Of late when I heard the songs of Rama Rama Krishna Krishna, I felt very bad for the fall in the quality in M M Keeravani's (MMK) compositions, compared to his gems in the early 90's. Thankfully, Jhummandi Naadam proved me wrong.
sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-nee (4/5)
A one-on-one classical competition song
Playback - SPB and SPB
SPB sings for two singers, possibly Mohan Babu and Manoj Manchu. Reminds you of "naa paaTa panchAmRtam" style in the very beginning.
Balu's rendition in the second charaNam and the swaras in the end just makes you feel great! Proves again what SPB can add to a song.
Hats off to you, sir!
Lyric - Vedavyasa
Vedavyasa, who became popular with Sri Ramadasu, comes up with a clean lyric very apt to the situation.
Usage of words like shadjamam, mELakarta, atitaara sthaayi, ArOhaNa-avarOhaNa, varNamulu, swarajati, piLLaari geetaalu, rAgamAlika, dATu swaraalu etc. is very good.
Tune/Interlude
Vintage is the word. For this song, MMK chose his ever-charming Hindolam.
Violin and flute add to the tune right from the start to the end.
Though one might feel a deja-vu because of the over-usage of the raagam by MMK, this one has its own uniqueness.
laali paaDutunnadi (3.75/5)
A lilting lullaby
Playback - SPB, Geetha Madhuri, Balaji, Deepu
Balu mesmerizes you, yet again, with the Geetha Madhuri joining him. Balaji and Deepu add to the wonderful and vintage chorus.
Though Geetha shines in the "gowrammaa.." chorus, I felt a little oddness in the way she sang the pallavi.
Lyric - Suddala Ashok Teja
An otherwise ordinary lullaby lyric is lifted by the beautiful chorus interlude bits.
Suddala Ashok Teja shows his love for folk-style songs.
Tune/Interlude
Reminds me of many old songs, of both MMK and other composers. "moosina mutyaalakE", "alara chanchalemaina" from Annamayya, "tummedA O tummedA" from Srinivasa Kalyanam are a few.
Not very sure about the raagas he used in this song, but a flair of Mohanam (one more favorite of MMK) in the chorus made me happy :)
gOvindA hari gOvindA (3.75/5)
A bhajan style devotional song
Playback - SPB
Balu sings in his very own devotional-yet-classy-at-times-philosophical style.
Lyric - Vedavyasa
The lyricist brings in all the words of praise for Lord Venkateswara.
Tune/Interlude
Nothing special, just a simple bhajan style tune.
The Harmonica kind of orchestration towards the end will definitely catch your attention though ;)
Em sakkagunnaavrO (3.5/5)
A folk song with a tad mass touch
Playback - Chaitra, Anuj
Chaitra is clean while The "panchadaara bomma" guy comes up with an okay performance.
There are couple of mispronunciations by Anuj, like "la" and "La"(aLa).
Lyric - Suddala Ashok Teja
Suddala comes up with a Telangana style folk using words ending in "pollu" - mutyaal, vajraal etc. To me, its just an okay lyric.
Tune/Interlude
MMK's usual duet style. I could feel Chandrakouns at the end of the charaNam.
sannaayi mOgindi (4.25/5)
Typical marriage song
Playback - SPB, Suneeta, Malavika, Chaitra
Suneeta excels in parts esp. the beginning of the song and in the tail piece, she shows how well she can emote (thanks to her dubbing prowess!).
SPB - probably I should stop writing :D even today, he is THE best we've got for any kind of song!! Malavika and Chaitra for chorus.
Lyric - Suddala Ashok Teja
Excellent chorus bits, again with a folk touch. Song lyrics seem to be okay being a normal marriage song.
However, they seem a bit out of tune in many places - the way the word "mucchaTlO" is set to fit in the tune in the pallavi sounds very odd to me.
He oozes sarasam in lines like "maa cheli bedarani pedavualalO chiru lavanga moggalanu munipanTitO laagavayya".
Tune/Interlude
Madhyamavati in the first half reminds you of many more marriage songs - right from "sree seetaraamula kaLyaaNam" to "alanaaTi raamachandruDiki".
But MMK surprised me with Sindhu Bhairavi in the end of the song, very apt for the situation of "ampakaalu".
He jumps from one raaga to another seamlessly using a mesmerizing ektAra bit. The sannaayi and sitaar bits will definitely give you goosebumps!! MMK, only you can churn such melodies!!
dESamanTE (4.25/5)
Song with a message
Playback - SPB, Chaitra, Mounika
No words. Nobody else can sing this number with so much involvement. Reminds you of many songs like "puNayabhUmi naa dESam", "nEnu saitam" and other patriotic songs. Chorus by Chaitra and Mounika definitely lifts the mood of the song!
Lyric - Chandrabose
Chandrabose gives excellent and thought-provoking lyrics. He used the famous lines of Gurazada "dESamanTE maTTi kaadOi".
Many burning problems of the day like scandals, political wars, acid wars on girls find place in this song.
I would be writing a separate review on this song very soon.
