The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of New York, New jersey and Conneticut, on behalf of the 500,000 strong Indian Americans living in tri-state area, have invited singing sensation Madhushree and actor Preity Zinta as the Guests of Honour at the historic 30th^h India Day Parade on August 15, 2010. Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut is one of the largest and oldest Indian-American umbrella organizations in the US. 

The 30^th Indian Day Parade is to be held on Sunday, August 15, 2010 in New York City and some of the highlights of the parade include: over 150,000 people in attendance making it as the grand India Independence Day parade outside India; eight hours of non-stop extravaganza with top celebrities from the US and India; fun and frolic at Madison Avenue and an unforgettable chance of being part of the great Indian experience.

Madhushree and Priety Zinta  will be a part of the Salute India parade which will start at 38^thStreet on Madison Avenue at 1.00 pm and march south to 27^th Street. The parade will be followed by a grand gala reception dinner the next day at Royal Albert’s Palace, Fords in New Jersey at 6.30 pm. 

Yesterday 29th July Anup Jalota, my firend for more than 2 decades clebrated his birthday with great fanfare at Sunville party Hall in Worli.

All his musical friends felicitated him by singing for him...Talat Aziz, Jasbinder Nirula, Preyty Bhalla, myself, HairHaran and many more.

It was a a great musical jam happining, which went till  2 cl next morning.

Anupji is a great musician and a fantastic human being.

I wish him and his wife Medha all the  all the happiness of the world.

Madhushree is all set to make her move for her first patriotic album launch on 20th january 2010.

Thai alnum " Vande Matram"  has 6 tracks, where Sukhvinder Singh has also lent his voice for the main track with Madhushree.

The lyrics has been penned by Padma Bhushan Dr.Sardar.Anjum

The compositions has been done by Robby Badal, who earlier produced and composed "Lagi Lagan"

Record labels Worldwide Music and Royant music will do the marketing and distribution of "Vande Matram".

Bhushan Barma, the business manager of Madhushree is puttig altogether for the music launch on 20/01/10

As every bodies day today is my day... my birthday and i am feeling great. Let\'s put everything aside and just feel at the best. No matter how things are, still it is a special for you and me. As a singer you have ups and downs in life, but i am very great full to God for gracing me with this talent. Every song i sing, i always pray to Ma Saraswati, to give me the energy and intelligence to bring the song to the best level. I want to thanks my family for the support and my Fans for loving my songs. I like to thank everyone for the gesture they made in what form than well. You made my day for better.

I pray to God to give you always good songs to enjoy.

Thank You.

Madhushree 

~A.R. Rahman

Oh yes indeed, there certainly does happen to be a very justified reason for all the euphoria Hindi music fans are experiencing—two words: Rahman. Blue.

Okay, okay! Arrey yaar, don’t have a panic attack! I won’t leave you hanging mid-air with just those two words. I’ll take you through my listening experience for all 7 tracks! As Rahman himself suggests, “Drown into the music of Blue.” As you wish…

FYI, Resul Pookutty is the sound designer for Blue. Thought I’d throw that information out there!

It’s no secret. We’ve all heard news buzz about actress and pop singer Kylie Minogue singing for Rahman in Blue. Yup, the name of the track is Chiggy Wiggy and the very talented Sonu Nigam also joins her for the musical joyride. The female to-too-too-too-too-too\\\\\\\'s are rather contagious and upbeat, and Kylie’s vocals are really refreshing to listen to. The beats are catchy, heck, this entire song is catchy, and the big surprise is when Sonu comes in 2.14 into the song shouting “Gore!!!” and the song fuses Punjabi beats and lyrics with Kylie’s western rendition. Grab someone and sing, “I wanna chiggy wiggy with you!” It’s nice how Abbas Tyrewala paid attention to using alliteration—so many “k” and “kh” sounds: Khaatoon, Khidmat, Kaatil, Khilaadi, Kaatilanaa. One of my favorite stanzas is, “But I don’t’ need a shining star, And I don’t want to be rescued, No neither frog, nor charming princes, Nor my summers barbecued…I wanna chiggy-wiggy with you boy!” Sonu’s “oye’s” and the stretched out “rabba” at the end will make you smile. Welcome back, Sonu! Hope to hear more of you regularly.

Aaj Dil Gustakh Hai. Mayur Puri’s lyrics are rather average though (“aaj din gustaakh hai, paaniyo pe aag hai, dhadkan bhi betaab hai”), and the song does take repeat listens to get into. Sukhwinder Singh doesn’t really shine much in this song…honestly, Rahman could have easily taken Hariharan or Suresh Wadekar and it would still have had the same effect. Okay, okay, not trying to be mean or anything! There are plenty of people credited with backing vocals: Benny Dayal, Hentry Kuruvilla and Shi Millhouse, Raven Millhouse. Sanjeev Thomas does a nice job with playing the guitar. The piano also stands out in the song.

