare evenings which I get for myself। On my own and no chare that can't wait. Rarer is my mood to check on the volume controls of my home theatre.

So, given the time and mood for some blaring music (that's an oxymoron?), I played an old collection of foot-tapping numbers. In fact, I did more than tapping my foot. My heels ached till next afternoon from my dancing-to-glory.

Long after the music and dance and ahces are over, my cranial jukebox is still playing Remo Fernandez's song...

Indian lady, you've come a long way baby...
भारतीय नारी अंडे से बहार तू निकली..
இந்தியப்பெண்மணி இமயம் தொட்டுவிட்ட ராணி நீ...

This song is almost a decade old.

Much ancient is the Lord's Song:

कीर्ती: श्रीर्वाक च नारीणां स्मृतिर्मेधा धृतिः क्षमा

(Bhagvad Gita 10:34)

Keerti - fame, Shree - wealth/beauty, Vak-perfect speech, Smriti-memory, Medha-intellect, Dhriti-patience, Kshama-compassion.

The 10th Chapter as such contains loads of proclamations by Krishna declaring His presence in the best of each thing in this universe - for example - of the rivers He is the Ganges, of the animals He is the lion and so on. In this verse, Krishna lists 7 of the best qualities of womankind.

Women are indeed special. And, Indian lady...let's look at this list:

• Pratiba Patil - President of India


• Meira Kumar - Speaker of the Lok Sabha


• Nirupama Rao - Foreign Secretary


• Mamta Banerjee - Minister of Railways


• Tessy Thomas - Director of Missile Project


• Indira Jaising - Additional Solicitor General

Not bad...At all. But why 20,000 rapes? What is the logic behind the tilt? And that is only the number of reported cases of circa 2008...Why women are looked upon as consumable substance? Why not as women of substance?