Tune/Interlude
With a mix of Yemen Kalyaan, Desh other raagas, only MMK can make a well established tune like this still sound like a novel one! Again he excels in the orchestration with sannaayi and flute.
Nigraham (3/5)
Playback - Ranjith, Chaitra
Ranjith does an okay job in this sensuous song. Chaitra sounds fresh!
Again, hope someone takes care of the Telugu pronunciation while the singer is not a native! :(
Lyric - Chandrabose
Ni-ni-ni-nigraham sounds a bit odd, I guess it is written to fit in to the tune. Otherwise Chandrabose gives his normal lyric like for any other duet.
Tune/Interlude
Nothing special to write about.
Balamani Balamani (4/5)
Baa-laa-maa-Nii...
Playback - Karthik, Shivani
Karthik sweeps you off your feet with his energy levels. His mesmerizing vocals add a classy touch to the otherwise fast-paced mass song. Arguably, Karthik is one of the most versatile singers we have got today.
Shivani is ok. Special mention about the chorus.
Lyric - Chandrabose
This is a cake walk for Chandrabose and he did a good job.
Tune/Interlude
Well, is this composed in Sivaranjani - the sad and serious raagam? ;)
MMK shines again proving the melody mass mix is his forte as always. One can definitely not stop tapping their foot for this number.
Entha Entha (4.5/5)
Soothing song
Playback - Suneeta, Krishna Chaitanya
Suneeta proves herself again!! Those teasing "hmm...s" she adds here and there make you smile instantly. Krishna Chaitanya is quite good, though sounds a little too young and immature.
Lyric - Chandrabose
Wah! Chandrabose..you always have something in store. The personification of body parts is superb! Simple, yet too good lyric, adds to the lilting mood of the song.
Tune/Interlude
A perfect example of minimal orchestration. Just with a few guitar strings and keyboard, MMK gives one of his best duets in recent times.
***************************************
Verdict: (4/5)
For people like me, who love vintage Keeravani's compositions and SPB singing them, this is a must listen album. Though the lyrics disappointed me a bit, MMK and SPB serve as mascots for this album.
Being a KRR movie, I was expecting at least a couple of songs by Veturi - again a big disappointment.
sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-nee (4/5)
A one-on-one classical competition song
Playback - SPB and SPB
SPB sings for two singers, possibly Mohan Babu and Manoj Manchu. Reminds you of "naa paaTa panchAmRtam" style in the very beginning.
Balu's rendition in the second charaNam and the swaras in the end just makes you feel great! Proves again what SPB can add to a song.
Hats off to you, sir!
Lyric - Vedavyasa
Vedavyasa, who became popular with Sri Ramadasu, comes up with a clean lyric very apt to the situation.
Usage of words like shadjamam, mELakarta, atitaara sthaayi, ArOhaNa-avarOhaNa, varNamulu, swarajati, piLLaari geetaalu, rAgamAlika, dATu swaraalu etc. is very good.
Tune/Interlude
Vintage is the word. For this song, MMK chose his ever-charming Hindolam.
Violin and flute add to the tune right from the start to the end.
Though one might feel a deja-vu because of the over-usage of the raagam by MMK, this one has its own uniqueness.
laali paaDutunnadi (3.75/5)
A lilting lullaby
Playback - SPB, Geetha Madhuri, Balaji, Deepu
Balu mesmerizes you, yet again, with the Geetha Madhuri joining him. Balaji and Deepu add to the wonderful and vintage chorus.
Though Geetha shines in the "gowrammaa.." chorus, I felt a little oddness in the way she sang the pallavi.
Lyric - Suddala Ashok Teja
An otherwise ordinary lullaby lyric is lifted by the beautiful chorus interlude bits.
Suddala Ashok Teja shows his love for folk-style songs.
Tune/Interlude
Reminds me of many old songs, of both MMK and other composers. "moosina mutyaalakE", "alara chanchalemaina" from Annamayya, "tummedA O tummedA" from Srinivasa Kalyanam are a few.
Not very sure about the raagas he used in this song, but a flair of Mohanam (one more favorite of MMK) in the chorus made me happy :)
gOvindA hari gOvindA (3.75/5)
A bhajan style devotional song
Playback - SPB
Balu sings in his very own devotional-yet-classy-at-times-philosophical style.
Lyric - Vedavyasa
The lyricist brings in all the words of praise for Lord Venkateswara.
Tune/Interlude
Nothing special, just a simple bhajan style tune.
The Harmonica kind of orchestration towards the end will definitely catch your attention though ;)
Em sakkagunnaavrO (3.5/5)
A folk song with a tad mass touch
Playback - Chaitra, Anuj
Chaitra is clean while The "panchadaara bomma" guy comes up with an okay performance.
There are couple of mispronunciations by Anuj, like "la" and "La"(aLa).
Lyric - Suddala Ashok Teja
Suddala comes up with a Telangana style folk using words ending in "pollu" - mutyaal, vajraal etc. To me, its just an okay lyric.
Tune/Interlude
MMK's usual duet style. I could feel Chandrakouns at the end of the charaNam.
sannaayi mOgindi (4.25/5)
Typical marriage song
Playback - SPB, Suneeta, Malavika, Chaitra
Suneeta excels in parts esp. the beginning of the song and in the tail piece, she shows how well she can emote (thanks to her dubbing prowess!).