Stresed out lately? Chhodd naa yaar. Fiqr not, Fiqrana is here! The song starts off initially reminding me of Kaise Mujhe from Ghajini. Vijay Prakash (Manmohini, Jai Ho, Paal Paal Hai Bhari) takes the mic for this song. The stanza going “Jeet-te hai adh adh adh ke hum” brings back mild memories of a crossover of Hum Honge Kaamiyaab and Illayaraja’s Chal Chalein Title Track. Lyrics are by Ajit Arora, who also wrote lyrics for Singh Is Kinng and dialogues for Om Shanti Om, and honestly, it’s cool to hear a phrase phrase like “khaamaa khaa.” There are lots of electronic sounds used, and Shreya doesn’t have much to offer in this track, unfortunately.

Awesome! Rashid Ali (Kabhi Kabhi Aditi, Kahin Toh Hogi Woh, Ishq Ada Hai, Naadhir Thinna) is back in Bhoola Tujhe. Kavita Baliga, a teacher at Rahman’s music school, is also credited with “Yeri Voice.” It’s nice to hear Rashid’s soulful voice, and even the questioning tone of Abbas Tyrewala’s lyrics are beautiful...The song starts off with mesmerizing strings (Chennai Strings Orchestra) and then the guitar (Sanjeev Thomas) comes in followed by the trumpet (Kishore Sodha). Tension continues to build up with drums joining in at 1.54 into the song. But, honestly speaking, the lyrics and Rashid’s style of singing doesn’t really mesh well with the music…or, perhaps that is the point…to indicate a sense of internal tension going on…

Oh. My. God! Blue Theme is one BIG party!! People went crazy with Jai Ho—make ‘em listen to this. So much is going on in this song…not just in terms of instruments but even singers. We have two lyricists (Sukhwinder Singh for the Punjabi portion and Raqueeb Alam for the Hindi portion) and we also have SIX singers: Blaaze, Raqueeb Alam, Sonu Kakkar, Jaspreet Singh, Neha Kakkar and Dilshad. Just try not to dance when this song is blasting through your speakers—you just can’t resist! I have to draw special attention to lyricist Raqueeb Alam (Jiya Se Jiya/Connections; Ringa Ringa/Slumdog Millionaire; Ishq Ada & Meherbaan/Ada)—he manages to write lyrics to a fun-filled song but he doesn’t sacrifice poetry and imagery--“bekhauff nigaahein,” “rangeen sharaare,” “bearish ke taarein,” “bedaagh vafaayein,” “saagar ke dil mei jitney khazaane, dil ke saagar mei, utne afsaane.” Wow!

You know, even if I didn’t know Rehnuma is for Blue, the first image that would have come to mind after listening to this song IS water! That’s one of the amazing qualities of Rahman’s music—they really do conjure up images and memories. Listen to Himalayas from Connections and bingo, that’s exactly what you’ll imagine. Listen to Rehnuma, and, yes, that’s right, you imagine the under-water world. Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal come together for this song, and Abbas Tyrewala pens down lyrics once again. The way they stretch each word and seem in no hurry has a relaxing effect. And, if it wasn’t already obvious by now, Sonu does a damn good job with loud vocals!

After the Blue Theme, Yaar Mila Tha has got to be my favorite track from Blue. It’s one of the strongest compositions—no wonder Rahman chooses two very gifted singers—Madhushree and Udit Narayan—for this song. Ujjayinee Roy, Shi Millhouse, and Raven Millhouse are credited with backing vocals. Abbas Tyrewala really excels in providing fun “roothaa-roothi” “chhedd-chaad” lyrics. When I heard Udit Narayan sing the word "khotaa" I couldn\\\\\\\'t help but giggle. The song is just so sweet and playful naa yaar! The electronic shehnaai sound is really fun to listen to and so are the “taa teenaa teen teen teenaa” chorus vocals. The percussion arrangements are perfect. Both Madhushree and Udit Narayan really get into the song, which is nice since these days most singers sing without any feel.

Rahman himself says he wanted to have “fun” with Blue and doesn’t want to get “typecast.” Yes, Blue does have some fun compositions such as the Blue Theme, Chiggy Wiggy and Yaar Milaa Thaa. And, composition-wise, the rest of the songs are also enjoyable to listen to…however, lyrics, for the most part, are a HUGE disappointment, and there isn’t consistency in terms of quality throughout the OST. While some songs grab your attention immediately, songs like Aaj Dil Gustaakh Hai will take a very long time to grow on you, and even then, it feels as if you’re forcing yourself to feel excited about some of the songs. All that said and done, it can’t be denied that it is really wonderful to have another Rahman OST to listen to, and there certainly is something for every listener in Blue, so you really DO have to give this OST a listen.

