Folk Galore!

Rajkumari Audio(Music) Review By Suchitra Preetham – suchi@bellitere.com

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The rustic backdrop seasoned with folk-songs is like a pot of spices, all fragrant and enticing. But these are days of infringement! No album is complete without a supposedly hip-hop number. Harikrishna’s, current successes makes him the Sandalwood’s music Supremo. But then, like many others in order to cater to the mass’ tastes, he throws in a lot superfluous sounds that may leave you confused at times. This is an overall melodious album and has two fine folk songs. Must warn you though, there are a couple of raucous numbers mingled in as well. Also we hope that our remake-Rajah’s influences don’t spill into the music!

Kuhu Kuhu: SPB’S Kuhu Kuhu! These are the tunes that bring out the intensity-cum- allure of SPB’s chords and Nagendra Prasad’s pen. ‘Kuhu Kuhu, edeyalli kuhu kuhu, avalade edeyalli kuhu kuhu. Preethi anno saddaaythu, niddeyella raddaaythu, Mannasembha rajya geddhalo, Ra ra rajakumari’. Not very difficult to picture the ‘Rajakumari’ of this song.

Kuhu Kuhu (II) in the voice of Kalpana and Shamita puts melody in perfect rapture with the composition. Close your eyes and you can be lost in the harmony of kuhu-kuhus.

Rangi Rangi: No Rang this one: This number has the signature of Harikrishna’s efforts in putting the rap in the beat. Or the beat in the rap. Confused! Anyway you will hear (if you want to- that is) a lot of rap, rap, rap, rangi, rangi… right in the middle of the song. Never mind if you are still confused! More confusing is a faint background voice saying ‘Pete rap’ amidst more familiar rap beats? Any influences?

Chellidaro Malligeya: The other form of chellidaru malligeya. This popular folk song in its re-constructed version is nice to listen to. This is the other song that you can sit back and enjoy, more if you are in the mood for Janapada!

Yaar Yaarammi: The Nagendra Prasad lyrics score over again! Simple and set in a milieu of synchronized rhythms, Srinivas’ gauzy dialect pirouettes effortlessly making this song a folk-music-lover’s delight.

Ea Baddi Magale: It’s a tease! So what if we know only a few words in English. We will use them. And that is exactly what ‘atte magane’, Tippu with the song’s ‘magale’ Kalpana are up to. A lively ‘round-in-the-field’ girl-woos-boy number.

24 Carat Bangaaru: 24 Carat advice: Duump-ta-laka Duump-ta-laka hoi, 24 caarat bangaara, ayyo beda annabeda muddhu bangaara….. Kudiyo Naaligeya, Nudiyo Maathige. Yelelo yelelo this song exudes pearls of wisdom. If this is our very own Sandalwood number minus influences of sorts, then (only then) it scores for lyrics and kudos to Harikrishna.