One of my classmates from school had shared a song (audio file) with a note, “Central theatre interval music 30 yrs back” in the school alumni Whatsapp Group. This is the Central (and Kanakadhara) theater in Coimbatore where I grew up. It’s amazing how we make associations with music! It’s also fascinating how we struggled […]

Bhoomi is Shakthisree’s stellar show, with a matching chorus and a somber ending. Mazhai Kuruvi‘s sparkling strings promise a lot, but the pedestrian rhythm and meandering tune pull it down. Kalla Kalavaani and Sevandhu Pochu suffer from similar problems – brilliant sounds that don’t add up. Hayati works though, as a world-music’ish Dhol Dhol-equivalent (Yuva); […]

Remember the Voodoo Rapper? No? Take a look! This was way back in 1993! Long before Sandesh Shandilya roped in Chithra to sing alongside Ustad Sultan Khan in 2000 (for Piya Basanti), Salim-Sulaiman had got her to sing along the mysterious Voodoo Rapper for the 1993 Magnasound album called Ragga Raaga! Chithra, in the album […]

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Of the five gaana-style songs, Sandhanatha and Goindhammavaala get significantly spruced up sounds. The former is incredibly rhythmic, sung with giddy enthusiasm by Ka Ka Balachander, while the latter is aided beautifully by the chorus, even as the music is simple and foot-tapping, to match Dhanush’s appropriately raw vocals. Between the other three, Arivu’s Mathiya […]

Milliblog Weeklies – India’s only multilingual, weekly new music playlist. Week 42: On Apple Music | On Saavn | On YouTube 23 songs this week. Apple Music has 20; is missing Vidya Vox, Madhan Karky & Shankar Tucker’s Kaadhal Thozhi, Sharanya Srinivas & Shravan Sridhar’s Muralidhara Gopala and Bhale Manchi Chowka Beram’s Seedha Gundelloke. Those […]

Revaa’s Melle Mulle is delightfully folk’ish and spritely, with an ensemble to handle the joyous vocals. Her Chase Theme too is captivating, turning kuthu in style. Sujesh and Sunadh Sankar’s Ariyathe is straight off the Bhatt-brigade style, but the folk percussion and flute mid-way punctuate the song confidently. Azim Roshan’s Azikumbol is Vaikom Vijayalekshmi show, […]

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Milliblog Weeklies – India’s only multilingual, weekly new music playlist. Week 41: On Apple Music | On Saavn | On YouTube 32 songs this week. Saavn is the best, with 31 songs (it’s missing just one – Pathinmakaala Vaanam, from the Singaporean Tamil TV series Guru Paarvai. That song is only available on YouTube. Apple […]

Mast Ali’s heady vocals lift the already giddy-in-love Punjabi tune in F For Fyaar. In Daryaa, when the mukhda soars, it goes back to Amit’s Dev.D! Fantastic singing by Ammy Virk and Shahid Mallya. But the Unplugged version hardly works, with contrasting vocals by Deveshi Sahgal. Chonch Ladhiyaan is a delightful, earthy melody with Shellee’s […]