SPB - probably I should stop writing :D even today, he is THE best we've got for any kind of song!! Malavika and Chaitra for chorus.
Lyric - Suddala Ashok Teja
Excellent chorus bits, again with a folk touch. Song lyrics seem to be okay being a normal marriage song.
However, they seem a bit out of tune in many places - the way the word "mucchaTlO" is set to fit in the tune in the pallavi sounds very odd to me.
He oozes sarasam in lines like "maa cheli bedarani pedavualalO chiru lavanga moggalanu munipanTitO laagavayya".
Tune/Interlude
Madhyamavati in the first half reminds you of many more marriage songs - right from "sree seetaraamula kaLyaaNam" to "alanaaTi raamachandruDiki".
But MMK surprised me with Sindhu Bhairavi in the end of the song, very apt for the situation of "ampakaalu".
He jumps from one raaga to another seamlessly using a mesmerizing ektAra bit. The sannaayi and sitaar bits will definitely give you goosebumps!! MMK, only you can churn such melodies!!
dESamanTE (4.25/5)
Song with a message
Playback - SPB, Chaitra, Mounika
No words. Nobody else can sing this number with so much involvement. Reminds you of many songs like "puNayabhUmi naa dESam", "nEnu saitam" and other patriotic songs. Chorus by Chaitra and Mounika definitely lifts the mood of the song!
Lyric - Chandrabose
Chandrabose gives excellent and thought-provoking lyrics. He used the famous lines of Gurazada "dESamanTE maTTi kaadOi".
Many burning problems of the day like scandals, political wars, acid wars on girls find place in this song.
I would be writing a separate review on this song very soon.
Tune/Interlude
With a mix of Yemen Kalyaan, Desh other raagas, only MMK can make a well established tune like this still sound like a novel one! Again he excels in the orchestration with sannaayi and flute.
Nigraham (3/5)
Playback - Ranjith, Chaitra
Ranjith does an okay job in this sensuous song. Chaitra sounds fresh!
Again, hope someone takes care of the Telugu pronunciation while the singer is not a native! :(
Lyric - Chandrabose
Ni-ni-ni-nigraham sounds a bit odd, I guess it is written to fit in to the tune. Otherwise Chandrabose gives his normal lyric like for any other duet.
Tune/Interlude
Nothing special to write about.
Balamani Balamani (4/5)
Baa-laa-maa-Nii...
Playback - Karthik, Shivani
Karthik sweeps you off your feet with his energy levels. His mesmerizing vocals add a classy touch to the otherwise fast-paced mass song. Arguably, Karthik is one of the most versatile singers we have got today.
Shivani is ok. Special mention about the chorus.
Lyric - Chandrabose
This is a cake walk for Chandrabose and he did a good job.
Tune/Interlude
Well, is this composed in Sivaranjani - the sad and serious raagam? ;)
MMK shines again proving the melody mass mix is his forte as always. One can definitely not stop tapping their foot for this number.
Entha Entha (4.5/5)
Soothing song
Playback - Suneeta, Krishna Chaitanya
Suneeta proves herself again!! Those teasing "hmm...s" she adds here and there make you smile instantly. Krishna Chaitanya is quite good, though sounds a little too young and immature.
Lyric - Chandrabose
Wah! Chandrabose..you always have something in store. The personification of body parts is superb! Simple, yet too good lyric, adds to the lilting mood of the song.
Tune/Interlude
A perfect example of minimal orchestration. Just with a few guitar strings and keyboard, MMK gives one of his best duets in recent times.
***************************************
Verdict: (4/5)
For people like me, who love vintage Keeravani's compositions and SPB singing them, this is a must listen album. Though the lyrics disappointed me a bit, MMK and SPB serve as mascots for this album.
Being a KRR movie, I was expecting at least a couple of songs by Veturi - again a big disappointment.
6 comments:
I was also very disappointed that KRR didn't give a chance to Veturi in a movie that is named after a lyric written by Veturi. You are all in praise for CB - let me check what he has done a little later. His lack of discipline and over-enthusiasm often turn me off, let us hope that he would do well now.
Vintage MMK is a different person altogether. Recall movies like Allari Priyudu,Priyaragalu, Sundarakanda, Seetaramayya gaari manavaraalu. It's gone. He is no more the same to me :-(
y isnt CHITRA singing for MMK?
@PRK- Yes, CB slightly goes off the track many a times! But some how I am impressed with the dESamanTE song!
@ASP- adi nannu kaadu...MMK ni aDagaali! :|
Btw, nee prOtsaaham tO ee blog modaleTTESaa mottaaniki!
My review is soon to be on TeluguCinema.Com - check it out. (Preview: My average rating comes to less than 4/5 but I gave a 4.25/5 with an explanatory note about "overall satisfaction".)
Oops, I forgot to mention the actual reason I wrote a comment!! - Your review inspired me to revisit the songs and write a review. Thanks!
very nice review. Thanks
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