Gosh, I can’t believe you’re still sitting at your computer. Music is meant to be listened to, it is meant to be experienced. And, no review can compensate for that (Gasp! That wasn’t very politically correct, was it?). So, do yourself a huge favor by going through the “Rahman experience” on your own…that’s right y’all—grab the Blue CD and drive ‘em music blues far, far away!!

[Slight Side Note: Party time for Rahmaniacs--The music of Shekhar Kapurs’s Passage is also out and the music composer is none other than The Rahman. So do be sure to give that a listen as well!]http://www.planetbollywood.com/displayReview.php?id=m091009071505

MUSIC

Music of What’s Your Raashee? is quite interestingly done. For the first time in the history of Bollywood cinema (and perhaps even internationally), a song has been created for each of the 12 characters (played by Priyanka Chopra) that are differentiated by sun signs.

First to come is the title song What’s Your Raashee? ‘Pal Pal Dil Jisko Dhoonde‘. A number with a jazz setting to it, ‘Pal Pal’ sees Sohail Sen coming behind the mike himself and he does a fabulous job in going along with the mood and setting of the song. Boasting of a lazy flow that gives the album just the right kick start, the song is about the lead protagonist (Harman) searching for that one girl who fits in the kind of image that he is carrying in his heart.

Now this one is not just the best song of the album but is also easily one of the top romantic tracks that one has heard in Hindi cinema this year. Beginning with the sound of guitar (which actually goes on to be the primary supporting instrument throughout the song’s duration), ‘Jao Na‘ is just the kind of song that one would wish to sing to his/her date. Sohail Sen is excellent in his twin role of a composer and a singer here and does extremely well in making a smooth moving number like this which has the potential to go a long distance. Tarannum Malik’s backup vocals further add a zing to this number that reminds of ‘Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho’ [Hanste Zakhm] which had a similar (romantic) mood and (car drive) setting to it.

After a couple of romantic tracks comes a dance number ‘Aaja Lehraate‘, which as indicated in the album details, is featured on the ‘bubbly avatar’ of Priyanka Chopra. As she promises to match steps with Harman Baweja in this rhythmic number that has a good melody associated to it, ‘Aaja Lehraate’ has a new voice being heard in the form of Bhavya Pandit. She brings in the right attitude to this song that has a Western touch to it with Shaan doing well to bring that youthful feel to the proceedings.

As the sound of piano is heard in ‘Bikhri Bikhri‘, one is rest assured that this one is a serene melodious romantic number in the offering. With a slight classical touch to it; ‘Bikhri Bikhri’ has a poetic feel to it with Sohail Sen (yet again) justifying his presence behind the mike. Though the number has a touch of sadness to it, what with the male protagonist trying to brighten up the situation, the proceedings never turn dull. The ‘antra’ portions especially have that Pritam touch to them that only make ‘Bikhri Bikhri’ (that has Mariannne D’Cruz’s voice in the background) yet another track after ‘Jao Na’ to make it to the list of those looking for a romantic outing.

Surprise, surprise. We have heard composers or actors turning singers. However, for a change, it is the turn of a director to get behind the mike. Yes, Ashutosh Gowariker actually does croon ‘Maanunga Maanunga‘ which is featured on that ‘avatar’ of Priyanka who is dominating in nature. A situational track about this guy agreeing to do whatever he is asked to do by this forceful and no-compromise woman, ‘Maanunga’, which has Pamela Jain as the female vocalist, has a Western flow to it. For this song to succeed with the audience, a lot would depend upon the way it is picturised. By the look of the things though, it seems that it would have a light hearted and a little over-the-top treatment to it.

The moment one sees Udit Narayan on the credits for a song, expectations soar. Reason being that he has been singing quite sparsely over last few years and his presence in a project like this only makes you get curious about what he has to offer. He doesn’t disappoint at all as he comes together with Sohail Sen for ‘Sau Janam‘ which is a romantic number with a soft rock touch to it, hence bringing that new age feel to it. A song that moves at a slow pace, ‘Sau Janam’ reminds one of the music of 90s but one doesn’t mind that at all as it only brings in the positive elements of the era gone by. Madhushree does what Alka Yagnik has done with Udit Narayan in dozens of chartbuster songs and it would be interesting to see how far does ‘Sau Janam’ go.

It’s a unique sound that begins ‘Aa Le Chal‘ which soon turns out to be a song with an old world setting to it. Reminding of the kind of songs that are best associated with the 50s and 60s, ‘Aa Le Chal’ is perked up though with modern day arrangements. Crooned by Aslesha Gowariker, sister of Ashutosh Gowariker, the song is about this young woman who is hopelessly romantic in nature, something that seemingly results in a perplexed Harman (who also chips in with a few words here and there). Aslesha’s voice is different for sure and in terms of comparison comes closest to that of Alisha Chinai.

