Voices, old and new

ANAND PARTHASARATHY, A. VISHNU

"Aap ki Asha"; Asha Bhosle; Universal Music; Rs. 65

"Panah"; Nandini and Mahmood Khan; MagnaSound; Rs. 60

"Digen's Jalwa"; various artistes; Times Music; Rs. 65

"One Wild Night: Live 1985 - 2001"; Bon Jovi; Universal Music; Rs. 125

"Hot Stuff: The Definitive Dance Album"; Universal Music; Rs. 125

"Moulin Rouge: Music from the film"; Universal Music; Rs. 125

"Bridget Jones's Diary: Music from the motion picture"; Universal Music; Rs. 125

What better way to kick off this month's column than a release from the veteran of Hindi Film music - Asha Bhosle. After lending her voice to so many soundtrack albums and quite a few remixes, she made an Indipop debut a few years back with "Jaanam Samjha Karo", which inspired a Bollywood film with the same name.

For her latest offering, "Aap Ki Asha", for the first time, Asha composes her own music. The opening track, "Na Marte Hum" which seems to be getting more than enough air time on the music channels, is a youthful and catchy number. "Haske Mila Na karo" and "Dil Pyar Me Lutake" are both romantic numbers with a very youthful ambience and "Aisa Bhi Kya" comes in two versions- a fast one and a hip-hop version.

The album ends with "A Tribute To Majrooh Sahab" which is Asha's 'shradhanjali' to the late lyrical maestro - Majrooh Sultanpuri.

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From a veteran to a rookie. We are excited this month about a new singing voice launched by Magnasound - perhaps not so new to Tamil filmgoers: Nandini Srikar, a Hariharan discovery, who sang the hit song "I Love You" in "Uyirodu Uyiraaga". Now comes her solo album where she sings eight songs by Mahmood Khan - who will be remembered as the composer who worked with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on one of that Sufi maestro's last albums, "Only One".

From the plaintive, melodic "Dhund Le" and "Iss Pyaar Mein" to the zippier beat of "Dil Ki Gali" and "Rukna Abhi", Nandini handles a wide range of vocals which are difficult to classify - they are a blend of gazal and blues. At any rate, "Panah" is an album that lovers of nice 'n easy desi sounds should check out.

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"Digen's Jalwa" is a title which may leave you a bit confused- till you realise that it is part of an ad campaign for "Frooti"- the mango fruit drink. Digen Varma is supposed to be a mysterious guy about whom nothing much is known - except that he loves drinking "Frooti". "Digen Varma's Techno Funda Mix" is an interesting track which begins with a public announcement about him and moves on to snippets from various guys who give out pieces of information about Digen. The track is set to some amazing beats and DJ inputs which grow on you.

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One rocker who has taken the whole world by storm- "Bad Medicine", "Keep The Faith" and more recently "It's my life"-is Bon Jovi, whose album "One Wild Night" has just hit the stores.

It is a collection of live performance recordings from 1985 to 2001. Kicking off with "It's My Life" from the 2000 concert in Toronto, the album takes you on a journey through Bon Jovi's best works including "You Give Love A Bad Name", "Keep The Faith", "Wanted Dead Or Alive" and many more. The last track of the album is "One Wild Night 2001" which is a bonus for all rock fans and is in the same league as "It's My Life".

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Finally a couple of English sound track albums, of films due to be released here later this year. "Moulin Rouge", the film that wowed audiences on the opening day at the Cannes Film Festival is a typical Hindi masala melodrama - except it is made in Hollywood, is set in 19th century Paris and stars Nicole Kidman in the main role of star dancer in the famous night spot of the title. The songs which are essentially rearrangements of well known tracks from Elton John ("Your Song"), David Bowie ("Nature Boy") and some standards of the 1950s ("Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend") are deliberately anachronistic.

The other film album is from the cult British comedy "Bridget Jones's Diary". Except for a song or two written for the film, like Robbie Williams' "Have You Met Miss Jones?", the rest are once more reprises of assorted oldies, from Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and others. Can't say we are falling over in excitement.

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