Chikku Bukku – Music Review

Having been disappointed by the Modhi Vilayaadu soundtrack by Hariharan and Leslie Lewis, I was excited to see what the duo would come up with for upcoming Arya-Shriya starrer “Chikku Bukku”.

The title song is basically a pop number, complete with English rap (with interesting lyrics, to say the least). It’s not unpleasant to listen to, but neither is it riveting – it’s a tried and tested style of music and doesn’t bring anything new to the table.

Oru Nila has a wonderful melody to it, and Shankar Mahadevan’s soothing voice is a wonder to listen to. The song style seems to be straight out of the 90s, but the underlying synth effects added to it make it more contemporary. The vocals by Chandrayee Bhattacharya (a student of Hariharan himself, who accompanied him in his “Isai Thendral” concert in London earlier this year), especially in the verses, are unbelievably sweet to listen to – ever-so-slightly reminiscent of an early Sadhana Sargam – and her pronunciation is immaculate, considering Tamil is not her mother tongue.

Zara Zara seems to be very similar in style to the title song of Modhi Vilayaadu; it’s a peppy number and both Benny Dayal and Lavanya provide energetic vocals that are apt for this piece. Smile sounds like it has come straight out a Hawaiian Luau, with its lighter-than-air beats, and simple guitar and piano instrumentals.  Suchith Suresan is the singer for this number and he certainly does bring a smile to your face with his smooth but snappy vocals.

My favourite track by far on this album is Thooral Nindraalum – a Qawaali-based piece. The Wadali Brothers open the vocals with their wonderfully authentic Sufi style of singing, while Hariharan takes the lead in the verses, singing Vaali’s lyrics with a level of passion and emotion that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

Adnan Sami and Sujatha’s voices complement each other’s beautifully in Vizhi Oru Paadhi, though you can’t help but feel Adnan Sami may not have been the best choice for this song, especially when you hear his choppy Tamil in contrast to Sujatha’s impeccable diction.

Adi Saarale is a mellow number, with beautiful instrumental interludes. The strings that play throughout this song elevate this melody to a whole new level of beauty. Pradeep Vijay and Suvi render Pa Vijay’s wonderful lyrics in an unassuming but passionate manner. What stands out about this song is how unpredictable and inventive the melody is; Hariharan and Leslie have a done a great job with this song!

All in all, a massive improvement by Hariharan and Leslie when compared to Modhi Vilayaadu, and the variety of genres in this album, ranging from Qawalii to Indipop, has resulted in a soundtrack that is truly enjoyable to listen to.

Kavya Rajagopalan (c) Thamarai.com