Just when one was missing Alka Yagnik, she comes on the scene with ‘Pyaari Pyaari‘ where she has Sohail Sen for company. In fact it’s Sohail who begins ‘Pyaar Pyaari’, yet another beautiful romantic number that makes an instant impression. A smooth sailing number that has minimal usage of instruments in the background to get the right mood in place, ‘Pyaari Pyaari’ has Alka Yagnik making her entry only during ‘antara’ portions. She does well in the romantic setting that ‘Pyaari Pyaari’ boasts of and makes sure that the number is remembered for its simplicity.

One of the ‘avatars’ of Priyanka Chopra in What’s Your Raashee? is that of a young Gujarati woman, hence the number ‘Su Chhe‘. However, instead of a typical ‘he jee re’ sound that has been done to death, ‘Su chhe’ follows a contemporary route while still being attached to the roots. There are a few Gujarati words here and there but the music as well as the arrangements do not restrict themselves to the song’s setting and still carry a universal setting. Sung by Bela Shinde and Sohail Sen, ‘Su Chhe’ is a fun romantic number and promises smiles throughout its duration.

Now if only this song would have been composed in the 60s or the 70s, it would have straight away made it’s way into Helen’s repertoire. A song of seduction that does carry the sound from the past, this Tarannum Malik number carries some heavy duty lyrics and is strictly situational in feel. Sohail Sen joins the proceedings as well but just like the character, he is dominated by Tarannum in the song.

Tarannum sounds different in ‘Dhadkan‘ though which has a stage setting to it. A number that carries a sound of intense passion to it, ‘Dhadkan’ has Sohail pitching in as well though again as a secondary lead. Seemingly a climax track due to it’s elaborate setting and grand orchestra, ‘Dhadkan’ promises a visual appeal to it while being strictly situational.

A number with a classical touch to it, ‘Koi Jaane Na‘ is sung by Rajab Ali Bharti who brings in a fresh voice to What’s Your Rashee? With a sad feel to it, mainly in order to be in synch with the character that Priyanka plays in one of her ‘avatars’ here, the song (which also sees Bela Shinde chipping in) mainly has its high points at places where the words ‘Koi Jaane Na’ come. After ‘Dhadkan’, this is yet another situational track in a row.

Situation thankfully perks up once again with a new take on title song What’s Your Rashee? which goes as ‘Chehre Jo Dekhe Hain‘. This time around its decision making time for Harman Baweja as he has had a dekko at all the 12 girls and now has to pick the one he feels is best suited for him. A decently placed number with a lively setting to it, Sohail Sen sung ‘Chehre Jo Dekhe Hai’ features all the ‘avatars’ of Priyanka and should be a good watch.

OVERALL

Ashutosh Gowariker has directed four films in the past – Baazi, Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India, Swades and Jodhaa Akbar. Though music played an important part in each of his films, none of the films could be branded as a musical per se. However, for the first time ever, he comes up with a film that has been designed as a musical, courtesy the entire designing around each of the sun signs. Kudos to the film maker, Sohail Sen and Javed Akhtar for getting their thinking hats together and making something as innovative and fresh as What’s Your Raashee?. Listen to this one for a unique experience. This one is not to be missed!

It was a bit disappointing for all of us, because we worked hard towards the single track, but we learned from the marketing point of views, that  releasing a single here in India is not viable.

So we decided to do a wole album and this is a very good move. Apart from the one single track, we are busy making 5 more track in the same genre. All will be penned by Dr.Sardar Anjum and the music will be composed by Robby Badal.

Our goal is to finish the audio part by the end of this month and the marketing people are busy with the video part. The video will be obviously made on the 1st track "Awaz Do, Andaz Do"

Apart from Madhushree\'s and Sukhvinder\'s vocals, we will add some more singers in the rest of the tracks.

The releasing date is not fixed yet, but surely we will do it this year only as part of our tribute to the Kargil War Heros, which was happened ten years ago.

The single track with the youth awareness will be released with some other hit songs of Madhushree. The marketing team of the project could not agree to the single-track way of releasing an album. According to them the Indian buyers are not ready to pay for one track in an album and secondary the production cost of the album is the as the single. Only there will be costs of extra tracks to prepare.
As said in screen for the release of this album on occasion of 15th august, this will be postponed till another date. “We are busy adding more tracks in the album and apart from this the video director needs more time for the main track to finalize the video”, Madhushree added.
Speaking with the writer, Padma Bhushan Dr.Anjum, said that he is invited to Incheon Music Fair in Korea in September with Pt.Jashraj. He has already sent this lyric to the music fair of Korea.