Search - Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar & Kumar Sanu :: The Rough Guide to Bollywood

A quick sampler of what Bollywood songs are all about

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 12/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, so I don't understand a word of Hindustani, but those pop-like rhythms, strings, and exotic high-pitched voices of those women really got me ever since I saw Gumnaam, whose music video Thora Birch was jamming to in Ghost World, in its entirety. This sampler of songs from Bollywood, the Hindu film industry whose output puts Hollywood's to shame, serves as Bollywood Songs 101 for newbies. Seeing those exotic women on the inner sleeve made me wonder, just what kind of movies are they making down there? And just imagine how many actors those singers did the singing voices for. Highlights to follow:Well, per Cornershop, we don't have a brimful of Asha here, but how about three doses? After hearing a few chants of "Hare Krishna Hari Ram", we hear "Dum Maro Dum" which features a funky 1970's style electric guitar, and then Asha herself. She and her husband R.D. Burman do "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" featuring some sax, ominous low octave piano notes before strings and organ sounds take over. This is a rollercoaster of a song, frantic swirling strings one moment, melodic jazz sax and vibes next, organ solo another... weird, Bhonsle's girlish but sweet voice is a highlight. Burman though, has some English lyrics, calling out "Juanita, oh my darling!"Finally, Asha does a duet with Mohammed Rafi, who did the song on Ghost World Thora Birch was jamming to. "Chura Liya Hai Tum Ne" has been covered thousands of times in India, and is considered a classic there. This mid-paced strings and horns song Fret not, there's also three doses of Asha's sister, the legendary Lata Mangeshkar, who has the record for doing the most songs for movies. She does a sweet romantic sounding ballad with Mukesh in "Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein Khayal Aata." "Tujhe Dekha To" is a duet with Kumar Sanu featuring the usual strings and some exotic string instruments. "Didi Tera Devar Deewana" is a near 8-minute epic where Lata and S.P. Balasubhramaniam, do vocal duties on a catchy rhythmic song with the usual frantic strings, horns, and exotic string instruments, featuring some nice female backup singers. The best of her three songs here.Another artist who gets three songs here is male singer Kishore Kumar, who does the mid-paced dance number "Roop Tera Mastena," "Pyar Diwana Hota Hai", both highlighted by strings. He does the first ever male duo vocal in Bollywood history with Manna Dey in "Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin," a song for a curry western, as opposed to spaghetti western, and the opening swirling strings, clucking like a chicken, and skiffle beat, makes me wonder what kind of oaters the Hindi make?Chitra does the light pop ballad "Kehna Hi Kya" and her voice is soft and melodic compared to songs by Bhonsle or Mangeshkar."Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" has all the hallmarks of a Bollywood hit, a sweet romantic score, choir, and a nice duet between a man and woman, who here are Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. This is the title song to the biggest Indian movie hit of 1998. However, my eyes widened when I read that other songs from the movie were better than this one. Well, if this is a primo song...Nazia Hassan does "Aap Jaise Koi", which is kind of like a lightweight pop version of Blondie's "The Tide Is High" mixed with the strains of the Latin instrumental "Brazil." I'm not sure if I agree with the liner notes as this being an equivalent of "Dancing Queen", but it's still good.All the songs here feature much of the same instrumentation, but the rhythms and music change enough that it's possible to tell one from the other instead of this CD being a bunch of curry slapped down on a plate. A nice dip of the toe into the Bollywood film song genre, which makes me want to check out Lata Mangeshkar or her sister so I can really get a brimful of Asha."

I LOVE IT!!

brigid o'shaughnessy | San Francisco, California United States | 09/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"the beat is catchy, the songs corny, but quite simply, one cannot be in a bad mood after listening to even the first track. this cd grabbed me and didn't let go. this is definitely one of my top ten favorite cd's. it's just fun. how cool is that?"

Shake your chapattis!

Savka | Vancouver, Canada | 08/01/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Awesome CD - great fun to listen to. I'm no expert on any Indian musical form, least of all Bollywood, but I can tell you that the endearingly quirky tracks on this album are winners. Loaded with kitsch classics, and some especially weird cuts from the 70's featuring the golden voice of Asha Bhosle (high pitched indian style) singing over a rhythm section composed, it seems, entirely of a panting male chorus (track 3). Literally. Crazy and offbeat but will certainly get you moving and laughing. Hilarious for anyone remotely familiar with Bollywood who has seen all those scenes of the winsome couple prancing around in saris with the ever-present mountain range in the background. Kidding apart, there are some lovely tunes on this CD and if you can overlook the silliness inherent in "curry western" songs and the like, you're in for a real treat with this collection."